Applebee’s enjoyed its best year in a quarter century in 2018, with sales growing five percent. And it wasn’t just its accountants with a smile on their faces. Overall guest satisfaction scores reached an all-time high.
One factor that no doubt played a part in the restaurant’s recent success is the introduction of its “Neighborhood Drink of the Month” offering. The concept involves a monthly one- or two-dollar cocktail celebrating the month or season in some way.
To ring in St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), Applebee’s is offering a “$2 Absolut Rainbow Punch” in March, a drink it describes as an “authentic punch made with Absolut vodka and the combination of green apple, ginger and lemon flavors.”
Past drink deals included $1 Hurricanes in February and $2 Rum and Cokes in January.
For March’s Rainbow Punch, 10-ounce pours are topped with a sugary rainbow gummy garnish, which the restaurant chain claims drinkers will find “refreshing.”
“We created a crisp, refreshing cocktail to help us forget about the rough winter we all went through,” Patrick Kirk, Applebee’s vice president of beverage innovation, said in an email press release. “So, we made a vibrant green punch, packed it with flavor, and topped it with a rainbow. Literally, it comes with a rainbow that you can eat!”
As with every month, price, participation, and availability of the Neighborhood Drink of the Month may vary depending on location.
