Applebee’s is bringing back its Date Night Pass loyalty offering for the third year, per details shared with Marketing Dive. The Date Night Pass costs $100 and unlocks $600 in value through $50 discounts on a dozen orders, whether dine-in or take-out.
With the return of the offer, Applebee’s is continuing to look for ways to deliver value to loyalty members and build on recent business successes that executives have partially attributed to strong marketing. The chain saw 4.9% and 3.1% same-store sales growth in Q2 and Q3 2025, respectively.
The Date Night Pass launched in 2024 to give consumers facing increased costs of living and decreased disposable income a way to continue dining out. The economic headwinds that led to the creation of the program have not waned in the years since: Fifty-three percent of Gen Z spends $0 a month on romantic dates, per a recent Bank of America survey, causing what some have called a “romance recession.”
“This is a great moment to really come back with Date Night Pass in time for Valentine’s Day,” said Applebee’s CMO Michelle Chin. “How do we get them, Gen Z, and maybe anyone of any generation back into the dating arena?”
Members of the Club Applebee’s loyalty program can register for eligibility for a Date Night Pass through Feb. 4. The chain will then randomly select 3,000 members and give them a chance to purchase the pass, which can be redeemed during 12 separate dining experiences between March 2, 2026, and Feb. 28, 2027. Last year’s Date Night Pass push drove 175,000 loyalty program sign-ups.
“Our loyalty program is really about giving our fan base unique experiences and opportunities,” Chin said. “[We] are bombarded by lots of emails and texts throughout the day, and it needs to be relevant for us to really want to engage… We want to make sure that we understand who you are as a fan, and subsequently, how do you want to be communicated with? How do we give you really personalized messages?”
Focus on social and value
Applebee’s executives have touted expanded marketing capabilities and social media prowess as drivers of growth. Since Q3 2024, the chain has increased social postings by over 300% and seen a 266% increase in engagement, said John Peyton, CEO of parent company Dine Brands, on a recent earnings call.
Social media is a major focus for Chin, who joined Applebee’s in September after more than nine years in various roles at Starbucks. The executive’s top priorities include being “maniacally focused” on guests, ensuring Applebee’s plays a distinctive role in their lives and celebrating the neighborhood-centric DNA of the brand.
“Focusing on those three things are critical, and all those things come to life really well from a social perspective, because social is the place where it’s really a two-way conversation, where we’re jumping into conversations, demonstrating our point of view of the world, but then vice versa, listening to what our guests have to say,” Chin said. “We’re really starting to build that ecosystem.”
Applebee’s will bring the Date Night Pass to life on social via a partnership with @MeetCutesNYC, an account with more than 5 million followers across Instagram and TikTok that interviews couples on the street to learn about how they met. As part of the partnership, certain interviewees will receive a Date Night Pass.
“We’re thinking about people coming together, but even more so, real people, real connection, because Applebee’s is about the neighborhood, and it’s about that authentic connection,” Chin said of the partnership. “These inspirational stories are a way for us to encourage the singles out there to get together, and it’s a nice linkage back to Date Night Pass.”
Date Night Pass is not the only way that Applebee’s is working to get cash-strapped consumers to its restaurants. The chain’s long-standing Two-for-$25 promotion, which offers an appetizer and two entrees, has also been cited as a bright spot by executives. Similar offerings have helped spur growth at Applebee’s competitors in the casual dining space, notably Chili’s.
“It’s not just value based on price and product, but it’s really about the experience, making it special, making it a moment where you consciously make a date,” Chin said. “Giving the guest a Two-for-$25 on an ongoing basis gives them the extra reason to get out of house and get together and make a moment.”
