Local Communities Encouraged to Donate School Supplies to Support Area Students in Need

(PRUnderground) August 4th, 2025

Select participating Doherty-owned Applebee’s restaurants in New Jersey and Long Island have announced the return of their annual Stuff the Bus school supply drive to benefit local students and classrooms.

Each year, participating Doherty-owned Applebee’s locations transform their parking lots into donation hubs by parking a bright yellow school bus outside the restaurant. Guests and community members are invited to help “stuff the bus” by donating new school supplies or making cash contributions to support local schools and education partners.

All collected items and funds will be loaded directly onto the bus and delivered to nearby schools or community organizations helping students start the school year off right with the supplies they need to succeed.

“Giving back to our neighborhoods stands tall as a pillar of our company’s mission,” said Tim Doherty, President of Doherty Enterprises. “Our annual Stuff the Bus campaign has become a late summer tradition we look forward to as another school year approaches. It’s amazing to see the generosity of our guests and how many local students benefit from their kindness.”

Guests and community members are encouraged to drop off donations during their next Applebee’s visit and enjoy a great meal while supporting a terrific community cause. Last year’s effort raised more than $33,000 worth of supplies and donations for local schools.

The following Doherty-owned Applebee’s locations are participating in this year’s campaign:

In addition to collecting much needed classroom supplies, some of these Doherty-owned Applebee’s restaurants will also host fundraisers, such as flapjack breakfasts. To learn more about additional fundraisers for Stuff the Bus, guests should check with their local Applebee’s.

About Applebee’s®

As one of the world’s largest casual dining brands, Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar serves as America’s kitchen table, offering guests a lively dining experience that combines simple, craveable American fare with classic drinks and local drafts. Applebee’s makes it easy for family and friends to connect with one another, whether it’s in a dining room or in the comfort of a living room, Eatin’ Good in the Neighborhood is a familiar and affordable escape from the everyday. Applebee’s restaurants are owned and operated by entrepreneurs dedicated to more than serving great food, but also building up the communities that we call home. From raising money for local charities to hosting community fundraisers, Applebee’s is always Doin’ Good in the Neighborhood®. Applebee’s franchise operations consisted of 1,636 Applebee’s restaurants in the United States, two U.S. territories and 12 countries outside the United States as of March 31, 2024. This number does not include one domestic Applebee’s ghost kitchens (small kitchens with no store-front presence, used to fill off-premise orders) and 11 Applebee’s international ghost kitchens. Applebee’s is franchised by subsidiaries of Dine Brands Global Inc. [NYSE: DIN], which is one of the world’s largest full-service restaurant companies.

About Doherty Enterprises, Inc.

Established in 1985, Doherty Enterprises owns and operates more than 160 restaurants in New Jersey, New York, including seven restaurant concepts: Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, Panera Bread, Wendy’s, Jinya Ramen Bar, Chevys Fresh Mex and its own concepts, The Shannon Rose Irish Pub and Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas. In addition, Doherty Enterprises is also a franchisee of Sola Salon Studios with 15 locations in Staten Island and New Jersey.

Doherty Enterprises is ranked 27th Largest Franchisee in the United States by Restaurant Finance Monitor, is recognized as the 80th largest Foodservice revenue company in the United States by Nation’s Restaurant News, the 67th largest privately held business in the New York Metro area by Crain’s Business, and 26th in NJ’s Top 250 privately held companies & 5th Largest Family-Owned Business Based on Employees in New Jersey by NJBIZ.

The Doherty vision is to be the “Best Food Service Company in the Communities We Serve” and its mission is to “Wow Every Guest Every Time, Wow our People, Wow Our Communities and Wow Our Suppliers.” Doherty Enterprises has also been lending a helping hand to team members and their immediate families when financially burdened through the WOW a Friend Foundation. To date, the foundation has assisted more than 4,200 people and donated over $5.7 million directly back to those in need. (www.DohertyInc.com).

The post Select Doherty-Owned Applebee’s® Restaurants in New Jersey and Long Island Kick Off Annual “Stuff the Bus” School Supply Drive first appeared on

Original Press Release.