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)       January 26, 2004
                                                --------------------------------

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)


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<PAGE>



Item 5.           Other Events

     On January 26, 2004, Applebee's  International, Inc. (the "Company") issued
a press release entitled "Applebee's  International  Reports  January Comparable
Sales;  Fourth Quarter 2003 Earnings Conference  Call  to  be Broadcast over the
Internet."  The release contained the following information.


                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Carol DiRaimo,
          Executive Director of Investor Relations
          (913) 967-4109

           Applebee's International Reports January Comparable Sales;
 Fourth Quarter 2003 Earnings Conference Call to be Broadcast over the Internet

Overland  Park,  Kan.,  January  26,  2004  --  Applebee's  International,  Inc.
(Nasdaq:APPB)  today reported  comparable  sales for the four-week  period ended
January 25, 2004.

Comparable sales for company  restaurants  increased 8.4 percent,  reflecting an
increase in guest traffic of approximately  7.0 to 7.5 percent,  combined with a
higher  average  check,  which  includes the impact of a menu price  increase of
approximately  1.5%  taken  in  early  January.   System-wide  comparable  sales
increased 8.4 percent for the January period, and comparable sales for franchise
restaurants also increased 8.4 percent.

January  comparable sales were positively  impacted by approximately 1.0 percent
due to a shift in the timing of the Super Bowl from the January fiscal period in
2003 to the February fiscal period in 2004.  February 2004 comparable sales will
be negatively impacted by this calendar shift.




Item 9.           Regulation FD Disclosure

     Applebee's International, Inc. (the  "Company") also  included  information
regarding its fourth  quarter earnings  conference call  in the  press  release.
These comments are included below.

The company will release  complete  fourth  quarter and fiscal year 2003 results
after the market closes on February 11, 2004, and a conference call will be held
on Thursday  morning,  February 12, 2004, at 10:00 a.m. Central Time (11:00 a.m.
Eastern Time).  The conference call will be broadcast live over the Internet and
a replay will be  available  shortly  after the call on the  Investor  Relations
section of the company's website (www.applebees.com).

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.  As of January 25,
2004, there were 1,590 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:    January 26, 2004                   By: /s/  Steven K. Lumpkin
         ---------------------                 ------------------------
                                               Steven K. Lumpkin
                                               Executive Vice President and
                                               Chief Financial Officer



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