Applebee’s has closed 10 more restaurants across Florida and Georgia following a franchisee’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
Which Applebee’s Locations Have Closed?
Neighborhood Restaurant Partners Florida operated dozens of Applebee’s restaurants across Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.
The franchisee filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 24, 2026.
The company cited several financial challenges. These included declining sales, inflation, and rising operating costs.
The latest closures affect 10 restaurants in Florida and Georgia. Two of those locations sit in the Panama City area.
The closed restaurants include:
Casselberry, Florida: 3315 U.S. Highway 17-19
Celebration, Florida: 6290 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway
Daytona Beach, Florida: 1700 W. International Speedway Blvd., Unit 600
Kissimmee, Florida: 14990 E. Orange Lake Blvd.
Orlando, Florida: 11036 International Drive
Orlando, Florida: 2503 S. Kirkman Road
Ormond Beach, Florida: 150 Williamson Blvd.
Panama City, Florida: 678 W. 23rd St.
Panama City Beach, Florida: 10071 Hutchison Blvd.
Albany, Georgia: 637 Westover Blvd.
Several of these restaurants served communities for more than a decade. Others sat near major tourist attractions and busy travel destinations.
For the 30A and Emerald Coast region, the Panama City and Panama City Beach closures stand out. The Panama City Beach restaurant operated at 10071 Hutchison Blvd., a busy corridor near local attractions and vacation areas.
Why Did the Applebee’s Restaurants Close?
Neighborhood Restaurant Partners Florida faced financial pressure for several years.
According to bankruptcy filings, the company’s sales began declining in late 2015 after a long period of profitability. The franchisee then faced additional challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inflation also pushed up costs for food, labor, and other restaurant operations. The company tried to improve its financial position but could not reverse the trend.
Before filing for bankruptcy, the franchisee had already closed nine restaurants in 2025. It then closed another five during the first quarter of 2026.
The bankruptcy filing listed between $10 million and $50 million in liabilities.
The company continued operating 53 Applebee’s restaurants across Florida, Georgia, and Alabama when it entered bankruptcy proceedings. The latest closures came as the franchisee sought to reject leases for several locations.
What Does the Bankruptcy Mean for Applebee’s?
The closures do not mean Applebee’s is shutting down nationwide.
The Chapter 11 case involves Neighborhood Restaurant Partners Florida, which operates Applebee’s restaurants as a franchisee. Dine Brands Global, the parent company of Applebee’s, is not the company filing for bankruptcy.
Applebee’s has also taken part in the bankruptcy process. The restaurant brand became a “stalking horse” bidder for the franchisee’s remaining locations.
That arrangement could give Applebee’s an opportunity to evaluate which restaurants should continue operating under new ownership or management.
More closures could also follow. Court filings from May showed that the franchisee sought to reject leases for five additional Applebee’s properties in Florida and Georgia.
Those locations include restaurants in Orlando, Tifton, Ocala, Tampa, and Maitland.
For now, the 10 restaurants listed above represent the locations directly connected to this latest round of closures.
Customers in Panama City and Panama City Beach will now have fewer Applebee’s options, while the bankruptcy process continues to determine the future of the franchisee’s remaining restaurants.
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