This Bellingham eatery will not be on the list of places to be shuttered

The Bellingham Applebee’s restaurant is not one of the locations slated for closure.

Applebee’s parent company DineEquity Inc. announced last week it is planning to close up to 135 restaurants across the U.S.

The Apple American Group, which operates hundreds of Applebee’s restaurants across the U.S., said in a statement it has no plans to close any restaurants at this time. The group operates dozens of Applebee’s restaurants in Washington state, including one at Sunset Square in Bellingham.

“Apple American Group is supported by the strong financial footing of Flynn Restaurant Group and has no plans to close any restaurants at this time,” said Greg Flynn, chairman of Flynn Restaurant Group, in the statement. “Our Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar locations are 100 percent open for business and we look forward to continuing to deliver an excellent dining experience that our guests have grown to love.”

DineEquity announced its plans to close restaurants as part of a turn-around strategy. It also plans to close up to 25 IHOP restaurants across the U.S., but has not announced specific locations.

This story was originally published August 14, 2017 at 1:10 PM with the headline "This Bellingham eatery will not be on the list of places to be shuttered."