Q2 2007 Applebee's International Earnings Conference Call - Final.

Original Source: FD (FAIR DISCLOSURE) WIRE

OPERATOR: Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Applebee's International second quarter 2007 earnings release conference call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. (OPERATOR INSTRUCTIONS) As a reminder, this conference call is being recorded.

And I would like to introduce your host for today's conference, Ms. Carol DiRaimo, Vice President of Investor Relations. Ms. DiRaimo, you may begin.

CAROL DIRAIMO, VP OF IR, APPLEBEE'S INTERNATIONAL INC.: Thanks, Matt. Good morning and thank you for joining the Applebee's second quarter 2007 conference call. This call is being broadcast instantaneously over the Internet. With me today are Dave Goebel, our Chief Executive Officer, and Steve Lumpkin, our Chief Financial Officer.

As most of you know, on July 16th, IHOP and Applebee's jointly announced the definitive agreement under which IHOP will acquire Applebee's for $25.50 per share in cash, representing a total transaction value of approximately $2.1 billion. The all cash transaction, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter 2007, is subject to the approval of Applebee's shareholders, customary closing conditions and regulatory approval. In connection with the proposed transaction, IHOP and Applebee's will be filing documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Applebee's will file a related proxy statement. Investors and security holders are urged to read the proxy materials when they become available because they will provide important information about the proposed transaction.

In response to many of your questions, I cannot provide a date for when the proxy statement will be available. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of these documents when they are available and other documents filed with the SEC at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the documents filed with the SEC by IHOP, by contacting IHOP Investor Relations at 818-240-6055. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Applebee's by contacting our Investor Relations department at 913-967-4000. In addition, you may also find information about the merger transaction at www.ihopapplebeesacquisition.com.

Applebee's and their directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Applebee's in connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding the special interests of these directors and executive officers in the proposed transaction will be included in the proxy statement of Applebee's described above. Additional information regarding the directors and executive officers of Applebee's is also included in Applebee's proxy statements for our 2007 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 9, 2007, and the supplemental proxy statement filed on May 1, 2007. These documents are available for free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, and from investor …