Applebee’s is closing doors on select underperforming restaurants this year.
According to a March 2025 report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Evansville Courier & Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, Applebee’s parent company Dine Brands, which also owns IHOP, reported that franchisees have recently struggled with rising fuel and food costs, and utility bills.
The company closed an Ormond Beach Applebee’s at the beginning of the month, and at least four Florida locations in 2025 — Daytona Beach, Gainesville, Pinellas Park and St. Petersburg, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Applebee’s has yet to release a list of the locations set to close.
However, on the Treasure Coast, one closed Applebee’s location will soon reopen. Here’s when:
Why are Applebee’s locations closing?
Following reports of locations shuttering in Indiana, Missouri and New York in February, USA TODAY asked Dine Brands for a list of closing restaurants. The company declined and instead sent a statement from Applebee’s President John Peyton.
Restaurant closures “are a normal part of running a mature national system, but they don’t define our trajectory,” Peyton told USA TODAY in the statement.
“What matters is the momentum behind our growth, and we’re seeing real signs of an inflection point. This year, we’re planning on opening more restaurants than we have in prior years.”
In 2025, at least four Applebee’s locations in Florida closed, in Daytona Beach, Gainesville, Pinellas Park and St. Petersburg, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. And on March 9, an Applebee’s location in Ormond Beach closed.
Is the Applebee’s in Vero Beach closing for good?
The Applebee’s at 5335 20th Street in Vero Beach, Florida, is closed for remodeling and will reopen at 4 p.m. Friday, March 20, according to the restaurant’s official website.
Applebee’s offers $6 drinks for St. Patrick’s Day
Celebrating 25 years of Applebee’s ‘Mucho Madness’ drink deals, the chain restaurant launched two new $6 Mucho cocktails and a $4 mocktail for St. Patrick’s Day:
How many Applebee’s locations are in Florida?
The first Applebee’s opened in 1980 in Decatur, Georgia, and there are now more than 1,500 locations nationwide, according to the Applebee’s website.
According to the Applebee’s website, there are 76 locations in Florida as of March 17, 2026.
There are three restaurants, located in Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie and Vero Beach, on the Treasure Coast.
How to find Applebee’s near me
To find the nearest Applebee’s location near you, visit restaurants.applebees.com and use the site’s store locator.
Contributing: Saleen Martin and Jon Webb, USA TODAY; Helena Perray, Daytona Beach News-Journal
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Is Vero Beach Applebee’s closing for good? What to know about closures
Reporting by Ashley Ferrer and Lianna Norman, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
