Dine Brands Global Inc

Dine Brands Global, Inc.®, together with its subsidiaries (referred to as the “Company,” “Dine Brands Global,” “we,” “our” and “us”), owns and franchises the Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar® (“Applebee’s”) concept in the American full-serve restaurant segment within the casual dining category of the restaurant industry, the International House of Pancakes® (“IHOP”) concept in the midscale full-service restaurant segment within the family dining category of the restaurant industry, and the Fuzzy’s Taco Shop® (“Fuzzy’s”) concept in the Mexican limited-service restaurant segment within the fast-casual dining category of the restaurant industry acquired in December 2022. References herein to Applebee’s®, IHOP® and Fuzzy’s® restaurants are to these three restaurant concepts, whether operated by franchisees, area licensees and their sub-licensees or by us. As of December 31, 2023, all of our 3,588 restaurants, except for one, were franchised. We believe this highly franchised business model requires less capital investment and general and administrative overhead, generates higher gross profit margins and reduces the volatility of adjusted free cash flow performance, as compared to a business model based on owning a significant number of company-operated restaurants.

We generated revenue during the year ended December 31, 2023 from four reporting segments, comprised as follows:

•Franchise operations - consist of Applebee’s, IHOP and Fuzzy's. Royalties, advertising fees and other income from 1,642 Applebee’s franchised restaurants, 1,814 IHOP franchised and area licensed restaurants, and 131 Fuzzy's franchised restaurants;

•Rental operations - primarily rental income derived from lease or sublease agreements covering 571 IHOP franchised restaurants and two Applebee’s franchised restaurants;

•Financing operations - primarily interest income from approximately $20 million of receivables for equipment leases and franchise fee notes generally associated with IHOP franchised restaurants developed before 2003 and approximately $14 million of notes receivable from franchisees; and

•Company restaurant operations - primarily retail sales from three Fuzzy's restaurants that were acquired in December 2022, of which two were subsequently refranchised in the second quarter of 2023.

Most of our revenue is derived from domestic sources within these four reporting segments, with approximately 83% of our total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 being generated from our two largest franchise operating segments, Applebee's and IHOP. Internationally, our restaurants are in 18 countries and two United States territories at December 31, 2023. Revenue derived from all international operations comprised less than 3% of total consolidated revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023. At December 31, 2023, there were no long-lived assets located outside of the United States.

Our Goal

Our goal is to accelerate profitable growth and create significant value for stockholders and franchisees.

Our Strategic Priorities

Our fundamental approach to restaurant brand building centers on innovation and evolution of our existing brands as well as exploring investments in or acquisitions of new concepts. We intend to leverage our significant scale and our franchise business model to drive robust margins and cash flows. We are actively supporting our brands with focused teams that are accountable at the brand level to drive strong performance. Together with our franchisees, significant investments have been made and will continue to be made in marketing across traditional and digital channels to drive traffic to our restaurants. We are investing in technology to create more ways for customers to access our brands and in growth platforms such as online ordering, off-premise business and delivery. We work alongside our franchisees to develop new restaurants across the globe. We will focus on capital allocation strategies to maximize long-term stockholder return, including cash dividends and repurchases of our common stock taking into consideration market conditions. Furthermore, we will continue to evaluate the addition of new brands to our restaurant portfolio through acquisitions and other strategic investments.

Our History

The first IHOP restaurant opened in 1958 in Toluca Lake, California. Since that time, the Company and its predecessors have engaged in the development, franchising and, from time to time, operation of IHOP restaurants. Prior to 2003, new IHOP restaurants were generally developed by us, and we were involved in all aspects of the construction and financing of the restaurants. We typically identified and leased or purchased the restaurant sites for new company-developed IHOP restaurants, built and equipped the restaurants and then franchised them to franchisees. In addition, we typically financed as much as 80% of the franchise fee for periods ranging from five to eight years and leased the restaurant and equipment to the franchisee over a 25-year period. We refer to this as our “Previous IHOP Business Model,” which accounts for most of the activity in our rental and financing operations.

For most IHOP restaurants opened after 2003, the franchisee is primarily responsible for the development and financing of the restaurant. In general, we no longer provide any financing with respect to the franchise fee, restaurant site or equipment. The franchisee uses its own capital and financial resources along with third-party financial sources obtained by the franchisee to purchase or lease a restaurant site, build and equip the business and fund its working capital needs. We refer to this as our “Current IHOP Business Model.”

The first restaurant in what became the Applebee’s chain opened in 1980 in Decatur, Georgia. Applebee's International, Inc, (“AII”) became a public company in 1989, comprised of 100 restaurants. In November 2007, we completed the acquisition of AII, which comprised 1,455 franchised restaurants and 510 company-operated restaurants at the time of the acquisition. We subsequently refranchised all Applebee's company-operated restaurants and were 100% franchised. In December 2018, we acquired 69 Applebee’s restaurants from a franchisee and operated them as company owned restaurants through October 2022 when we completed the sale of these restaurants to a different franchisee.

