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)       October 20, 2003
                                                --------------------------------

Commission File Number:    000-17962


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

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

          4551 W. 107th Street, Suite 100, 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)




<PAGE>



Item 7.           Exhibits

Exhibit 99.1      Form of  Notice  of Blackout  Period dated October 20, 2003 to
                  Directors and Executive Officers of Applebee's  International,
                  Inc.


Item 11.          Temporary  Suspension of Trading  Under Registrant's  Employee
                  Benefit Plans.

On October 16, 2003, the registrant was notified by the plan  administrator  and
trustee of its  Employee  Stock  Purchase  Plan (the "Plan") that as a result of
certain  servicing  enhancements to the Plan, there will be a blackout period in
which Plan  participants  will be  temporarily  unable to process  Plan  related
transactions  or obtain a  distribution  from the Plan.  The blackout  period is
expected  to begin on the close of  business  Friday,  December  12, 2003 and is
expected to end on close of business Friday, December 19, 2003.

As required by Section 306 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Section 245.104
of the Securities and Exchange  Commission's  Regulation  BTR, and  concurrently
with the  filing  of this  Form  8-K,  the  registrant  transmitted  a notice of
blackout period to its directors and executive officers.  The form of notice  is
furnished as an exhibit to this Form 8-K.







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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:    October 20, 2003                   By:/s/ Steven K. Lumpkin
         ---------------------                 ---------------------
                                               Steven K. Lumpkin
                                               Executive Vice President and
                                               Chief Financial Officer



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<PAGE>


                                 Exhibit Index

  Exhibit No.                              Description
---------------  ---------------------------------------------------------------
99.1             Form  of  Notice of  Blackout Period dated October 20, 2003  to
                 Directors and Executive  Officers of  Applebee's International,
                 Inc.