Applebee's Grill and Restaurant opened its newest restaurant in Saudi Arabia at the Red Sea Mall in Jeddah on Monday. Regarded as the world's leader in casual dinning concept with more than 1,900 restaurants around 17 countries, Applebee's new outlet is a further manifestation of its international image. Since opening its first restaurant in Jeddah in 2003, Applebee's, operating under Arabian Entertainment Co. Ltd. - the franchise owner in the Kingdom - has now eight restaurants Kingdom-wide, with plans for further expansion. The newest Applebee's at the Red Sea Mall, the third in Jeddah, was inaugurated by company Chairman Waleed Bin Mahfouz and Chief Operating Officer Ahmed Marashde. Applebee's in Saudi Arabia is the largest franchisee for Applebee's in Middle East. The company has also won the Franchisee of the Year award twice in a row last year and this year. There are more Applebee's restaurants in the country than any other core casual dining restaurants that makes the brand by far the biggest in its segment. All Applebee's restaurants have friendly and family-fun atmosphere with something exciting on the menu for all ages and groups with great emphasis on freshness and quality, said Marashde. He further added that due to increase in dining-out habits, people prefer to go out to places where they can spend quality time with their families and friends or social gatherings. “This is exactly what Applebee's provides with a variety of American and Mexican cuisines. Applebee's have a variety of delicious items on their menu ranging from steaks to sizzling fajitas, specially designed kids menu and many more choices,” he said. Two more Applebee's are scheduled to open in Eastern Province in 2008. The potential for casual dinning restaurants is enormous in the country and therefore every year the market is witnessing new comers. Last month Applebee's introduced a new menu featuring new steak selection, along with a campaign where customers could win valuable gifts. __
