• USA Today, Monday, April 28, 2008 10:16 AM

Julia Stewart, who was snubbed for the CEO slot at Applebee's several years ago and went on to rebuild IHOP, vows to fix Applebee's in much the same way she rebuilt the pancake house after arriving six years ago: better food, better ads, better atmosphere and conversion to a near-100% franchise business model from the current about 75%.

Nine months ago - in a minnow-swallows-the-whale merger - relatively tiny IHOP had the gumption to buy struggling Applebee's, the nation's largest casual dining chain, for about $2.1 billion.

Key in Stewart's plan to turn Applebee's around within one year: Food quality will be raised a notch. For example, Stewart says Applebee's is searching for better-quality chicken for its chicken tenders. She also has plans to give a booster shot to the finger foods and bolster the wilting bar business. But that's not all Applebee's needs, branding experts say: It also needs an image transfusion. It used to be known as a gathering place, almost like "Cheers," and it had a halfway decent coolness quotient. No more.

Read the whole story at USA Today »