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)                        December 14, 2004 (December 9, 2004)
                                 -----------------------------------------------

                         APPLEBEE'S INTERNATIONAL, INC.
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             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)


           DELAWARE                   000-17962                43-1461763
------------------------------     ----------------     ------------------------
 (State or other jurisdiction        (Commission            (IRS Employer
       of incorporation)             File Number)         Identification No.)


   4551 W. 107th Street, Overland Park, Kansas                    66207
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    (Address of principal executive offices)                    (Zip Code)



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


                                      None
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         (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 satiify the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

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

[    ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 17a-12 under the Exchange Act (17
     CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[    ] 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 5.02. Departure of Directors or Principal Officers;  Election of Directors;
Appointment of Principal Officers.

     On December 9, 2004,  the Board of Directors of  Applebee's  International,
Inc.  (the  "Company")  appointed  David  L.  Goebel,  53,  to the  position  of
President, effective January 1, 2005. Mr. Goebel will continue to serve as Chief
Operating  Officer.  On December 14, 2004,  the Company  issued a press  release
announcing  Mr.  Goebel's  appointment  to the position of President.  The press
release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

     Mr. Goebel was initially employed by the Company in February 2001 as Senior
Vice  President  of  Franchise  Operations.  He was  promoted to the position of
Executive  Vice  President of Operations in December  2002. In January 2004, Mr.
Goebel was promoted to Chief  Operating  Officer.  Prior to joining the Company,
Mr. Goebel headed a management  company that provided  consulting  and strategic
planning services to various  businesses from April 1998 to February 2001. Prior
to 1998,  he was a  franchise  principal  with an early  developer  group of the
Boston Market concept.  Mr. Goebel's business experience also includes positions
as Vice President of Business  Development  for  Rent-a-Center  (a subsidiary of
Thorn, EMI) and Vice President of Operations for Ground Round restaurants.

     Lloyd L. Hill, who served as the Company's  President  since December 1994,
will  remain  with the Company as Chief  Executive  Officer and  Chairman of the
Board.

Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

     (c) EXHIBITS. The following exhibit is filed herewith:

            99.1     Press  release  of  Applebee's  International,  Inc., dated
                     December 14, 2004.


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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 hereunto duly authorized.

         Date:  December 14, 2004

                                            APPLEBEE'S INTERNATIONAL, INC.

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


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<PAGE>


                                  Exhibit Index

Exhibit
Number           Description
--------         ---------------------------------------------------------------
99.1             Press release of Applebee's International, Inc., dated December
                 14, 2004.



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