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 07, 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)




<PAGE>



Item 9.           Regulation FD Disclosure

     On January 07, 2004, Applebee's International, Inc.(the "Company") issued a
press release  entitled  "Applebee's  International to Present at the 2nd Annual
SC Cowen Consumer Conference." The press release is included below.



                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

                   Applebee's International to Present at the
                     2nd Annual SG Cowen Consumer Conference

Overland  Park,  Kan.,  January  7,  2004  --  Applebee's  International,   Inc.
(Nasdaq:APPB) will be presenting at the 2nd Annual SG Cowen Consumer  Conference
to be held in New York  City on  Wednesday,  January  14,  2004,  at 10:00  a.m.
Eastern Time. A webcast of this presentation will be available over the Internet
at  http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/confLobby.zhtml?ticker=APPB&item_id=831282
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 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.  As of December 28,
2003, there were 1,585 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 07, 2004                    By:/s/ Steven K. Lumpkin
         ---------------------                 ---------------------
                                               Steven K. Lumpkin
                                               Executive Vice President and
                                               Chief Financial Officer



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