Applebee's restaurants will no longer operate in British Columbia, but two of the former restaurant chain's locations remain open for business - without the name - in Courtenay and Port Coquitlam.
Last Friday, Applebee's at Tuscany Village in Saanich closed its doors, after the franchisee and the parent company parted ways over financial difficulties.
According to a spokesperson from Applebee's, the franchise agreement with Chad and Julie Huff, who operated the three locations, had been terminated. However, the Courtenay restaurant at the intersection of 29th Street and Kilpatrick Avenue remains open.
"We're happy to clarify that our Courtenay and Port Coquitlam restaurants remain open and will continue to be neighbourhood destinations for casual, fun-forward dining," said the Huffs, the owners and former franchisees. "There are obviously some big changes in the works, and we're very excited to tell you all about them very soon. We want to thank all of our loyal and dedicated customers.
Our doors are open and we look forward to continuing to serve you."
A spokesperson for Applebee's said efforts to resolve the financial issues with the Huffs had been unsuccessful.
"This is an unfortunate situation for everyone involved and never the desired outcome. Our expectation is that the restaurant [in Courtenay] will no longer operate as an Applebee's," said the spokesperson.
The Tuscany Village restaurant, which opened on McKenzie Avenue near Shelbourne Street in the summer of 2009, is to be replaced by Calgary-based restaurant Original Joe's in the first quarter of 2013.
Applebee's is the world's largest casual-dining chain with 1,900 outlets. The brand is owned by Dine Equity, the parent company of International House of Pancakes, which franchises and operates 3,400 restaurants in the U.S.
