Applebee's International, Inc.

In 1980, Bill and T.J. Palmer opened a restaurant called T. J, Applebee’s Rx for Edibles and Elixirs in Decatur, Georgia. They envisioned a restaurant that would provide full, quality service, consistently good food, and reasonably prices in a neighborhood.

Soon they began franchising the concept. The Palmers opened a second restaurant and then sold the Applebee’s concept to W.R. Grace and Company in 1983.

In 1986, the restaurant name was changed to Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill. In 1988, Applebee’s franchisee in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, Abe Gustin and partner John Hamra purchased the rights to Applebee’s concept from W.R Grace and created Applebee’s International. They later took it public in 1989.

In 1989, the company had 54 restaurants. When Gustin retired in December 1997, Applebee’s had almost 1000 restaurants.

In November 2007, Applebee’s was acquired by The International House of Pancakes.

Today Applebee’s International is the world’s largest table service restaurant chain, with more than 2,019 casual-dining Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill restaurants in 17 countries.
Applebee's International, Inc.

History of Pizza Hut

History of Pizza Hut
The history of Pizza hut began in 1958, when what is now the world's largest pizza franchise was born. Pizza Hut is the world's largest pizza restaurant chain and is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., whose restaurants total approximately 34,000 restaurants.

The whole history of pizza hut has been achieved through innovation, but the history of pizza hut really took off with amalgamation into the Pepsi Company and more aggressive marketing techniques especially in the take out market.

It was founded in 1958 by Dan and Frank Carney. Their friend suggested opening a pizza parlor they agreed with the idea that it could prove successful, so that they borrowed $600 form their mother to start a business. At that time the original Pizza hut was at Wichita State University with 25 seats.

When making the sign for the restaurant they only had enough room for nine letters and because they made pizza's they wanted pizza in the name, that only left 3 letters and because the restaurant looked like a hut they named it Pizza Hut.

Their first franchise was opened in 1959 in Topeka, Kansas. In 1977, Pizza Hut was acquired by Pepsico.

On April 1, 2008, Pizza Hut sent emails to customers advertising that they now offer pasta items on their menu. The email (and similar advertising on the company's website) stated "Pasta so good we've changed our name to 'Pasta Hut'."
History of Pizza Hut

History of 7-Eleven

History of 7-Eleven
Early days
7-Eleven is the world’s largest operator, franchisor, and licensor of convenience stores, with more than 21,000 stores in 18 countries. The largest licensee is Seven Eleven Japan. 7-Eleven serve approximately six million customers each day. 7-Eleven is known internationally for Big Gulp fountain soft drinks, Big Bite hot dogs, Slurpee beverages, and Café Select fresh brewed coffee.

The company started by John Jefferson Green 1927 as Southland Ice Company in Dallas. In addition to selling blocks of ice to refrigerate food, an enterprising ice dock employee began offering milk, bread and eggs on Sundays and evenings when grocery stores were closed. This new business idea produced satisfied customers and increased sales, and convenience retailing was born!

However the great depression in 1931 plunged Southland into bankruptcy. Despite the financial confusion, profits from the Southland Stores continued to climb, and with the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, ice and beer sales surged.

Rapid expansion
By 1945 Southland owned stores scattered over north-central Texas, operating from 7 in the morning to 11 at night, seven days a week. In 1946 the firm Tracey-Locke, commissioned to create a new name, chose '7-Eleven' to emphasize the firm's commitment to long operating hours to serve customers better.

At the end of the 1950s, John Thompson began to introduce 7-Eleven stores outside of Texas, in Virginia, Maryland, and eastern Pennsylvania. In reaction to mass migration to the suburbs, Southland opened more suburban stores.

Through a new computer inventory system, 7-Eleven was able to pinpoint its strengths and discover that single purchase items were its best sellers. In 1999, company changes its name to 7-Eleven, Inc.
History of 7-Eleven