UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K


                                 Current Report




                PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
                              EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)       September 28, 2004
                                                --------------------------------



                         Applebee's International, Inc.
              ----------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


            Delaware                   000-17962               43-1461763
  ------------------------------      ------------       -----------------------
 (State or other jurisdiction of      (Commission           (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)       File Number)         Identification No.)

                4551 W. 107th Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66207
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              (Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

                                 (913) 967-4000
              ----------------------------------------------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)


                                      None
          -------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check  the  appropriate  box  below  if the  Form  8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions:

[ ]  Written  communications  pursuant  to Rule  425  under  the  Securities Act
     (17 CFR 230.425)

[ ]  Soliciting  material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
     240.14a-12)

[ ]  Pre-commencement  communications   pursuant  to  Rule  14d-2(b)  under  the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ]  Pre-commencement  communications   pursuant  to  Rule  13e-4(c)  under  the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

<PAGE>



Item 7.01.           Regulation FD Disclosure

     On September  28, 2004,  Applebee's  International,  Inc.  (the  "Company")
issued a press release entitled "Applebee's International to Present at the  RBC
Capital  Markets  Consumer  Conference."  The  release  contained the  following
information.


                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Carol DiRaimo,
          Vice President of Investor Relations
          (913) 967-4109

                   Applebee's International to Present at the
                     RBC Capital Markets Consumer Conference

Overland  Park,  Kan.,  September  28, 2004 --  Applebee's  International,  Inc.
(Nasdaq:APPB) will be presenting at the RBC Capital Markets Consumer  Conference
to be held in Orlando on Tuesday,  October 5, 2004, at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time. A
webcast  of  the   presentation   will  be   available   over  the  Internet  at
http://www.wallstreetwebcasting.com/webcast/dr25/appb.   The  presentation  will
also be available at the Investor  Relations  section of the  company's  website
(www.applebees.com).  The  archived  webcast  will be  available  for two  weeks
following the presentation.

Applebee's International,  Inc., headquartered in Overland Park, Kan., develops,
franchises and operates  restaurants under the Applebee's  Neighborhood  Grill &
Bar brand,  the largest casual dining concept in the world.  There are currently
1,626  Applebee's  restaurants  operating  system-wide  in 49  states  and  nine
international countries.  Additional information on Applebee's International can
be found at the company's website (www.applebees.com).




                                      # # #



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<PAGE>


                                   SIGNATURES


Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

                                              APPLEBEE'S INTERNATIONAL, INC.
                                              (Registrant)


Date:    September 28, 2004                 By: /s/  Steven K. Lumpkin
         ---------------------                 ------------------------
                                               Steven K. Lumpkin
                                               Executive Vice President and
                                               Chief Financial Officer



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