The first Fuzzy’s Taco Shop opened in 2003 in Fort Worth, Texas and the first franchised location opened in 2009. Since that time, Fuzzy’s has engaged in the development, franchising, and operation of Fuzzy’s Taco Shops. In December 2022, we completed the acquisition of Fuzzy’s, which consisted of 135 franchised restaurants and three company-operated restaurants at the time of acquisition.

Restaurant Concepts

Applebee's

We franchise Applebee’s restaurants in the American full-service restaurant segment within the casual dining category of the restaurant industry. As one of the world’s largest casual dining brands, Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar offers guests a dining experience that combines simple American fare with classic drinks and local draft beers. Applebee’s offers a familiar and affordable escape from the everyday, whether family and friends choose to connect with one another in the Applebee’s dining room or in the comfort of their living room. This is why Applebee’s is Eatin’ Good in the Neighborhood™.

We strive to provide genuine and neighborly service, appetizers, drinks and entrees, and limited-time offers. Our menu features a selection of grill and bar fare, such as appetizers, bar snacks, burgers, pasta entrees and lighter fare, as well as cocktails, beers, and desserts. Applebee’s provides multiple options for our guests to enjoy our food on the go or at home including online ordering, a mobile app, Carside To Go, and delivery service providers.

As of December 31, 2023, Applebee's restaurants are 100% franchisee owned and operated with 53 franchise groups (32 domestic and 21 international) operating 1,642 Applebee’s franchise restaurants (1,536 domestic and 106 international). As of December 31, 2023, Applebee's restaurants were located in 49 states within the United States, two United States territories and 12 countries outside of the United States. The June 2023 issue of Nation's Restaurant News reported that Applebee's was the largest restaurant system in the American full-service restaurant segment, in terms of United States system-wide sales during 2022.

IHOP

We franchise restaurants in the midscale full-service restaurant segment within the family dining category of the restaurant industry under the names IHOP and International House of Pancakes. IHOP restaurants feature full table service and high quality, moderately priced food and beverage offerings in an attractive and comfortable family atmosphere. Although the restaurants are best known for their award-winning pancakes and putting an unexpected twist on “all things breakfast, any time of the day,” IHOP is committed to accelerating growth through menu innovation, day-part expansion, off-premise initiatives and development. Focused on meeting the needs of today’s guest, IHOP leverages industry analytics and brand-specific insights to help drive visit frequency and average check.

IHOP restaurants are open throughout the day and evening hours. As of December 31, 2023, approximately 621 IHOP restaurants operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with approximately 200 additional restaurants operating 24 hours a day for some portion of the week. In comparison, approximately 545 IHOP restaurants operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with 178 additional restaurants operating 24 hours a day for some portion of the week as of December 31, 2022.

We remain committed to giving more people, more reasons to enjoy more IHOP, more often. Placing an emphasis on building its IHOP ‘N’ Go business, IHOP offers an online ordering platform, a mobile app, and a national delivery program with leading service providers. In 2022, IHOP launched the International Bank of Pancakes, our brand's first-ever loyalty program, with the goal to increase visit frequency and spend from participating guests. Additionally, we continue to maintain and enhance our in-restaurant health safety and sanitation operational procedures in order to protect the health and foster the confidence of employees and guests at the restaurants.

As of December 31, 2023, 263 franchise groups (235 domestic, 28 international) operated 1,814 IHOP franchise and area license restaurants. These restaurants were in all 50 states within the United States, in the District of Columbia, in two United

States territories and in 13 countries outside of the United States. The June 2023 issue of Nation's Restaurant News reported that IHOP was the largest restaurant system in the midscale full-service restaurant segment in terms of United States system-wide sales during 2022.

Fuzzy's Taco Shop

After our acquisition in December 2022, we began franchising and operating restaurants in the Mexican limited-service restaurant segment within the fast-casual dining category of the restaurant industry under the name Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. Fuzzy's restaurants feature a number of menu items including Baja-style Mexican food like Baja tacos, chips and queso, guacamole and salsa made in house, and a full bar including margaritas, our "Beeritas" and a selection of cold draft beer, all served in a laid back and inviting setting. Fuzzy’s offers its guest the flexibility of an online ordering platform and loyalty program. As of December 31, 2023, 44 franchise groups operated 131 restaurants in 18 states within the United States and we had one company-owned restaurant in Texas.

See Item 2 - Properties, for the geographic location of all Applebee’s, IHOP, and Fuzzy's restaurants.

Franchising

Franchisee Relationships

We value good relationships with our franchisees and strive to maintain positive working relationships with them. Applebee’s, IHOP and Fuzzy’s franchisees participate in Company-sponsored advisory groups. These groups provide a forum for franchisees to share demonstrated best practices, offer counsel and review successful strategies, while working side-by-side with management of the Applebee's, IHOP and Fuzzy’s brands. Applebee’s sponsors its Franchise Business Council (“FBC”), which consists of eight elected franchisee representatives and three Applebee's representatives. IHOP sponsors its Franchise Leadership Council (“FLC”), an elected and appointed body of up to 12 IHOP franchisees. Fuzzy’s sponsors its Franchise Advisory Council (“FAC”), an elected body of eight Fuzzy’s franchisees plus a Fuzzy’s representative.

