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 18, 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 October 18,  2004,  Applebee's   International,  Inc.   (the  "Company")
issued a press release entitled "Applebee's International Names Rohan St. George
as President of International Division."  The  release  contained the  following
information.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Laurie Ellison, Director of Communications (913) 967-2718
Carol DiRaimo, Vice President of Investor Relations (913) 967-4109


                 Applebee's International Names Rohan St. George
                     as President of International Division

     Overland  Park,  Kan.,  Oct.  18, 2004 - Applebee's  International,  Inc.'s
(Nasdaq: APPB) chairman and chief executive officer Lloyd Hill today named Rohan
St. George as president of the company's international division.

     St.  George  will lead the  company's  international  development  efforts.
Applebee's,  the  world's  largest  casual  dining  concept,  currently  has  53
restaurants in 10  international  countries:  Bahrain,  Canada,  Egypt,  Greece,
Honduras,  Kuwait,  Mexico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In
addition,  Applebee's  restaurants are under construction in Ecuador and Brazil.
Both are expected to open before year-end.

     "Rohan will work with Steve Lumpkin,  our chief financial officer, to build
our  international  base and increase our brand presence around the world," Hill
said.

     Hill explained that he and the Board of Directors recently asked Lumpkin to
assume  accountability for the international  division.  Lumpkin was responsible
for  hiring  St.  George  and now  will  work  closely  with  him to  build  the
international division into a long-term growth driver for Applebee's.

     "We believe there is significant potential outside our domestic borders for
the  Applebee's  brand,"  Lumpkin  said.  "And,  with his  extensive  world-wide
experience,  Rohan  will be able to hit the  ground  running  and  quickly  help
Applebee's extend its presence to the international stage."

     Most recently,  St. George served as managing  director of Yum  Restaurants
International  in Puerto Rico, the U.S.  Virgin Islands and Venezuela.  Prior to
that, St. George was vice president of global  operations for KFC, Pizza Hut and
Taco Bell. In that role, St. George was responsible for the strategic leadership
for  90  countries  with  5,600  KFCs,  4,300  Pizza  Huts  and  250  Taco  Bell
restaurants.

     Prior  to  Yum   Restaurants,   St.  George  served   Pepsico   Restaurants
International in a variety of roles in Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines and
Australia.


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<PAGE>

     St. George earned his bachelor of science and economics from the University
of Madras. He and his wife, Julieanne,  and their two children are relocating to
the Kansas City area.

     "I am excited to join a fast-paced,  results-oriented  team that is serious
and ready to grow  internationally,"  St. George said.  "I'm looking  forward to
helping  build  the  international  division  into a strong  growth  engine  for
Applebee's."

     St. George, who begins with Applebee's on November 2, replaces Larry Cates,
who is retiring.

                                      # # #

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 more than
1,600  Applebee's   restaurants  operating  system-wide  in  49  states  and  10
international countries.  Additional information on Applebee's International can
be found at the company's website (www.applebees.com).


     Certain statements  contained in this release are forward-looking and based
on current  expectations.  There are several risks and uncertainties  that could
cause actual results to differ  materially from those  described,  including but
not  limited  to the  ability of the  company  and its  franchisees  to open and
operate  additional  restaurants  profitably,  the ability of its franchisees to
obtain  financing,  the continued growth of its franchisees,  and its ability to
attract and retain qualified  franchisees,  the impact of intense competition in
the casual dining segment of the restaurant industry,  and the company's ability
to control  restaurant  operating  costs which are  impacted by market  changes,
minimum wage and other employment laws, food costs and inflation. For additional
discussion  of the  principal  factors  that could  cause  actual  results to be
materially different,  the reader is referred to the company's current report on
Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Feb. 11, 2004. The
company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.




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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 18, 2004                  By: /s/  Steven K. Lumpkin
         ---------------------                 ------------------------
                                               Steven K. Lumpkin
                                               Executive Vice President and
                                               Chief Financial Officer



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