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)       February 21, 2003
                                                --------------------------------

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 February 21, 2003, Applebee's  International, Inc.(the "Company") issued
a press  release  entitled  "Applebee's  International  to Present  at the  Bear
Stearns  Ninth  Annual  Retail,  Restaurants & Apparel  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
       Bear Stearns Ninth Annual Retail, Restaurants & Apparel Conference

Overland  Park,  Kan.,  February  21,  2003 --  Applebee's  International,  Inc.
(Nasdaq:APPB)  will be  presenting  at the Bear  Stearns  Ninth  Annual  Retail,
Restaurants & Apparel Conference to be held in New York on Tuesday, February 25,
2003,  at 11:15  a.m.  Eastern  Time.  A webcast  of this  presentation  will be
available  at  the  Investor   Relations   section  of  the  company's   website
(www.applebees.com).  The archived  webcast will be available  through  March 3,
2003.

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
1,507  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:     February 21, 2003                  By:/s/ Steven K. Lumpkin
         ---------------------                 ---------------------
                                               Steven K. Lumpkin
                                               Executive Vice President and
                                               Chief Financial Officer



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