The Annual Essay Contest Honors the Garden State’s Top Teachers as Nominated by Their Students
ALLENDALE, N.J., Jan. 15, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Doherty Enterprises-owned Applebee’s® Neighborhood Grill & Bar locations in New Jersey are excited to announce the start of their 9th annual “Above and ‘BEE’yond Teacher Essay Contest.”
Image caption: 9th annual “Above and ‘BEE’yond Teacher Essay Contest” in New Jersey.
Designed to celebrate exceptional educators in the community, the contest invites students to nominate a teacher who has made a significant impact on their education through a heartfelt essay. Winning teachers will receive a $500 check to enhance their classrooms and enjoy a special end-of-year celebration with their class at their local Doherty-owned Applebee’s.
The essay contest is now open at participating Doherty Enterprises-owned Applebee’s® restaurants in New Jersey (see the complete list of locations below). Students in elementary, middle, and high school can participate by submitting an essay in person at their nearest New Jersey Doherty-owned Applebee’s, sharing why their chosen teacher deserves the title of Doherty’s Applebee’s “Teacher of the Year.”
Entries must come from students who attend school in the following NJ counties only:
- Passaic, Bergen, Hudson, Sussex, Essex, Morris, Warren, Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean
At the conclusion of the judging process this spring, eight remarkable teachers from New Jersey will be awarded a $500 sponsorship check to support their classrooms for the 2025-2026 school year. These educators will also have the opportunity to host a celebratory party for their current students!*
Elementary school students are asked to write a ½ page essay, while middle and high school students are required to submit a 500-word essay explaining why their teacher is most deserving of this honor. As a bonus, all students who enter will receive a free ice cream certificate** to enjoy on a future visit.
Each student is allowed one essay submission, which will be accepted at participating Applebee’s restaurants from Monday, January 6 – Sunday, March 16, 2024 with a firm deadline of 10 p.m. ET. Winners will be announced on Friday, April 18, and the class celebrations will take place in June. If circumstances prevent the parties, they will be replaced with two Free-Dinner-for-Four certificates for the student who wrote the winning essay.
“We are delighted to launch our ninth annual ‘Above and ‘BEE’yond Teacher Essay Contest’ at our New Jersey Applebee’s locations,” said Kevin Coughlin, Director of Operations for Doherty Enterprises. “It’s a privilege to honor the dedication and hard work of local educators who inspire and guide their students every day. Providing students with the chance to express their gratitude and shine a spotlight on these outstanding teachers is incredibly fulfilling.”
The Applebee’s Above and “BEE”yond Teacher Essay Contest warmly welcomes submissions at the following NJ Applebee’s® locations, all owned and operated by Doherty Enterprises:
- Brick
- Bridgewater
- Butler
- Clark
- Clifton
- Edison
- Garfield
- Hackensack
- Hackettstown
- Hillsborough
- Howell
- Jersey City
- Jersey Gardens
- Kearny
- Lacey
- Linden
- Manahawkin
- Manalapan
- Manchester
- Middletown
- Milltown
- Olive
- Newark
- Newton
- North Bergen
- Ocean
- Paramus
- Parsippany
- Phillipsburg
- Piscataway
- Rockaway
- Tinton Falls
- Totowa
- Union
*Eight teachers will be selected from the state. Please note, essay submissions from the 2024-2025 school year will also be included in this year’s voting. If end-of-year parties are not viable, class parties will be replaced with two Dinner for Four certificates.
**Offer valid only at Doherty Enterprises owned and operated Applebee’s® locations in NJ. Limit one per person. May not be redeemed on day of issuance. Cannot be combined with any other offers.
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 Neighborhood™ 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 1,618 Applebee’s restaurants in the United States, two U.S. territories and 14 countries outside the United States as of September 30, 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 seven 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 70th largest privately held business in the New York Metro area by Crain’s Business, and 24th 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. ( https://www.DohertyInc.com/ ).
MEDIA CONTACT:
Lynn Munroe
lynn@maracaibomedia.com
845-548-1211
NEWS SOURCE: Doherty Enterprises
This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Doherty Enterprises), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire.
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