Franchise Agreements and Fees

Franchise arrangements for Applebee's restaurants typically consist of a development agreement and a separate franchise agreement for each restaurant. Development agreements may or may not grant to the franchisee the exclusive right to develop Applebee's restaurants within a designated geographical area over a specified period of time. The term of a domestic development agreement ranges from one to 20 years. The development agreements typically provide for initial development periods of one to five years as agreed upon by us and the franchisee. At or shortly prior to the completion of the initial development schedule or any subsequent supplemental development schedule, we and the franchisee may execute supplemental development schedules providing for the development of additional Applebee's restaurants in the franchisee's exclusive territory.

Prior to the opening of each new Applebee's restaurant, we enter into a separate franchise agreement with the franchisee for that restaurant. Our current standard domestic Applebee's franchise agreement provides for an initial term of 20 years and provides an option for four successive renewal terms, in five-year increments, for up to an additional 20 years, upon payment of an additional franchise fee. Our current standard domestic Applebee's franchise arrangement calls for a development fee of $10,000 for each Applebee's restaurant that the franchisee contracts to develop and an initial franchisee fee of $35,000 for each restaurant developed (against which the $10,000 development fee will be credited) and a royalty fee equal to 4% of the restaurant's monthly gross sales. Our agreements for most Applebee's restaurants opened before January 1, 2000, provide for a royalty rate of 4%, while the terms, royalty rate and advertising fees under a limited number of franchise agreements and other franchise fees under older development agreements vary from the currently offered arrangements.

Under the Current IHOP Business Model, a potential franchisee that is approved first enters into a single-restaurant franchise agreement, a single-restaurant development agreement, or a multi-restaurant development agreement with us and is responsible for the development and financing of one or more new IHOP franchised restaurants. Our current standard domestic IHOP franchise agreement typically provides for an initial term of 20 years and permits one renewal for a term of 10 years, upon payment of a renewal fee of $10,000.

The revenues we receive from a typical domestic franchise development arrangement under the Current IHOP Business Model include (a) a location fee equal to $15,000 for an IHOP restaurant that the franchisee contracts to develop upon execution of a single-restaurant development agreement; (b) a development fee equal to $20,000 for each IHOP restaurant that the franchisee contracts to develop upon execution of a multi-restaurant development agreement; (c) an initial franchise fee equal to (i) $40,000 (against which the $20,000 development fee will be credited) for each restaurant developed under a multi-restaurant development agreement, (ii) $50,000 (against which the $15,000 location fee will be credited) for a restaurant developed under a single-restaurant development agreement or (iii) $50,000 for a restaurant opened pursuant to a single-restaurant franchise agreement, in each case paid upon execution of the franchise agreement; (d) franchise royalties equal to

4.5% of weekly gross sales; (e) revenue from the sale of our proprietary pancake and waffle dry-mixes; and (f) franchise advertising fees.

The principal commercial terms of the franchise arrangements under the Previous IHOP Business Model and the Current IHOP Business Model, including the franchise royalties and the franchise advertising fees, are substantially the same except with respect to the terms relating to the franchise fee, lease or sublease rents for the restaurant property and building, and interest income from any franchise fee notes and equipment leases.

Franchise arrangements for Fuzzy’s restaurants typically consist of a development agreement and a separate franchise agreement for each restaurant opened. Development agreements obligate the developer to build a mutually agreed on number of restaurants in the development area during the term of the development agreement and typically provide that, subject to certain exceptions, we will not own, operate, or grant anyone else the right to operate a Fuzzy’s restaurant in in the development area during the term of the development agreement. Our current standard development fee is generally $40,000 per restaurant and is credited towards the initial franchise fee for such restaurant.

Prior to the opening of each new Fuzzy’s restaurant, we will enter into a separate franchise agreement with the franchisee for that restaurant. Our current standard franchise offering provides for an initial term of 10 years and provides, subject to certain conditions, the ability to renew for two additional 10-year terms, upon payment of a renewal fee. Our current standard franchise fees are an initial franchise fee of $40,000 per restaurant, a royalty fee of 5% of weekly gross sales, and a renewal fee of $5,000 per renewal term. We also earn revenue from franchisees from sale of our proprietary sauces.

Development of Applebee’s and IHOP restaurants outside of the United States has historically been conducted through a separate development agreement and franchise agreement. More recently, certain franchisees have entered into a multi-unit franchise agreement that governs the rights and obligations to develop a territory, in addition to terms of operating each restaurant opened in the territory. The term of a franchisee’s exclusive right to develop a territory expires when the agreement’s development schedule is completed. The term to operate the restaurant is typically 20 years, subject to applicable renewals.

In limited instances, we have agreed to accept reduced royalties and/or lease payments from franchisees or have provided other accommodations to franchisees for specified periods of time to assist them in either establishing or reinvigorating their businesses. From time to time, we may also offer reduced or eliminated initial franchise fees, key money grants, equipment leasing options, and periods of reduced royalties as development incentives to encourage the development of new restaurants.

We have the contractual right, subject to applicable law, to terminate a development and franchise agreement for a variety of reasons, such as a franchisee’s failure to make required payments when due, failure to timely develop restaurants and failure to adhere to specified brand policies and standards.

