Businesses are lining up for a free taste of what鈥檚 on offer from the Comox Valley鈥檚 newest catering provider.

Known for preparing crowd-pleasing food at an affordable price, Applebee鈥檚 Neighbourhood Grill & Bar in Courtenay has added catering to its already popular dine-in and take-away services. Just a few weeks in, the new Applebee鈥檚 Anywhere program is delivering.

"The response has been great,鈥� operations manager Berlyann Perrier said. 鈥淣ot only does our price point make it workable for a lot of businesses, but we鈥檙e able to prepare things on shorter notice than many other caterers.鈥�

Of course, it doesn鈥檛 hurt that Applebee鈥檚 has been providing local businesses with free samplings of its catering menu items delivered to their place of work.

鈥淓ssentially, we create a platter that gives people a good idea of the kind of variety we offer,鈥� explains Perrier. 鈥淪o far we鈥檝e shown up at more than a dozen businesses with some tasty treats and info about the new program. People have been really impressed by all the options we have available 鈥� especially the healthier, low-calorie items, all of which are also extremely popular on our dine-in menu.鈥�

Part of a Canada-wide program launched last year, the Applebee鈥檚 Anywhere menu offers items only in group-sized servings. Just like their regular, dine-in dishes, all catered fare is prepared to order in-house.  Selections include everything from starters such as sliders, riblets and salads, to entr茅es like sizzling fajitas.

In addition to sample platters, Applebee鈥檚 is offering an introductory discount of 15 per cent to first-time catering customers.

鈥淲e鈥檙e really excited to have this new part of our business up and running,鈥� says Chad Huff, owner along with wife Julie. 鈥淟iving in the Valley, we know that there are plenty of businesses and individuals who can benefit from this program, particularly since our menu is so affordable.鈥�

Any organization interested in receiving an Applebee鈥檚 sample platter and catering menu is encouraged to contact Perrier at berlyann@islandapple.com. To view the catering menu online, visit www.applebeescanada.com or drop by the restaurant at 2910 Kilpatrick Ave.