Applebees Joins Papa Johns’ in Avoiding Paying for Obamacare

Nov. 10, 2012   Zane Tankel Owns 42 Stores of Applebees Restaurants and is a franchisee of Applebee’s corporation, yet he used their name in a political attack on healthcare namely Obama’s healthcare plan the Affordable Healthcare Act.

Applebee’s franchise owner joins a list of fast food restaurants that claim they will cut into their profits, if they have to follow the law of the land, which is to implement a healthcare plan for their employees.

In August while Mitt Romney was running for President, the CEO of Papa Johns Pizza, one very rich billionaire John Schnatter held a secret fund raiser on his sprawling mansion.

Schnatter complained that Obama’s healthcare plan, the Affordable Care Act would cost him too much money, and that he was supporting Romney because of that. It turns out that Schnatter is a very, very wealthy man, well beyond the dreams of his employees and he has his own medical insurance plan.

Like most CEO’s who are coming forth now after the election that re-elected President Obama to the White House, speaker John Boehner said that “obamacare is the law of the land”. He also hinted that the republicans would stop trying to defeat it, sort of -but a retraction a day later indicates the GOP intend on stopping the healthcare bill for 50 million Americans in one way or another.

There seems to be a campaign brewing from conservatives in business that they will stop hiring, or even fire workers in some cases because of healthcare insurance.

In Papa John’s case, the ACA would cost him .15 cents more, to provide healthcare to his employees which actually benefits his business.

John Schnatter doesn’t have .15 cents.

But he does own this mansion and is a billionaire.

This is John Schnatter’s Mansion


Do you think John can afford .15 cents for his employees?

Applebee’s Joins Papa John’s Pizza in Avoiding Obamacare to Employees

Now Applebee’s has entered into the game of objecting to providing healthcare for their workers.

Zane Tankel, the CEO of Applebees 40 stores in New York City claims he won’t be spending money on his employees and now refuses to hire anyone.

Under the Obamacare plan a business with 50 employees or more must provide a health care plan for it’s employees by 2014.

Tankel owns 40 restaurants, 40 Applebees stores in New York that employs hundreds of people and their plan is to cut worker hours below their current hours so they don’t have to provide healthcare!  A really stupid business decision that will risk the business losing trained workers which is a costly mistake.

This decision and announcement from Zane Tankel on Fox News (of course) has caused a backlash against the food chain on social media, which is of course predictable.

Making claims that a corporation the size and with the revenues of both of these chain food stores that they are cutting hours, to avoid healthcare for their employees will not make them popular with customers.

Now does anyone have figures on Zane Tankel’s take home pay? Do we not assume he has healthcare for himself, his family and his relatives or friends? Of course he does!!

Applebee’s Customer Profiles – Middle Class Americans

Applebee’s as of 2010 has 2,010 restaurants operating in the United States.

Applebee’s restaurants are “family casual dining” and they make a considerable profit on selling alcohol. In fact Applebee’s sells more alcohol than food and has record profits selling the booze.

Keep in mind Applebee’s is a global business, operating in the: USA, Canada, Mexico, Greece, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, UAE, Kuwait, Puerto Rico, Chile and Singapore they derive revenues from around the world.

In March 2012, DineEquity which owns Applebee’s and IHOP has had higher sales at Applebee’s restaurants and are up at least 1 percent over 2010.

DineEquity’s profits in 2010 were 1 Billion Dollars and their share price is currently $61.61 a share as of November 2012 this year which is far higher than 2010′s share price of $53.95 per share.

This represents a share increase during the Obama administration of $ 7.66 profit per share!

DineEquity’s is giving shareholders a great return on profits, while not providing healthcare to it’s employees which is their own decision.

DineEquity’s Motto: Social Responsibility is a False Claim To Shareholders

When you go to the DineEquity website they claim they are “socially responsible” which simply isn’t the truth.

Selling more alcohol than food is not socially responsible.

DineEquity owners of Applebees has a program called Vision and Values but their main responsibility is to make money for their shareholders that is their entire goal.

Quotes from the owners of Applebee – DineEquity:


Is it socially responsible not to follow the law of the land and establish healthcare for it’s employees, is that too much to ask of an international conglomerate with billions in profits?

2) “We organize our social responsibility efforts into categories that describe our focus on Caring for the Environment, Supporting our Neighborhoods and Valuing our Employees.”

Is this not baloney, the Socially Responsible thing to do is to “value your employees’ not cut their hours because you do not want to provide basic healthcare to them?  Do they value American employees at all?


Core values, seem to be profits before people at DineEquity, which owns Applebees and IHOP and really these people are phony wealthy CEO’s and operatives that have profits, greed in mind not social responsibility.

It is gravely irresponsible to cut hours, cut employees due to a provision of healthcare, and it is entirely objectionable to Applebee’s customers.

A boycott of Applebees restaurants of Zach’s,  has already started and will have a negative impact on their claims that they cannot afford healthcare for their employees.

It is hardly true that Applebees Restaurants says they go “above and beyond” when it comes to their employees.


The fragile business time he’s talking about pulled in a share price of 14% in the last two years, and business has been good overseas where Applebees takes advantage of low paying foreign workers.

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