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 27, 2002
                                                --------------------------------

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 9.           Regulation FD Disclosure

     On September  27, 2002,  Applebee's  International,  Inc.  (the  "Company")
issued a press release entitled "Applebee's International to Present at  the RBC
Capital Markets Consumer  Conference."  The press  release is included below.




                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


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


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

Overland  Park,  Kan.,  September  27, 2002 --  Applebee's  International,  Inc.
(Nasdaq:APPB) will be presenting at the RBC Capital Markets Consumer  Conference
to be held in Orlando,  Florida,  on  Wednesday,  October 2, 2002, at 12:55 p.m.
Eastern Time. An audio webcast of this  presentation  will be available over the
Internet   at   http://www.twst.com/econf/mm/dr9/appb.html   and  will  also  be
available  at  the  Investor   Relations   section  of  the  company's   website
(www.applebees.com).  The archived  webcast will be available  for 30 days after
the conference.

Applebee's International,  Inc., headquartered in Overland Park, Kan., develops,
franchises and operates restaurants under the Applebee's  Neighborhood Grill and
Bar brand,  the largest casual dining concept in the world.  There are currently
1,458  Applebee's  restaurants  operating  system-wide  in 49  states  and eight
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 27, 2002                 By:/s/ Steven K. Lumpkin
         ---------------------                 ---------------------
                                               Steven K. Lumpkin
                                               Executive Vice President and
                                               Chief Financial Officer



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