APPLEBEE’S, the quintessential American neighborhood grill where there’s always a reason to celebrate, celebrated a milestone of its own when it marked the 15th year in Saudi Arabia with the opening of its newest location at Exit 5 in Riyadh last April 16.

The new restaurant is the 23rd Applebee’s in KSA since franchisee Arabian Entertainment opened the first Applebee’s Grill in Jeddah in 2003. Located at King Abdulaziz Road, Exit 5 in Riyadh, this new restaurant features the latest “Celebration” design and is expected to bring another 50 new jobs to the local economy.

To mark this special milestone, Steve Joyce, chief executive officer of Applebee’s parent company Dine Brands Global Inc., flew in from Los Angeles to help officials from Arabian Entertainment cut the ribbon marking the restaurant’s official opening.

“Applebee’s has been bringing people together over great food since the first location opened in Atlanta in 1980, and it has been exciting to see this experience embraced in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and throughout the world,” said Joyce.

“I am especially glad to be here to celebrate the opening of our 23rd restaurant and our fifteenth year of partnership with our terrific franchisee Arabian Entertainment,” Joyce continued. “They have done a tremendous job of bringing the Applebee’s experience to guests throughout KSA, with a respect for local tastes and customs while remaining true to the both the brand and our standards of excellence. I look forward to many more years of success and growth in the country.”

“Fifteen years ago, we brought guests in KSA the very best American Grill experience when we opened our first Applebee’s location, and our growth over the past decade and a half shows that guests have truly embraced Applebee’s as their own neighborhood grill” said Ahmed Marashde, chief executive officer, Arabian Entertainment. — SG