Celebrating 25 years: How Applebee’s became a ‘seafood institution’

When it comes to growing a hospitality business from the bottom up, Jack Applebee has seen it all.

Now CEO of Applebee’s as it celebrates its 25th birthday, Jack started his journey with the business by helping out on his family’s fish stall in Borough Market as a child.

Spotting a change in diner habits, business focus shifted to opening up a restaurant instead, which still stands and is thriving in London’s bustling food market.

“We've come a long way in 25 years,” Jack told The Staff Canteen.

“We were a small, little fishmongers. We've grown into what I hope is a seafood institution that we want to continue to grow for another 25 years.

“But me, the team, the family, we're all incredibly proud of it.”

From reluctant leader to CEO

While Applebee’s is a family-run business, becoming the man at the helm of the company was not part of Jack’s plan.

“No, absolutely not,” he insisted.

“I was at university, did a maths and economics degree, was supposed to be following a banking career, but decided to go and help out the family business for the summer before I started.

“That was it really. We had a GM at the time and it was running like a really old school manner where it was ‘this is just how we do things in hospitality’. I remember the managers at the time were getting people to finish at midnight and come back in the next morning at 9am.

“Me coming in and probably not being too afraid to ruffle a few feathers, I was more like ‘it's not how we have to do things, it doesn't really make sense’.

“It came down to either I went or he went. Next thing you know, he's handed his notice in and I've been there 10 years since.”

Jack continued: “Twenty-five years ago I was seven and helping out with my dad and the guys over on the fish stall in the market when we first started.

“I've always been involved and so have all the family, one way or another. It’s not always something we wanted to do, but I remember even having New Year's Eve parties after working in the fish shop.

“The truth is, it's a super hard business, restaurants. The effort you put in for what you get out of it, from a financial point of view is not great. But from a rewarding point of view, we get that huge gratification of what hospitality is all about really - trying to put smiles on people’s faces.

“I've seen the sort of pain and suffering that it's caused my family through the years, but part of me wanted to make a better life for my family and for everyone. Fortunately, we've improved in many factors. Things are much better. But it's not how I saw my life going, put it that way!”

The key to Applebee's longevity

Moving from fishmongers to restaurant, around 17 years ago, with a spell as a street food stall in between, has been key in preserving Applebee’s longevity and success.

Discussing that move to opening a permanent site, Jack explained: “Borough Market has changed loads.

“If you're a foodie, there is not really a better place to go to either eat or drink or to buy produce. As time progressed and Borough Market’s become more and more famous, it has attracted a lot more people and more of a tourist crowd as well. That crowd are more interested often in eating and drinking while they're out, rather than necessarily, in our case, buying fish and taking it home.

“So we adapted, as the market adapted. We're a fishmongers that turned into a restaurant.

“At its core, it is a produce market. Borough Market continues in the identity of what it wants to be, but it's also adapting to what the customer demand is.

“But my early memories were me on the fish counter. As a kid I remember watching the night bus coming down from Harry Potter. I remember we were all upstairs in what was my parents’ little office and we saw all the cast, we saw the triple decker