Advertising Fees

The Applebee's franchise agreements generally require domestic franchisees of Applebee's restaurants to (i) contribute 3.25% of their gross sales to a national advertising fund, which funds the development of national promotions, television and radio commercials, print advertising materials and digital marketing and (ii) spend at least 0.5% of their gross sales on local marketing and promotional activities. Under the current Applebee's franchise agreements, we have the ability to increase the amount of the required combined contribution to the national advertising fund and the amount required to be spent on local marketing and promotional activities to a maximum of 5% of gross sales. A substantial majority of domestic Applebee’s franchisees have either entered into an amendment to their franchise agreements to increase their contribution to the Applebee's national advertising fund (the “Applebee’s NAF”) or entered into new franchise agreements in connection with renewals setting forth the current advertising contribution requirements. A substantial majority of franchisees who entered into amendments agreed to an incremental temporary increase in the national advertising contribution rate to 4.25% through December 31, 2024, with no requirement that franchisees spend on local marketing during that time.

IHOP franchisees allocate a percentage of their sales to local advertising cooperatives and a national advertising fund (the “IHOP NAF”). Older IHOP franchise agreements generally provide for advertising fees comprised of (i) a local advertising fee generally equal to 2.0% of weekly gross sales under the franchise agreement, which is typically used to cover the cost of local media purchases and other local advertising expenses incurred by a local advertising cooperative, and (ii) a national advertising fee equal to 1.0% of weekly gross sales under the franchise agreement. Area licensees are generally required to pay lesser amounts toward advertising.

The local IHOP advertising cooperatives have historically used advertising fees for various local marketing programs. The IHOP NAF is primarily used for buying media and national advertising, in addition to the related production costs. The IHOP NAF is also used to defray certain expenses associated with our marketing and advertising functions.

Advertising may be disseminated in various media, including television, radio, print, point of sale, www.ihop.com, mobile app, outdoor banners, and billboards, online, digital, social media and other emerging media on a national, regional or local level, though most advertising is national.

In 2014, we and franchisees whose restaurants account for a large majority of total annual contributions to the IHOP NAF entered into franchise agreement amendments that increased the advertising contribution percentage of those restaurants' gross sales. Pursuant to the amendment, for the period from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2017, 3.5% of each participating restaurant's gross sales was contributed to the IHOP NAF with no significant contribution to local advertising cooperatives required. The amended advertising contribution percentage also was applicable to all new franchise agreements and to IHOP company-operated restaurants open at the time. In 2016, we and franchisees whose restaurants account for a large majority of total annual contributions to the IHOP NAF extended this additional contribution through 2022, and in 2022 it was further extended through 2027. Commencing on January 1, 2028, the local advertising fee and the national advertising fee are subject to change. The current form of IHOP franchise agreement generally provides for advertising fees comprised of (i) a local advertising fee equal to 0% of gross sales under the franchise agreement, and (ii) a national advertising fee equal to 3.5% of weekly gross sales under the franchise agreement.

Fuzzy’s franchise agreements generally require Fuzzy’s franchisees to contribute to a national brand development fund (the “Fuzzy’s Development Fund”) intended for the common benefit of all Fuzzy’s restaurants. The Fuzzy’s Development Fund may be used for a variety of matters including but not limited to creative development services, marketing services, culinary development, third party services to franchisees, advertising, and website production. Currently, the standard form of new franchise agreement calls for contributions to the Fuzzy’s Development Fund at the rate of 2% of weekly gross sales.

IHOP Area License Agreements

We have entered into four long-term area license agreements for IHOP restaurants covering the state of Florida and certain counties in the state of Georgia, the province of British Columbia, Canada, the country of Pakistan and certain countries or islands in the Caribbean, including Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Maarten and Trinidad & Tobago. The area license agreements provide the licensees with the right to develop and franchise new IHOP restaurants in their respective territories and provide for royalties ranging from 1.0% to 5.5% of gross sales and advertising fees ranging from 0.25% to approximately 2.0% of gross sales. During 2014, the advertising fee contribution provisions of the Florida area license agreement were amended for the period through December 31, 2017 on substantially similar terms as the franchise agreement amendment described above and such amendments were subsequently extended through 2027. We also derive revenues from the sale of proprietary products to these area licensees and, in certain instances, to their sub-franchisees. Revenues from our area licensees are included in franchise operations revenues.

As of December 31, 2023, the area licensee for the state of Florida and certain counties in Georgia operated or sub-franchised a total of 149 IHOP restaurants. The area licensee for the province of British Columbia, Canada operated or sub-franchised a total of eight IHOP restaurants. The area licensee for the country of Pakistan opened its first franchise IHOP restaurant in 2020 and may begin to sub-license restaurants once a required number of franchise restaurants have been opened. The area licensee for the Caribbean also may begin to sub-license restaurants once a required number of franchise restaurants have been opened. The area license for British Columbia expires in 2026; the area license for Pakistan expires in 2047; the area license for the Caribbean expires after the year 2042, with the date of expiration changing depending on the number of qualified restaurant openings and closures by such licensee; and the area license for Florida and Georgia expires after the year 2100, with the date of expiration changing depending on the number of qualified restaurant openings and closures by such licensee.

