Restaurant Neighbor Award 2008 Finalist
New York

TL Cannon Companies, DBA Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar
Williamsville, NY

Turning over your restaurant operations to a school might sound like a scary proposition. But Applebee’s does just that as part of its Flapjack Fundraiser program. In 2007, TL Cannon’s 63 Applebee’s restaurants hosted more than 650 Flapjack Fundraiser events, which are hands-on ways for students and Applebee’s employees to connect. Youth groups or service organizations and schools book a Saturday or Sunday for their event, then sell tickets and collect money. Applebee’s provides the restaurant and food, with the designated group helping pour drinks, flip pancakes and more. The company donated more than 2,000 staff volunteer hours and more than $70,000 in food and paper products in 2007. Applebee’s commitment to kids extends to its A is for Applebee’s program, through which TL Cannon restaurants provided more than 14,000 free kids’ meal reward cards to nearly 100 schools.

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