A once-popular chain of American eateries has officially left Johnson County.
Applebee’s Grill + Bar abruptly closed its remaining Johnson County locations this week, with “permanently closed” signs appearing in the windows of the franchises on Wednesday.
Three JoCo Applebee’s locations have closed
- The chain closed its locations in Mission, Overland Park and Olathe.
- Those locations operated, respectively, at 6800 Johnson Drive, 11000 Metcalf Ave. and 16110 W. 135th St.
- It was part of a larger sweep of closures across the Kansas City area, with at least eight locations also closing: two in Kansas City, Kansas, as well as others in Leavenworth, Raytown and Lee’s Summit.
Local franchisee files for bankruptcy
- The wider Kansas City metro still has two Applebee’s locations left, one in the Northland and another in Blue Springs, Missouri.
- In a statement to the Post, Applebee’s President Tony Moralejo said the Kansas City area restaurants were independently owned and operated by a local franchisee and said the closures appeared to be the result of “financial circumstances.”
- “This situation is unfortunate, and we continue to believe the Kansas City area is a great neighborhood for Applebee’s restaurants,” he said. “We are exploring options about the future of these restaurants. Two Applebee’s restaurants continue to serve our guests in the Kansas City area.”
- That franchisee, Apple Central KC LLC, filed for bankruptcy in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, this week.
- Apple Central KC took over the Kansas City area franchises in 2015, the same year Applebee’s moved its headquarters from the Kansas City area to California.
Two more Johnson County locations closed last year
- In May 2023, the company closed its Shawnee location — which, at the time, had been there for more than three decades.
- That space on Shawnee Mission Parkway is now occupied by a drive-thru Chick-fil-A restaurant, which opened earlier this month.
- The company also closed its Lenexa location in November of last year, after more than three decades. That site is now occupied by breakfast eatery First Watch.
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