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 18, 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 February 18, 2004, Applebee's International,  Inc.(the "Company") issued
a press  release  entitled  "Applebee's  International  to  Present at the Tenth
Annual Bear Stearns Retail, Restaurants & Apparel 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
       Tenth Annual Bear Stearns Retail, Restaurants & Apparel Conference

Overland  Park,  Kan.,  February  18,  2004 --  Applebee's  International,  Inc.
(Nasdaq:APPB)  will be  presenting  at the Tenth  Annual  Bear  Stearns  Retail,
Restaurants  &  Apparel  Conference  to be held in New York  City on  Wednesday,
February 25, 2004, at 11:15 a.m.  Eastern  Time.  An audio-only  webcast of this
presentation      will     be     available     over     the     Internet     at
http://customer.nvglb.com/BEAR002/022404a_cy/default.asp?entity=applebees    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.  There are currently
1,594  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 18, 2004                  By:/s/ Steven K. Lumpkin
         ---------------------                 ---------------------
                                               Steven K. Lumpkin
                                               Executive Vice President and
                                               Chief Financial Officer



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