Other Franchise-related Revenues and Fees

Approximately 90% of franchise segment revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 consisted of Applebee's, IHOP and Fuzzy's royalties and advertising revenue. Most of the remaining 10% consisted of sales of proprietary products (primarily IHOP pancake and waffle dry mix), initial franchise and renewal fees, and software maintenance and support fees.

International Franchising

We continue to pursue international franchising of the Applebee's and the IHOP concepts. To this end, we seek qualified franchisees that possess the financial, development and operational resources needed to open multiple restaurants in each territory and are experienced in conducting business in the development territory. We work closely with our international franchisees to develop and implement the Applebee's and IHOP systems outside the United States, recognizing commercial, cultural and dietary diversity. Differences in tastes and cultural norms and standards require that we be flexible and pragmatic regarding many elements of the Applebee's and IHOP systems, including menu, restaurant design, restaurant operations, training, marketing, purchasing and financing.

The success of further international expansion will depend on, among other things, local acceptance of the Applebee's and IHOP concepts and menu offerings and our ability to attract qualified franchisees and operating personnel. Our franchisees must comply with the regulatory requirements of the local jurisdictions.

Domestic and International Franchise Restaurant Development

Each franchisee is responsible for selecting the site for each new restaurant. We may consult with franchisees when they are selecting appropriate sites, and selections made by franchisees are subject to our approval. For domestic restaurants, we also conduct a physical inspection, review any proposed lease or purchase agreement for compliance with our requirements and may make available to franchisees demographic and other studies for domestic restaurants. We make the design specifications for a typical restaurant available to franchisees, and we retain the right to prohibit or modify the use of any set of plans.

As of December 31, 2023, we had signed commitments from IHOP franchisees to build 286 IHOP restaurants over the next seven years, comprised of 14 restaurants under single restaurant or non-traditional development agreements, 117 restaurants under domestic multi-restaurant development agreements and 155 restaurants under international development agreements. We also have signed option agreements to build an additional 14 restaurants over the next five years, primarily under domestic multi-restaurant development agreements. As of December 31, 2023, we had signed commitments from Applebee's franchisees to build six domestic restaurants and approximately eight international restaurants over the next five years. As of December 31, 2023, we had signed commitments from Fuzzy's franchisees to build 144 Fuzzy's Taco Shop restaurants over the next 12 years. Developers’ level of compliance with development obligations varies per year and could change; therefore, the number of signed commitment and/or development agreements in place at any given time may not be a reliable indicator of future restaurant openings.

Franchise Operations

We monitor franchise restaurant operations. Company and third-party representatives make both scheduled and unannounced inspections of franchised restaurants to ensure that only approved products are in use and that our prescribed operations practices and procedures are being followed. We have the right to terminate a franchise agreement if a franchisee does not operate and maintain a restaurant in accordance with our requirements. Due to cultural and regulatory differences, we may have different requirements for restaurants opened outside of the United States. We also monitor the financial health of our franchisees through business and financial reviews.

Composition of Franchise Systems

As of December 31, 2023, 32 Applebee’s franchisees owned a total of 1,536 domestic Applebee's restaurants. The number of domestic restaurants held by a single franchisee ranged from one restaurant to 439 restaurants. As of December 31, 2023, 21 franchisees owned a total of 106 international Applebee's restaurants. The number of international restaurants held by a single franchisee ranged from one restaurant to 15 restaurants. Our five largest Applebee’s franchisees owned 55% of the total 1,642 Applebee's franchise restaurants.

As of December 31, 2023, 235 franchisees owned a total of 1,696 domestic IHOP restaurants, including 82 franchisees that each owned one restaurant. The largest single IHOP franchisee owned 272 domestic restaurants. As of December 31, 2023, 28 franchisees owned a total of 118 international IHOP franchise restaurants. The number of international restaurants held by a single franchisee ranged from one restaurant to 18 restaurants. Our five largest IHOP franchisees owned 29% of the total 1,814 IHOP franchise restaurants.

As of December 31, 2023, 44 franchisees owned a total of 131 domestic Fuzzy's Taco Shop restaurants. The largest single Fuzzy's franchisee owned 11 domestic restaurants. Our five largest Fuzzy's franchisees owned 33% of the total 131 Fuzzy's franchise restaurants.

Company-Operated Restaurants

In December 2018, we acquired 69 Applebee's restaurants in North Carolina and South Carolina from a former Applebee's franchisee. In October 2022, we completed the refranchising and sale of the restaurant assets of these 69 Applebee’s company-operated restaurants to a different franchisee. In December 2022, we acquired three company-operated Fuzzy's Taco Shop restaurants in Texas in connection with our acquisition of Fuzzy's, of which two were subsequently refranchised in the second quarter of 2023. We assess and monitor opportunities to refranchise company operated restaurants under favorable circumstances. Our business strategy includes the possible addition of new brands to our restaurant portfolio, which may result in our acquiring additional company-operated restaurants.

From time to time, we also may reacquire a small number of restaurants from franchisees for a variety of reasons. Historically, we have been able to refranchise these restaurants to new franchisees. When reacquired restaurants are not refranchised quickly, we typically operate the reacquired restaurants until they can be refranchised. These restaurants may require investments in remodeling and rehabilitation before they can be refranchised. As a result, a reacquired restaurant may incur operating losses for some period of time.

