“Since 2005, Applebee’s restaurants have raised more than $8.2 million for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, and we are driven to bring that total to more than $9.2 million this year,” said John Cywinski, president, Applebee’s. “Our franchisees and team members are incredibly passionate about Alex’s mission, and it’s wonderful to see everyone come together to support a cause that’s so important.”

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation was established in 2005 to continue the mission of four-year-old Alex, who while fighting her own battle against cancer, set up a lemonade stand to help raise money for “doctors to find a cure” for all childhood cancers.

“Applebee’s continues to be a dedicated partner for the Foundation. With all of the work they’ve done over the years to help us in our goal to find a cure for pediatric cancer, they’ve become part of our family,” said Liz Scott, co-executive director, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and Alex’s mom. “We could not express how thankful we are for the role that Applebee’s team members and guests play in helping our Foundation find new cures and support our hero families.”

While campaign participation and activities vary by location, guests can support Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation in participating Applebee’s restaurants nationwide through Sunday, August 12. Here are some of the ways guests may be able to participate in their local restaurant:

• Purchasing lemon-shaped pin-up cards in $1 and $5 increments.
  • Guests who donate $5 will receive a thank you card entitling them to a free lemonade or free kid’s meal during their next visit, or $5 off $25 at Applebee’s restaurants or online orders, from August 12, 2018 through September 30, 2018.
• Purchasing a Lemonade Quencher made with real fruit or other frozen or flavored Lemonade refreshment to have a portion of the proceeds donated.
• Participating in local events such as lemonade stands, golf tournaments, donation nights and more.

Visit Applebees.com/AlexsLemonade to find participating locations or to donate online to help Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation put an end to childhood cancer.

About Applebee’s^®
Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar offers a lively casual dining experience combining simple, craveable American fare, classic drinks and local drafts. All Applebee's restaurants are owned and operated by entrepreneurs dedicated to serving their local communities, and offering quality food and drinks with genuine, neighborly service. Applebee's is one of the world's largest casual dining brands; as of March 31, 2018, there were 1,923 Applebee's franchise restaurants in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and 13 other countries. Applebee's is franchised by subsidiaries of Dine Brands Global Inc. [NYSE: DIN], which is one of the world's largest full-service restaurant companies.

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About Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004). In 2000, 4-year-old Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of supporters across the country carrying on her legacy of hope. To date, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 charity, has raised more than $150 million toward fulfilling Alex’s dream of finding a cure, funding over 800 pediatric cancer research projects nationally. In addition, ALSF provides support to families affected by childhood cancer through programs such as Travel For Care and SuperSibs. For more information on Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, visit AlexsLemonade.org.

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the maning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words such as "may," "will," "should," “could,” "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "plan" and other similar expressions. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied in such statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: the effect of general economic conditions; the Company's indebtedness; risk of future impairment charges; trading volatility and the price of the Company’s common stock; the Company's results in any given period differing from guidance provided to the public; the highly competitive nature of the restaurant business; the Company's business strategy failing to achieve anticipated results; risks associated with the restaurant industry; risks associated with locations of current and future restaurants; rising costs for food commodities and utilities; shortages or interruptions in the supply or delivery of food; ineffective marketing and guest relationship initiatives and use of social media; changing health or dietary preferences; our engagement in business in foreign markets; harm to our brands' reputation; litigation; fourth-party claims with respect to intellectual property assets; environmental liability; liability relating to employees; failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations; failure to effectively implement restaurant development plans; our dependence upon our franchisees; concentration of Applebee's franchised restaurants in a limited number of franchisees; credit risk from IHOP franchisees operating under our previous business model; termination or non-renewal of franchise agreements; franchisees breaching their franchise agreements; insolvency proceedings involving franchisees; changes in the number and quality of franchisees; inability of franchisees to fund capital expenditures; heavy dependence on information technology; the occurrence of cyber incidents or a deficiency in our cybersecurity; failure to execute on a business continuity plan; inability to attract and retain talented employees; risks associated with retail brand initiatives; failure of our internal controls; and other factors discussed from time to time in the Company's Annual and Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q and in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements.

Media Contacts:

Applebee’s
Melissa Hariri
[email protected]

Current Marketing for Applebee’s
Mackenzie Woods / 312.929.0518
[email protected]

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation
Sarah McIntosh
[email protected]

¹ Source: Cancer Facts & Figures 2014, American Cancer Society: https://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/cancerfactsfigures2014/