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 10, 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 January 10, 2003, Applebee's International, Inc.(the "Company") issued a
press release  entitled  "Applebee's  International  to Present at  the SG Cowen
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
                          SG Cowen Consumer Conference

Overland  Park,  Kan.,  January  10,  2003  --  Applebee's  International,  Inc.
(Nasdaq:APPB) will be presenting at the SG Cowen Consumer  Conference to be held
in New York on Tuesday,  January 14, 2003, at 2:00 p.m.  Eastern Time. A webcast
of   this    presentation    will   be   available    over   the   Internet   at
http://www.twst.com/econf/mm/cowen2/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 60 days following 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
1,496  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:    January 10, 2003                    By:/s/ Steven K. Lumpkin
         ---------------------                 ---------------------
                                               Steven K. Lumpkin
                                               Executive Vice President and
                                               Chief Financial Officer



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