tered in Kansas, had faced these and other common business uncertainties and questions, but the company lacked the data infrastructure to answer them. Applebee’s International devel- ops, franchises, and operates restaurants under the Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar brand, the largest casual dining enterprise in the world. As of 2008, there were nearly 2,000 Applebee’s restaurants operating in 49 states and 17 countries, of which 510 were company owned. Despite its impressive size, however, Applebee’s faced fierce competition.