"We're in the midst of a transformation at Applebee's, and we are recommitting ourselves to every aspect of the guest experience," said Julia Stewart, chairman and CEO of Applebee's parent company DineEquity, Inc. [NYSE: DIN] and president of Applebee's. "Food is, of course, central to that, and in talking to guests, we discovered that a platform built on 'USDA Choice,' 'hand-cut in-house' and 'wood-fired' was not only powerful but had the potential to differentiate us in a noisy and crowded market."