Supply Chain

In February 2009, Centralized Supply Chain Services, LLC (“CSCS” or the “Co-op”), an independent cooperative entity, was formed by us and franchisees of Applebee's and IHOP domestic restaurants. CSCS has been appointed as the sole authorized purchasing organization and purchasing agent for goods, equipment and distribution services for Applebee's and IHOP restaurants in the United States. As of December 31, 2023, 100% of Applebee's domestic franchise restaurants and 100% of IHOP domestic franchise restaurants were members of CSCS.

CSCS combines the purchasing volume for goods, equipment and distribution services within and across the Applebee's and IHOP concepts. Its mission is to achieve for its members the benefit of available goods, higher quality equipment and distribution services in adequate quantities at the lowest possible sustainable prices. We do not control CSCS, but do have contractual rights associated with supplier certification, quality assurance and protection of our intellectual property. The operations of CSCS are funded by a separately stated administrative fee added to one or more products purchased by operators.

We believe the larger scale provided by combining the supply chain requirements of both brands provides continuing cost savings and efficiencies while helping to ensure compliance with our quality and safety standards.

Industry Overview and Competition

Applebee's, IHOP and Fuzzy's are among the numerous restaurant chains and independent restaurants competing in the restaurant industry in the United States. The restaurant industry is generally classified into categories and segments based on various factors including price point ranges, the types of food and beverages offered and the types of service available to customers. These categories include, among others, fast food or quick service restaurants, fast-casual dining, family dining, casual dining and fine dining. These segments include, among others, American full-service, midscale full-service and Mexican limited-service. Casual dining restaurants offer full table service and typically have bars or serve liquor, wine and beer, while family dining restaurants offer full table service, typically do not have bars or serve liquor, and usually offer breakfast in addition to lunch and dinner items. Fast-casual dining restaurants offer limited table service and are an intermediate concept between fast-food and casual dining that combine the quick service of a fast-food joint with an elevated menu of healthier, less processed food options.

Applebee's competes in the casual dining category against national and multi-state restaurant chains such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Olive Garden, Chili's Grill & Bar, Texas Roadhouse and Outback Steakhouse, among others, as well as fast-casual and quick service restaurant chains. In addition, there are many independent restaurants across the country in the casual dining segment. Applebee's is in the American full-service restaurant segment in the restaurant industry. The June 2023 issue of Nation's Restaurant News reported that Applebee's was the largest restaurant system in the American full-service restaurant segment, in terms of United States system-wide sales during 2022.

IHOP competes in the family dining category against national and multi-state restaurant chains such as Denny's, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Golden Corral, Waffle House and Bob Evans Restaurants. IHOP also faces competition from fast-casual and quick service restaurant chains that serve breakfast. In addition, there are many independent restaurants and diners across the country in the family dining segment. IHOP is in the midscale full-service restaurant segment in the restaurant industry. The June 2023 issue of Nation's Restaurant News reported that IHOP was the largest restaurant system in the midscale full-service restaurant segment, in terms of United States system-wide sales during 2022.

Fuzzy's competes in the fast-casual dining category against national and multi-state restaurant chains such as Velvet Taco, Torchy's Tacos, and Rusty Taco, among others, as well as casual and quick service restaurant chains. In addition, there are many independent restaurants across the country in the fast-casual dining segment. Fuzzy's is in the Mexican limited-service restaurant segment in the restaurant industry.

The restaurant and related food-service industries are highly competitive and are affected by, among other things, economic conditions, price levels, on-going changes in eating habits and food preferences, population trends and traffic patterns. The principal bases of competition in the industry are the type, quality and price of the food products served. Restaurant location, quality and speed of service, advertising, name identification and attractiveness of facilities are important. Additionally, changes in the price of groceries may influence the attractiveness of dining at home versus dining out.

The market for high quality commercial real estate is also very competitive. We and our franchisees compete with other restaurant chains and retail businesses for suitable sites for the development of new restaurants. We also compete against other franchisors both within and outside the restaurant industry for new franchisees. For further information regarding competition, see Item 1A - Risk Factors.

Trademarks and Service Marks

We and our affiliates have registered or submitted registrations for certain trademarks and service marks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and various international jurisdictions, including “Dine Brands Global®.” We own trademarks and service marks used in the Applebee's system, including various logos and the trademarks “Applebee's®,”

“Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar®” and variations of each. In addition, we own trademarks and service marks used in the IHOP system, including various logos and the trademarks “IHOP®,” “International House of Pancakes®” and variations of each. Further, we own trademarks and service marks used in the Fuzzy’s system, including various logos and the trademark “Fuzzy’s Taco Shop®” and variations of such.

We consider our trademarks and service marks important to the identification of our company and our restaurants and believe they are of material importance to the conduct of our business. Depending upon the jurisdiction, trademarks and service marks generally are valid as long as they are used and/or registered. We generally intend to renew our trademarks and service marks as they come up for renewal. We own or have rights to all trademarks we believe are material to our restaurant operations. In addition, we have registered various domain names on the Internet that incorporate certain of our trademarks and service marks and believe these domain name registrations are an integral part of our identity. From time to time, we may take appropriate legal action to defend and protect the use of our intellectual property.

