Karaoke Forums

http://www.aol.com/video/applebees-turn ... d%3D236780

...Short vid in the above link. Looks like they're experimenting with an after hours (or after the 9-10 PM hour) with some entertainment. Wonder if it's gonna be an "In-House" setup or will they be contracting it out? Most Applebee's I've been to don't have much space available for it. Oh well, guess we'll see...

Applebee's here have had karaoke for the last 2 years....you are correct however they are not set up for it

...Really? Cool! I heard a place named Taco Mac started doing Karaoke a couple of years ago. They're similar to Applebee's but a much smaller chain.

They have it at several in the Raleigh, NC area.

My first two gigs were in a Denny's lounge. One was a one night for Valentines Day, then got another down the street a bit, turned that one into a two nighter.
Only have 1 Applebee's close by that I know of, definitely not set up for it.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

...Every Applebee's that I've ever been to has always been tight. I just don't see how it would be possible, or at least the ones I've been to. Let alone a dance floor!

I have a colleague that runs karaoke at 2 Applebees locations. I used to run one at TGIF (Fridays) and one at Ruby Tuesdays. Back then the pay was $150 for 4 hours.

Small setups in the bar area and you basically just pass the mic around the bar for songs. They didn't allow kids (naturally) in the bar area, so that was a PLUS!

...Well, can't be that bad, I suppose. Sounds like a campfire settings with a few friends, sitting around and singing. I would have to really downsize for something like that but could if had to!

Applebee's less than a mile from me. They had it for six months or so. The manager had a friend who did it for coupons. Not my cup of tea.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Now for DENNYS PANCAKES i would have worked for half price!

The colleague friend has it easy. He hooks into the bar's sound system (bose 802s) and 2 large tvs, so there's no humping speakers and setting up singer screens.

Small rig plugs in right above his head to their system, and it sits on a 4 top with him on a stool...too easy! I think he makes $125 (plus tips) from 8pm-12am.

Will Applebees have a K.J. with legit music or another pirate. Just think if the manus were serious about their product and went after a chain or two.

Wow......couldn't even make it through the first page before someone mentioned legal stuff.

-Chris

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-Chris

Applebees ended their karaoke idea. not set up for it, taking bottom bidders got crap sound and attitudes, legal probably came up eventually.
every applebees down here had it for about two years, all gone now.

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

DJ Suzie-Q (from the old JOLT Forum) used to have a gig at an Applebee's in Connecticut before she moved to Maryland.

All the Applebees here in my county have Karaoke every Thursday night and DJs on Friday nights. Both don't start until 10:00, so the dinner crowd is gone.

I did karaoke at a Bennigans for about 8 months. Once we moved a few tables, it wasn't a bad setup at all. For a good 6 months, we would have 30-40 people there most Thursdays, which the bar was really happy with. The second there was even the hint of a lull, though, they asked me to take a $50.00 a night pay cut, and I quit. The Bennigans chain was out of business about 4 months later, so it was inevitable.

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Applebee sales are down 4.3% and they will try anything to recover..

GLWTS

...Most of the Applebee's I've been to were tight. I've been to maybe 40 different Applebee's throughout my lifetime. Maybe 2-3 I could see it happening. However, it would require some moving of several tables (room for the DJ/KJ setup and Dance Floor). But the video does show a picture of a dance floor. I just don't see how most of those Applebee's would be able to move and store tables and chairs without giving up more space.... less room for customers. I don't know? Obviously, it has been working at some of them (on and off) for the last couple of years.

...JD, I don't doubt sales are down for Applebee's but then again, there's so many other businesses that are down or who have closed their doors. I just read (via a friend from FB) that AMF just filed bankruptcy Chapter 11. I believe this also happened to them back in the late 90's.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505143_162- ... ankruptcy/

...We've seen many casualties in these last several years of Bad Economy and we're probably gonna see more in the future. Just have to hope for the best and wait for the dust to settle to see what's left, I suppose.

If they have busy night where all of the table are full; they wouldn't be looking for karaoke on that night. They would want to bring in karaoke on a night that had plenty of tables that they could spare. Put two tables together for the KJ to set up on and then push some tables against the walls to make for a dance floor if you really think you need a dance floor. If karaoke brings in enough people to fill the place up on what was once a dead night, they might try karaoke on multiple nights.

Then you get in touch with other AppleBees in the area and try to get karaoke there as well.

...And I agree with you for the most part. I've run gigs in several different venues (some tight and some big) and sometimes it's not worth it for certain venues due to available space and cost of hiring a professional vs. what a karaoke or dj service actually brings in ($$$) for the venue. In these cases where it's very cramped and the venue looses tables and or has to store them somewhere out in the open, they sometimes loose more available tables (less places to sit for customers, less customers tipping waitresses and waiters and overall lost revenue).

...Again, I agree you about those slow nights but "most" of the Applesbees I've been to are setup like barns with stalls. Many booths back to back with not much room to walk in between the two rows of booths. Sure, most did or do have the Tall Tables with Tall Chairs but they were strategically placed in relation to the actual bar that's in the middle and backed up to the kitchen. Then there's the short walls in the middle of most older Applebee's. Just seems like it would be a lot of trouble to move tables and or booths at those particular Applebee's. The other 3 or 4 (newer and bigger) Applebee's that I've been to, I can see it.

...All in all, it's mostly about how much space is needed, the trouble to make the space if needed (moving tables, booths and chairs) and how much is left for customers .... how much will those remaining tables/customers bring in $$$ at the end of the night vs. the tables lost even if those tables are empty to begin with. But hey, I'm all for it!!!

...Overall, guess I'm just mostly talking about the older ones. Most of them seem cramped already unless they (Applebee's) are planning on doing some remodeling and or expanding SOME of their older locations. Those just don't seem layout friendly for DJ/KJ with dance floor.

...As for me, I have around 4 different setups that can take up a variety of overall space. But personally I don't like it so cramped that you just know that someone (me, a waiter/waitress, singer or Drunk) is gonna bump into something and ruin it for everyone.

...In closing, the last Appleebee's that I visited was over four years ago and it was a newer/bigger Applebee's. Pardon me as my memory seems to be kicking in now so please forgive but I did have a friend, that lives close by, that would frequent this particular Applebee's (it's located 30 miles away from us) and he did mention they had Karaoke but that was some five years ago that he mentioned it and I was no longer in the business so it went in one ear and out the other. With my memory just kicking in, it does seem odd that they've just recently posted this video like it was NEW NEWS... ... My bad!