According to the strategic group map Applebee’s closest competitors would be; Chili’s, On the
Border, and TGI Friday’s. They all fall into the same strategic group, meaning they are industry rivals that
all have similar competitive approaches and market positions. They also are all restaurants are slightly
below moderately priced as well as global brands that can be recognized everywhere.
California Pizza Kitchen falls into a strategic group of its own according to this map. They
compete the least with the bubble in the lower far left category that consists of Jason’s Deli, McAlister’s
Deli, and Fazoli’s. Not only are the foods served by these restaurants completely different, but they also
fall into different price ranges and their global presence differs greatly.
Other than the obvious, no casual dining is above Olive Garden because their pricing and overall
aesthetic is lower. I think that most of these casual dining restaurants fall into a “fast casual” category.
Somewhere easily accessible, so a large national or global presence, while still being somewhere you can
go without having to get cleaned up first. They appeal to a wider range of individuals for this reason.
College kids wanted to go out to dinner but maybe don’t have the funds, people stopping on a long drive
but don’t want fast food, or a quick dinner because maybe you didn’t want to cook that night. Olive
Garden is the bridge between that fast casual and somewhere you might plan to go to for a weekend