(MENAFN- Send2Press Newswire) NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., May 1, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) - Doherty Enterprises-owned Applebee's® Neighborhood Grill + Bar restaurants in New Jersey announced the winners of the 9th annual Above and 'BEE'yond Teacher Essay Contest. This spring, six exceptional teachers-each celebrated by their students-will be granted a $500 check to invest in their classrooms for the 2025-2026 school year, along with an end-of-year party for their classroom students at their local Applebee's.

Image caption: Doherty Enterprises-Owned Applebee's Restaurants Honor Above and 'BEE'yond Contest Winners.

The 2025 NYC & Westchester County Above and 'BEE'yond Essay Contest Winners are:

• Lipka, Forte Preparatory Academy (Queens)
• Gaines, Brooklyn Science & Engineering Academy
• Janet Brown, Bedford Village Elementary School (Westchester)
• Caro, New Rochelle High School (Westchester)
• Kavaler, PM MS 164 (Queens)
• Shapiro, St. Edmund Elementary (Brooklyn)

In January, the Doherty-owned Applebee's restaurants asked students in local elementary, middle, and high schools to submit essays explaining how their teachers went above and“BEEyond.” A panel of judges selected the top six essays and awarded those special teachers with a check for $500 to better their classrooms and the opportunity to host an exclusive end-of-year class celebration at their local Doherty-owned Applebee's restaurant.

“We are honored to recognize these remarkable educators who inspire their students every day,” said Neesha Seervai, VP of Operations for Doherty-owned Applebee's in NYC and Westchester County.“It's a privilege to support their hard work and creativity through this contest.”

Each year, the Above and 'BEE'yond Teacher Essay Contest invites students to nominate their favorite teacher with an essay submitted in person at any participating Applebee's® restaurant. Winners receive a $500 classroom sponsorship and an end-of-year class celebration.

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 NeighborhoodTM 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 1,567 Applebee's restaurants in the United States, two U.S. territories and 15 countries outside the United States, and 47 company-operated U.S restaurants as of December 29, 2024. This number does not include one domestic Applebee's ghost kitchen (small kitchens with no store-front presence, used to fill off-premise orders) and four 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. .

News Source: Doherty Enterprises

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