Applebee’s CMO on Restaurant Value Marketing: How 2 for $25 Drives Over 25% of Sales

Every chain in QSR, fast casual and casual dining is pushing restaurant value marketing right now. So how does Applebee’s stand out? Michelle Chin, who joined as CMO in September 2025 after nearly a decade at Starbucks, walked Marketing Dive through her first year.

The barbell strategy

Applebee’s domestic comparable same-restaurant sales fell 1.8% in Q2 2026, but summer campaigns "All You Can Eat" and "Poolio with Don Julio" drove sequential gains.

CEO John Peyton calls it a barbell strategy: an accessible, value-driven offer on one end, paired with a culturally resonant, higher-priced indulgence that creates social buzz with younger diners. The chain just brought back $12.99 Sizzlin' Skillets alongside a $6 Spooky Sips drink menu.

Redefining the neighborhood

"Eatin' good in the neighborhood" has been Applebee's tagline for more than 25 years. Recall is high, but Chin admits the neighborhood changed "while we've stood still."

• Neighborhoods are now digital as well as geographic — communities of shared interests.
• The task is to keep what made the brand special for 46 years while making it part of a new generation's family traditions.

One story, every channel

Applebee's named BBDO Chicago its creative agency of record. Chin says "the traditional marketing funnel no longer exists, and it's really this big messy middle." Instead of building separate stories for TV, digital, social and restaurants, the team now starts from one story and adapts it.

Internally, the social team drives advocacy while core marketing owns in-restaurant experience, menu and awareness — working together on "sales overnight, brand over time."

Creators and celebrities who are real fans

Creators show the use cases

Applebee's encourages creators to answer questions like: Is it a lunch spot? A place to share with your bestie? Late-night apps? Different creators show different facets of a brand built for "all walks of life."

The NFL and Marshawn Lynch

For the O-M-Cheese-adilla Burger launch, Applebee's partnered with former NFL star Marshawn Lynch, a fan since his Buffalo days who ordered four of the burgers during the shoot. "When you find a celebrity or partner that is authentic... and is truly a fan, it makes it that much more worthwhile," Chin said.

Shared value instead of solo deals

While competitors focus on single-diner promotions, Applebee's leans on 2 for $25 — one appetizer and two entrees. That promotion alone accounts for more than 25% of the business.

Its Date Night Pass, now in its third year, follows the same logic. Rather than a points system, it's an experiential, value-added loyalty offer that helps budget-conscious guests still celebrate at the table.

Lessons for value-focused brands

1. Change the unit of value. A bundle that matches brand identity — for two, for a family — makes a discount mean something different.
2. Split traffic and buzz. Design one offer to drive visits and another to drive conversation.
3. Pick partners who actually use you. Authentic fandom outperforms paid endorsement. Consumer views on AI-made influencer content are covered in Influencer Marketing Has an AI Trust Problem.
4. Think long-term with sports. Another brand's approach is in Volkswagen's CMO on Sports Partnership Marketing.