Applebees Faces Left-wing Boycott the Day Before Giving Free Meals to Veterans

Over the weekend, New York Applebee's franchise owner Zane Tankle publicly said that his company was "evaluating" the idea of shifting more employees from full-time to part-time because of new fees generated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

"You've just took something from the bottom line and moved it to the top," said Tankle explaining how being forced to either expand the companies healthcare policy or pay $2,000 per employee (the fee in PPACA) may lead his company to decide that "we won’t build more restaurants. We won’t hire more people."

Now, mostly in response to an article on the progressive website ThinkProgress, groups of protesters have banded together on both Facebook and Twitter to boycott Applebee's.

"Let us stand united and BOYCOTT these companies who have unfairly decided to layoff workers because OBAMA won four more years," says Facebook commenter Shanna White, "It's obviously to sway voters in elections to come. We will not be scared into doing something." Many commentators also charge Applebee's with not wanting the best for its employees.

All of this firestorm takes place only hours from the most busy day Applebee's will likely have all year: Veteran's Day. For many years now, Applebee's has offered free meals to all veterans and active duty military during Veteran's Day and the day usually requires all employees on deck for the massive turnout.