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)                           December 7, 2006
                                 -----------------------------------------------

                         APPLEBEE'S INTERNATIONAL, INC.
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             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)


           DELAWARE                   000-17962                43-1461763
------------------------------     ----------------     ------------------------
 (State or other jurisdiction        (Commission            (IRS Employer
       of incorporation)             File Number)         Identification No.)


   4551 W. 107th Street, Overland Park, Kansas                    66207
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    (Address of principal executive offices)                    (Zip Code)



                                 (913) 967-4000
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              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)


                                      None
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         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions:

[    ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act 17
     CFR 230.425)

[    ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17
     CFR 240.14a-12)

[    ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[    ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))



Item 5.02.  Departure of Directors or Certain  Officers;  Election of Directors;
     Appointment  of  Certain  Officers;  Compensatory  Arrangements  of Certain
     Officers.

     On December 7, 2006, the Executive  Compensation  Committee of the Board of
Directors  of  Applebee's  International,  Inc.  (the  "Company")  approved  the
criteria  pursuant  to which cash  bonuses  for fiscal  2007 will be paid to the
Company's  executive  officers under the Company's 2001 Senior  Executive  Bonus
Plan and 1999  Management  and Executive  Incentive  Plan. The Committee has not
approved  individual  bonus  eligibility  amounts  at this time.  The  executive
officers are eligible to receive bonuses if certain qualitative and quantitative
Company performance criteria are achieved during fiscal 2007. These criteria are
guest  preference,   restaurant  operating  profit,  traffic  growth,   employee
retention and earnings per share.


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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 hereunto duly authorized.

     Date: December 13, 2006

                                   APPLEBEE'S INTERNATIONAL, INC.


                               By: /s/ Steven K. Lumpkin
                                   -------------------------------
                                   Steven K. Lumpkin
                                   Executive Vice President and
                                   Chief Financial Officer


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