Applebee’s is facing a class action lawsuit because some clients have felt scammed, but this is not the first big company being sued by clients. Imagine you order food for home delivery and when you receive your order, you find out there are some hidden fees, what would you do? Well, people who did this, considered it was a consumer fraud because it was misleading advertising and decided to take legal actions against Applebee’s.
Let’s see what this case is about in more detail and if you would do the same as the clients did.
First of all… What’s Applebee’s?
This company was founded in 1980 by Bill and T.J. Palmer in Atlanta, Georgia. Their goal was to make a restaurant with casual and delicious food that was affordable for everybody with a neighborhood vibe, and they got it.
Actually, Applebee’s complete name is Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar. Now, they still have the same vibe that even their slogan is ‘Eatin’ Good in the Neighborhood’ letting their clients know that’s what they would find at their restaurants, having a good time with family and friends.
This is one of the people’s go to restaurants to eat out because it is affordable, the menu is varied – combining typical American food with others more modern – and the atmosphere. Also, you can find an Applebee’s mostly anywhere in the U.S. with a delivery service, which has been controversial recently.
Delivery service vs. clients
There have been some issues with the transparency of the fees on the delivery service and this has had some consequences, mainly a class action lawsuit.
One day, Michael Drake was making a delivery order at Applebee’s and he was surprised to see the total of his order increasing. Michael decided to start a class action lawsuit against Applebee’s Restaurants LLC in May of 2025 because of a violation of laws for consumer protection.
Class action lawsuit in detail
Michael Drake was not okay with the fact that clients won’t know all the fees they will have to pay until they reach the end of the order. So, you are ordering thinking it will cost what you are summing, but you have a surprise in the total of your order.
Applebee’s would charge you with three different types of fees: a delivery charge, service fee and CA delivery charge – this one is considered a junk fee because it is not imposed by the California government. According to Michael, these charges aren’t noticed beforehand and you just find them when you have to pay.
The class action lawsuit’s goal
What Michael is willing to do is represent every affected person who has ordered on Applebee’s website or app to make the class action lawsuit official. This class action lawsuit will be useful for asking for damage claims and the elimination of these types of fraud activities.
What you should do if you ordered at Applebee’s
If you have ever noticed these types of junk fees and you have been a victim of the misleading advertisement, you can join the class action lawsuit and fight for better conditions for consumer protection.
To join Michael Drake you just need receipts of Applebee’s orders and see if you have been charged with any of the fees previously mentioned. If you have them, contact a lawyer and stay as informed as possible on any update on the case.
You should never let companies get away with these types of situations, because they are not taking care of clients and they use illegal strategies to catch your attention. These class actions are helpful for consumers since they will be informed about more cases and they will know how to act if something similar happens to them. So, use your right and take action!
