How Did Applebees Get Its Name

The original Applebee's opened in Atlanta in 1980 and served everything from munchies to steak and quail.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The creators of California Pizza Kitchen were inspired past Wolfgang Puck'southward Spago
Denny's introduced its signature M Slam breakfast in Atlanta in 1977
TGI Friday's began as a popular singles bar
The original Waffle House opened on Labor Day 1955

(Mental Floss) -- 1. Applebee's

The globe'due south largest coincidental dining chain historic 30 years of eatin' proficient in the neighborhood in 2010.

The original Applebee'southward, which was named T.J. Applebee's Rx for Edibles & Elixirs, opened in Atlanta in 1980. The founders of the original eatery, including Nib and T.J. Palmer, wanted to proper name the eating house Appleby'south, but that spelling had already been registered. Cinnamon's and Peppers, two other names considered, were taken equally well.

The Palmers settled on T.J. Applebee's, which was but unlike enough from their first option. "Bill of fare items ranging from munchies to steak and quail are served at round, high-topped tables on platforms," read one newspaper review from 1981.

A second location was opened in Atlanta earlier T.J. Palmer's ownership group sold the eating house concept in 1983. The name was changed to Applebee's Neighborhood Bar & Grill in 1986 and became the commencement casual dining chain to hit 1,000 locations in 1998.

2. Bob Evans

Bob Evans began producing sausage on his farm in 1948 for a 12-stool diner he owned in southeastern Ohio. His patrons raved nearly the sausage, prompting Evans to enter the sausage-making business on a larger scale.

Bob Evans Farms was launched in 1953, and when the number of visitors to his subcontract began to increase, Evans saw an opportunity. Evans opened a modest restaurant called the Sausage Shop in front of his brick farmhouse in Rio Grande, Ohio, in 1962.

The Sausage Store is considered the starting time of Bob Evans' now-famous concatenation restaurants. Today, Evans' farmhouse, known as the Homestead, is on the National Annals of Celebrated Places.

3. California Pizza Kitchen

In 1985, federal prosecutors Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax opened the first California Pizza Kitchen in Beverly Hills. Rosenfield and Flax, who were inspired by Wolfgang Puck'southward popular Spago restaurant in West Hollywood and hired Puck's original pizza chef at CPK, read Ray Kroc's autobiography prior to starting their business. Today, the chain has grown to more than than 250 restaurants.

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4. Cheesecake Manufacturing plant

In 1972, Oscar and Evelyn Overton moved from Detroit to a suburb of Los Angeles to launch a wholesale bakery specializing in cheesecakes. Half dozen years after, the Overton's son, David, opened a salad and sandwich shop in Beverly Hills that featured 10 flavors of his mom'due south cheesecake.

One of the main purposes of the shop was to get local restaurateurs to conduct the Overton's cheesecake in their own establishments, only it turned into a booming business concern of its own. Overton opened a second eating house in Marina Del Rey in 1983. The rest was history.

5. Cracker Barrel

In 1969, Dan Evins, who worked in his family unit's gasoline business concern, opened the commencement Cracker Butt Old Land Shop off Highway 109 in Lebanese republic, Tennessee. Past 1977, 13 additional Cracker Butt stores had opened.

The goal of the original Cracker Barrel was to provide a place for motorists to fill their tanks and their stomachs, and the inspiration for the concept came from the general stores that Evins frequented every bit a child.

According to the Cracker Butt website, goods such every bit crackers were shipped to these stores in barrels, and when the barrels were empty, the base was often used for a checkerboard. The gift shop remains a staple of Cracker Barrels today.

6. Denny'southward

Harold Butler founded Denny'due south in Lakewood, Calif., in 1953 as Danny's Donuts. First-year earnings totaled $120,000. Butler opened twenty additional shops and expanded the card to include sandwiches and other entrees over the next six years earlier renaming his restaurants Denny's.

Butler began franchising Denny's in 1963 and introduced its signature 1000 Slam breakfast in Atlanta in 1977. In 2000, Denny's opened a restaurant in Rhode Island, which was the only state without i.

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7. IHOP

The starting time IHOP was opened past brothers Al and Jerry Lapin on July 7, 1958, in Toluca Lake, California. Function of the reason the Lapins chose Toluca Lake was to capitalize on the overflow crowd from Bob'south Large Male child.

Al Lapin had operated a serial of java carts in Los Angeles when fast-nutrient chains started to accept off and saw the potential for a fast-food restaurant that specialized in breakfast. Today, IHOP boasts more one,500 restaurants in all fifty states. IHOP purchased Applebee'south in 2007.

8. Ruby-red Lobster

Beak Darden opened the first Red Lobster in Lakeland, Florida, in 1968. The eating house, which offered seafood at reasonable prices, was popular from the get-go and Darden soon opened 4 additional locations throughout Florida.

In 1970, Full general Mills purchased Darden's chain. The original eatery was closed in 1997 after Darden adamant that Lakeland would be meliorate served by but 1 location. Red Lobster wasn't the get-go color/animal eatery Darden started. Decades earlier, he opened The Light-green Frog.

9. TGI Friday'southward

Alan Stillman opened the outset T.Grand.I. Friday's at First Avenue and 63rd St. in New York Urban center in 1965 -- partially as a means of meeting airline stewardesses.

"The other thing is that my timing was exquisite, because I opened T.Grand.I. Friday's the exact year the pill was invented," Stillman told the New City Reader last year. "I happened to hit the sexual revolution on the head, and the result was that, without actually intending it, I became the founder of the kickoff singles bar."

The first Friday's featured Tiffany lamps, sawdust on the floor, and distinctive red and white striped awnings. First year revenues at the original Friday's were $1 million. A second location opened in Memphis in 1970, and within 10 years, eight other T.Chiliad.I. Fri's had opened. Stillman eventually sold Friday's and launched Smith and Wollensky Steakhouse in 1977.

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10. Waffle House

The original Waffle House opened on Labor Day 1955 on East College Avenue in Decatur, Georgia. In 2008, the 13-stool diner that launched more than 1,500 Waffle Houses reopened equally a Waffle Firm museum, with vintage equipment and memorabilia displays of old uniforms and place settings.

"That was the year McDonald's and all the hamburger chains started doing takeout," Waffle House co-founder Joe Rogers told the Atlanta Periodical-Constitution in 2008 of his idea to open a eatery with his neighbor, Tom Forkner. "We wanted to do sit down-down, and nosotros knew you couldn't take out a waffle or it'd become flimsy."

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