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 4, 2005
                                                --------------------------------

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, 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 7.01.           Regulation FD Disclosure

  On  January  4, 2005,  Applebee's International, Inc. (the "Company") issued a
 press release  entitled " Applebee's  International  to Present at the SG Cowen
 & Company Consumer Conference." The press release is included below.


                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:      Carol DiRaimo, Vice President of Investor Relations
              913.967.4109

                   Applebee's International to Present at the
                     SG Cowen & Company Consumer Conference

Overland  Park,  Kan.,  January  4,  2005  -  Applebee's   International,   Inc.
(Nasdaq:APPB)  will be presenting at the SG Cowen & Company Consumer  Conference
to be held in New York on Tuesday,  January 11, 2005, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
A  webcast  of  the  presentation   will  be  available  over  the  Internet  at
http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/confLobby.zhtml?ticker=APPB&item_id=994169.
The presentation will also be available at the Investor Relations section of the
company's  website  (www.applebees.com).  The archived webcast will be available
for two weeks following the presentation.

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 currently
1,672  Applebee's   restaurants  operating  system-wide  in  49  states  and  12
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 4, 2005                   By:/s/ Steven K. Lumpkin
         ---------------------                 ---------------------
                                               Steven K. Lumpkin
                                               Executive Vice President and
                                               Chief Financial Officer



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