Information Technology

We use in-house developed and third-party point of sale systems for order processing, and back-of-the house systems for accounting, labor and inventory management in our franchisees' restaurants. We utilize a variety of proprietary and commercially available systems to support our corporate operations. Sales and product mix information is transmitted to our restaurant support centers daily and this information supports our operations and marketing initiatives. We mitigate the potential impact from operational interruption of our information technology systems through a disaster recovery plan that is updated on a regular basis. We believe that technology is and will continue to be a key component of our long-term plans and are committed to providing system stability and targeted innovation. Our use of technology, particularly in terms of managing electronic payments and confidential information, also represents security and operational risks that we must manage and may result in additional costs incurred.

Protection of financial and personal information is a high priority for us, led by our Cybersecurity Department with a committee representing key functional areas. We continue to focus on enhancing our cybersecurity capabilities, educating our team members on cybersecurity importance, and managing our cyber risks. In addition, we participate in annual audits of our financial and human resources systems to verify that measures are in place to protect our employees' personal information. We accept credit cards, third party gift cards, and branded gift cards as payment in our restaurants. We submit our systems to regular audit and review, as required by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (“PCI DSS”), including periodic scanning of our networks to check for vulnerability. To further secure customers' payment data, we worked with our franchisees to deploy and implement encryption and tokenization technologies, ensuring credit card data is not stored in our franchisees' and our restaurants systems. This includes installation of equipment to improve authentication and to prevent fraud using EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa) technology. We and our franchisees are required and responsible for maintaining compliance, with PCI DSS, and we regularly communicate and encourage our franchisees to maintain compliance and to manage risk. For further information regarding Information Technology, see Item 1A - Risk Factors, and for information regarding Cybersecurity, see Item 1C - Cybersecurity.

Seasonality

We do not consider our operations to be seasonal to a material degree. We may experience a slight increase in system-wide sales in the first quarter of our fiscal year due to redemptions of gift cards sold during the preceding December holiday season. In terms of average sales over the five-year time period covering 2018 to 2023, excluding the year 2020, 25% of our annual system-wide sales (retail sales reported to us by our franchisees plus sales at our company-operated restaurants) occurred in the first, third and fourth quarters of the fiscal year, with 26% occurring in the second quarter (Note: does not add to 100% due to rounding). The 2020 time period was excluded in the five-year average above due to distortions caused by COVID-19 pandemic in that year. Sales at restaurants owned by franchisees are not attributable to the Company.

Government Regulation

We are subject to regulation by the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and a number of foreign and state laws that regulate the offer and sale of franchises. We also are subject to a number of foreign and state laws that regulate substantive aspects of the franchisor-franchisee relationship. The FTC's Trade Regulation Rule on Franchising, as amended (the “FTC Rule”), requires us to furnish to prospective domestic franchisees a Franchise Disclosure Document containing information prescribed by the FTC Rule unless an exemption applies.

State laws that regulate the offer and sale of franchises and the franchisor-franchisee relationship presently exist in a number of states and some of these laws require registration of the franchise offering with state authorities. Those states that regulate the franchise relationship generally require that the franchisor deal with its franchisees in good faith, prohibit interference with the right of free association among franchisees, limit the imposition of unreasonable standards of performance on a franchisee and regulate discrimination against franchisees with respect to charges, royalty fees or other fees. Although such laws may restrict a franchisor in the termination and/or non-renewal of a franchise agreement by, for example, requiring “good cause” to exist as a basis for the termination and/or non-renewal, advance notice to the franchisee of the termination or non-renewal, an opportunity to cure a default and/or a repurchase of inventory or other compensation upon termination, these provisions have not historically had a significant effect on our business.

Each restaurant is subject to licensing and regulation by a number of governmental authorities, which may include liquor license authorities (primarily in the case of Applebee's and Fuzzy's restaurants), health, sanitation, safety, fire, building and other agencies in the state or municipality in which the restaurant is located.

More stringent and varied requirements of local governmental bodies with respect to zoning, land use and environmental factors could delay or prevent the development of new restaurants in particular areas.

Various federal and state labor laws govern our relationship with employees and our franchisees' relationship with their own employees. These include such matters as minimum wage requirements, overtime, tip credits and other working requirements and conditions. Significant additional government-imposed increases in minimum wages, paid leaves of absence, mandated health benefits, changes to the tip credit or increased tax reporting and tax payment requirements with respect to employees who receive gratuities could be detrimental to the economic viability of company-operated restaurants and our franchisees' restaurants. In 2022, we refranchised all 69 company-operated Applebee’s in North and South Carolina but subsequently acquired three company-operated Fuzzy’s Taco Shops in Texas in connection with our acquisition of Fuzzy's in December 2022, of which two were subsequently refranchised in the second quarter of 2023.

We are subject to a number of privacy and data protection laws and regulations globally, including, without limitation, the California Consumer Privacy Act, California Privacy Rights Act, and Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act. The legislative and regulatory landscape for privacy and data protection continues to evolve, and there has been increased attention in privacy and data protection issues. This has the potential to directly affect our business, including recently enacted laws and regulations in the United States and internationally requiring notification to individuals and government authorities of security breaches involving certain categories of personal information.

