Julia Stewart revitalised Applebee's, but when she was denied the top job, she turned rejection into one of the boldest comebacks in the restaurant industry.
In the early 2000s, Stewart was credited with helping Applebee's find its footing again. She championed menu changes, worked closely with franchisees and pushed strategies that boosted sales. Yet when the company needed a new chief executive, the board chose someone else. For Stewart, the decision was crushing but it wasn't the end of her story.
