Applebee's Holiday Hours 2026: Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year's
Why There's No Simple Answer: No National Holiday Schedule
Unlike chains that post one holiday schedule for every restaurant, Applebee's publishes no chainwide holiday-hours statement. The closest thing to an official policy is the per-location guidance on Applebee's own restaurant pages: "We recommend calling ahead during holidays and seasonal events."
There's a structural reason. Applebee's runs about 1,439 restaurants in the United States (Dine Brands' June 2026 count; roughly 1,557 worldwide including company-owned), and around 96% are franchised — each franchisee sets its own hours, prices, and which deals it runs. That's why one town's Applebee's is open Thanksgiving morning and the next town's is dark. Our locations guide covers what else varies from one restaurant to the next.
Applebee's Holiday Hours at a Glance
The table below is the typical picture across 2026 sources — but treat every row as "confirm locally," because franchisees decide.
| Holiday | Date | Typical status |
|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving | Thu, Nov 26 | Varies — many open reduced hours, some closed. Call ahead. |
| Christmas Eve | Thu, Dec 24 | Reduced hours typical (11 AM–8 PM widely reported) |
| Christmas Day | Fri, Dec 25 | Most locations closed |
| New Year's Eve | Thu, Dec 31 | Often open late (11 AM–2 AM reported at some locations) |
| New Year's Day | Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | Usually regular hours — confirm locally |
| Veterans Day | Wed, Nov 11 | Open regular hours + free entrée for veterans |
Thanksgiving at Applebee's: The Honest Picture
Thanksgiving is the one holiday where aggregator sites genuinely disagree. Some list Applebee's as open with reduced hours (11 AM–8 PM at select locations, per an October 2026 tracker), others list it as closed, and a few claim regular hours. All three can be true at once — because the decision is made restaurant by restaurant.
Our read of the 2026 evidence: a large share of locations open with shortened hours on Thanksgiving Day, a meaningful minority close, and almost none run a normal full day. That means you should never plan a Thanksgiving meal around a blanket "open" or "closed" claim from any site — including this one. Call the restaurant the day before. If you're ordering for a group, order a day early: holiday kitchens run lean crews.
Christmas Eve & Christmas Day
Christmas is the easy one. Most Applebee's locations close on Christmas Day — three independent 2026 holiday trackers agree, and Applebee's own location pages push the call-ahead guidance hardest around Christmas. Plan a backup for the 25th.
Christmas Eve is a short day at most restaurants — 11 AM to 8 PM is the widely reported pattern, though your location may differ by an hour or two either way. If Christmas Eve dinner is the plan, go early: kitchens often stop seating well before the posted close. (Our hours guide explains why the kitchen clock and the door clock aren't the same thing.)
New Year's Eve & New Year's Day
New Year's Eve runs the other direction: many locations extend hours, with 11 AM to 2 AM reported at some restaurants — late-night appetizer crowds are real on the 31st. New Year's Day is usually back to regular hours, but with the usual franchise caveat: confirm with your location, especially for lunch.
Veterans Day: Open — With a Free Entrée
Applebee's is open regular hours on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11 — and it's one of the biggest single-day events on the calendar: a free entrée for veterans and active-duty military, confirmed for 2026. Expect crowds and possible waits at dinner. Full details — who qualifies, what's free, what proof to bring — are on our Veterans Day guide.
How to Check Your Applebee's Holiday Hours
Because no national schedule exists, the only reliable check is your specific restaurant. Three ways, in order of reliability:
- Call the restaurant directly. This is what Applebee's itself recommends for holidays — "We recommend calling ahead during holidays and seasonal events." A 30-second call beats any national list.
- Use the official restaurant finder at restaurants.applebees.com — state-by-state browse plus geolocated lookup, with per-location hours where published.
- Check our locations page for your restaurant's listing, or Google Maps' holiday-hours flags — useful, but double-check against a call on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Find your Applebee's.
Ordering Takeout or Delivery on Holidays
Holiday hours apply to the dining room and the to-go counter alike — a restaurant that's closed is closed for pickup too. When your location is open, Carside To Go is the official pickup path: "In a hurry? Place your order using our Carside To Go service and pick up your food without leaving your car." Online ordering and third-party delivery (DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub, per independent listings) depend on the restaurant and your address, and holiday demand means longer waits — order earlier than you think you need to. See our takeout guide for how Carside pickup works.
Why Applebee's Hours Vary So Much
It all comes back to the franchise model: with roughly 96% of US restaurants franchised, hours, prices, deal participation and holiday schedules are local decisions. The official site publishes typical hours (Mon–Thu & Sun 11 AM–12 AM, Fri–Sat 11 AM–1 AM) — but those are typical, not promised. The same variance is why happy hour windows and menu prices differ by town. When in doubt, the phone number on your location's page is the source of truth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Applebee's open on Thanksgiving 2026?
It varies by location. Many Applebee's restaurants open with reduced hours on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 26), some close, and Applebee's publishes no chainwide schedule. Call your restaurant before you go.
Is Applebee's open on Christmas Day 2026?
Most locations are closed on Christmas Day (Friday, December 25, 2026) — three independent 2026 trackers agree. Plan a backup.
What time does Applebee's close on Christmas Eve?
Reduced hours are typical — 11 AM to 8 PM is the widely reported pattern, but hours are set per restaurant, so confirm locally.
Is Applebee's open on New Year's Day?
Usually, yes — most locations return to regular hours on January 1, though there's no chainwide guarantee. Confirm with your location.
Does Applebee's give a free meal on Veterans Day?
Yes — a free entrée for veterans and active-duty military on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, during regular hours. See our Veterans Day guide for who qualifies and what to bring.