We are also subject to laws and regulations, which may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, relating to nutritional content and menu labeling. In recent years, there has been an increased legislative, regulatory and consumer focus at the federal, state and municipal levels on the food industry including nutrition and advertising practices. Restaurants operating in the quick-service and fast-casual segments have been a particular focus. In addition to the United States Food and Drug Administration’s menu labeling requirements for restaurants requiring that chain restaurants include calorie information on their menus or make other nutritional information available, a number of other jurisdictions around the United States have adopted regulations related to disclosure of other information, such as sodium content, and imposing requirements for children's menus. Initiatives in the area of nutrition disclosure or advertising, such as requirements to provide information about the nutritional content of our food, may result in increased costs of compliance with the requirements and may also change customer buying habits in a way that adversely impacts our sales. For further information regarding governmental regulation, see Item 1A - Risk Factors.

Environmental Matters

We are subject to federal and state environmental regulations, but historically these have not had a material effect on our operations. We are not aware of any federal, state or local environmental laws or regulations that are likely to materially impact our revenues, cash flow or competitive position, or result in any material capital expenditure. However, we cannot predict the effect of possible future environmental legislation or regulations.

Human Capital

We view our team members as one of the three core strategic pillars of our business - People, Brand, and Growth. We believe that hiring, developing and retaining team members is critically important to our operations and that our corporate responsibility begins with our team members. We are focused on a comprehensive approach to diversity and representation across leadership, team members, franchisees and the community.

We believe the power to meaningfully impact the people and communities we serve is realized when each team member is personally and professionally fulfilled. One of our primary focuses is to ensure the health and well-being of our team members. Our Total Rewards Program plays a big part in our commitment to creating an environment of well-being. We have a consistent and fair compensation program that reflects our pay-for-performance philosophy and rewards our team members for their contributions to our success. We offer comprehensive health and protection benefits that support our team members and their families’ overall well-being. We also contribute to programs that provide our team members with financial security, now and in the future. We offer other rewards that focus on recognition, career building, health and wellness, time-off benefits, and other perks that are designed to make our peoples’ experience as Dine Brands team members productive and fun.

We value, encourage and appreciate the diversity of our workforce. We embrace our personal differences - whether it be race, gender, age, religion, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, veteran status, national origin or physical ability - and the benefits that an array of backgrounds, cultures and thinking styles bring to our organization. We are committed to sustaining an environment that accepts, includes and engages everyone in our workforce and encourages open dialogue, empowerment and a sense of belonging. While the world and our business change rapidly, our management believes that respecting individual differences will continue to be essential to our long-term success.

We maintain six Team Member Resource Groups ("TMRGs") as part of our diversity and inclusion efforts. TMRGs are team member-led, self-directed, voluntary groups, each sponsored by a member of our Executive team. Our TMRGs offer internal networking opportunities, career development, expand our innovation and problem solving and in general, act as a vehicle to enhance diversity and inclusion.

We assess our culture and listen to our workforce through periodic team member engagement surveys. Numerous policy changes have been made or been influenced by the feedback we receive from our team members. Some recent examples of these changes include our new flexible hybrid work schedule, which offers increased flexibility for our restaurant support center team members, and our COVID-19 vaccination policy, which protects the health and safety of our team.

We believe in accountability that starts with our leadership and extends to all of our team members. Our Chief Executive Officer, John W. Peyton, has taken the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion pledge. Substantially all our restaurant support center team members as well as our Board members have undertaken a comprehensive diversity and inclusion training seminar.

As of December 31, 2023, we had 596 employees, the majority of whom were corporate employees at our restaurant support centers or in the field. Of our corporate employees, 59% are male and 41% are female, while 56% are white and 44% are people of color. Approximately 84% of our corporate employees are salaried, with 16% paid hourly.

At our company-owned restaurant, we employ both full-time and part-time restaurant employees in order to provide the flexibility necessary during peak periods of restaurant operations and meet the individual needs of our employees. Our employees are not presently represented by any collective bargaining agreements and we have not experienced any significant work stoppages. We believe our relations with employees are good. Our franchisees are not our employees as independent business owners and their employees also are not our employees. Therefore, franchisees and their employees are not included in our employee count.

Corporate Information

We were incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in 1976 with the name IHOP Corp. In November 2007, we completed the acquisition of Applebee’s. Effective June 2, 2008, we changed our name to DineEquity, Inc. and on February 20, 2018, we changed our name to Dine Brands Global, Inc. In December 2022, we completed the acquisition of Fuzzy's. Our principal executive offices are located at 10 West Walnut Street, 5th Floor, Pasadena, California 91103 and our telephone number is (818) 240-6055. Our Internet address iswww.dinebrands.com. Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and trades under the ticker symbol “DIN.”

Available Information

Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements and amendments to those reports filed with or furnished to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing such material with the SEC. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains periodic reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding our filings atwww.sec.gov. The above references to our website and the SEC’s website do not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on those websites and should not be considered part of this document.