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)          May 28, 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)


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Item 5.           Other Events

     On May 28, 2003,  Applebee's  International,  Inc. (the "Company") issued a
press release entitled  "Applebee's International Reports May Comparable Sales."
The release contained the following information.



                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact:  Carol DiRaimo,
          Executive Director of Investor Relations
          (913) 967-4109

              Applebee's International Reports May Comparable Sales

     Overland  Park,  Kan.,  May 28,  2003  --  Applebee's  International,  Inc.
(Nasdaq:APPB) today reported comparable sales for the four-week period ended May
25, 2003.

     Comparable sales for company restaurants  increased 5.1 percent,  including
the 21 franchise  restaurants in Washington,  D.C.  acquired in November 2002 as
well as the 11 franchise  restaurants adjacent to the St. Louis market that were
acquired on March 24, 2003. Excluding the acquired restaurants, comparable sales
for company restaurants  increased 4.9 percent,  reflecting an increase in guest
traffic of  approximately  3.5 percent,  combined with a higher  average  check.
System-wide  comparable  sales  increased  3.5 percent  for the May period,  and
comparable sales for franchise restaurants increased 2.9 percent.

     Comparable  sales for company  restaurants for the  quarter-to-date  period
(eight  weeks) have  increased  3.8  percent,  with  system-wide  and  franchise
comparable sales up 2.8 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively.

     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. As of May 25,
2003, there were 1,522 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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                                   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:       May 28, 2003               By: /s/    Steven K. Lumpkin
         ---------------------                 ------------------------
                                               Steven K. Lumpkin
                                               Executive Vice President and
                                               Chief Financial Officer



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