The announcement that we’ve all been waiting for.
Have you noticed that every sports league has their own respective “official sponsors?” Every organization has to have an official beer or an official snack (or whatever other “official” thing they want to make official), and the NFL is taking it a step further by choosing one restaurant franchise as their “official grill and bar.”
Applebee’s.
First off, shoutout to Applebee’s. I don’t know if you’ve been to one recently, but I don’t think I’ve ever walked into one and thought “this place has NFL sponsorship money.” Most of the Applebee’s I’ve been to haven’t changed one bit since they opened. Maybe this is the first step in the grill and bar’s resurgence?
Secondly, with all of that being said, I do love a good trip to the “Big Apple.” Half price apps after 9? Dollaritas? 50 cent boneless wings and two dollar PBRs? I’m not sure what else you could want out of a restaurant (maybe besides higher quality food and cleaner tables and bathrooms). If they can work some of those deals into NFL Sundays, this sponsorship just might work.
Plus, there have been rumblings that Applebee’s and IHOP will start rolling out “joint restaurants” in the near future. Could you imagine setting up shop in a corner booth for a full slate of NFL games, starting the day with pancakes, getting through the first set of games with some quesadillas, and bringing it home for the afternoon competitions with some wings and beer? That sounds like a hell of a day to me.
However, social media didn’t seem all that excited about Applebee’s becoming the “Official Grill and Bar of the NFL.” Actually, most of them were surprised that the casual dining establishment was still in business:
This should help the 12 Applebee’s that’s still exist make it another year before they shut down as well.
— Investor Gadget (@InvestorGadgt) April 16, 2024
Me and the boys torched off Dollaritas watching the Dolphins do irreparable damage to my mental health pic.twitter.com/Q0Q400zDrq https://t.co/Zd1w2tK8GW
— Riley (@Ri_S_OB) April 16, 2024
2 (rec) for 20 (yards)… the Michael Thomas special.
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) April 16, 2024
Applebee’s had enough money to do this? I thought they were broke by now lol
— GuinnessStache (@guinnessstache) April 16, 2024
I often said “you know what the nfl needs? an official grill and bar” https://t.co/goQh1Xl2CA
— Gucci Coochie (@coochiekombucha) April 16, 2024
Pulling up to Applebee’s for all you can eat riblets and America’s Game of the Week https://t.co/mBpppLtseV pic.twitter.com/nUlPvy92Sj
— Ken Glizzy Jr. (@JamesDGrambo) April 16, 2024
