UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.    )

Filed by the Registrant  ☒

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  ☐

Check the appropriate box:

Dine Brands Global, Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

450 North Brand Boulevard

Glendale, California 91203

(866) 995-DINE

March 30, 2021

Dear Fellow Stockholders:

We are pleased to invite you to attend the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Dine Brands Global, Inc., which will be held on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, at 8:00 a.m., Pacific Time, in a virtual format only at www.meetingcenter.io/265229604. At this year’s Annual Meeting, you will be asked to: (i) elect the ten directors identified in this proxy statement; (ii) ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent auditor for 2021; and (iii) approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers.

Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting virtually, we hope you will vote as soon as possible. Voting your proxy will ensure your representation at the Annual Meeting. You can vote your shares over the Internet, by telephone or by using a traditional proxy card. Instructions on each of these voting methods are outlined in the enclosed proxy statement.

We urge you to review carefully the proxy materials and to vote: FOR the election of each of the directors identified in this proxy statement; FOR the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent auditor; and FOR the approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers.

Thank you for your continued support of and interest in Dine Brands Global, Inc. We look forward to seeing you on May 11^th.

Sincerely yours,

Richard J. Dahl		John W. Peyton
Chairman of the Board of Directors		Chief Executive Officer

450 North Brand Boulevard

Glendale, California 91203

(866) 995-DINE

NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON MAY 11, 2021

March 30, 2021

To the Stockholders of Dine Brands Global, Inc.:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Dine Brands Global, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), will be held in a virtual format only at www.meetingcenter.io/265229604, on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, at 8:00 a.m., Pacific Time, for the following purposes as more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement:

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on March 17, 2021, the record date for the Annual Meeting, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting and any adjournment thereof.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

Bryan R. Adel

Senior Vice President, Legal, General Counsel and Secretary

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of

Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders

of Dine Brands Global, Inc.

to be Held on May 11, 2021

The notice of the Annual Meeting, proxy statement, 2020 annual report to stockholders and the means to vote by Internet are available at www.envisionreports.com/DIN.

Your Vote is Important

Please vote as promptly as possible by using the Internet or telephone or by signing, dating, and returning the proxy card. If you did not receive a paper copy of the proxy statement with the proxy card and would like to vote by proxy card, please refer to the instructions on requesting a paper copy of these materials in this proxy statement. All stockholders are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting virtually. If you attend the Annual Meeting, you may vote through the virtual interface during the meeting if you wish, even if you have previously voted by another method.

Table of Contents

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450 North Brand Boulevard

Glendale, California 91203

(866) 995-DINE

PROXY STATEMENT FOR THE 2021 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

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Additional Information

The Corporate Governance section of the Dine Brands Global, Inc. website provides up-to-date information about the Corporation’s corporate governance policies and practices. In addition, the Investors section of the website includes links to the Corporation’s filings with the SEC, news releases, and investor presentations by management. Please note that information contained on the Corporation’s website does not constitute part of this proxy statement. You may also obtain a copy of our periodic filings from the SEC’s EDGAR database at www.sec.gov.

IMPORTANT NOTE

You should rely only on the information contained in this proxy statement to vote on the proposals at the Annual Meeting. The Corporation has not authorized anyone to provide you with information that is different from what is contained in this proxy statement. This proxy statement is dated March 30, 2021. You should not assume that the information contained in this proxy statement is accurate as of any date other than such date, unless indicated otherwise herein, and the mailing of this proxy statement to stockholders shall not create any implication to the contrary.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Current Board of Directors

At the 2019 annual meeting of stockholders, stockholders approved an amendment to the Corporation’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation to declassify the Board of Directors and provide for the annual election of directors for one-year terms, commencing upon the expiration of a director’s current term. Stockholders approved a phased-in approach pursuant to which the Annual Meeting will be the first time that all directors are standing for election (in each case, until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified). As such, the declassification of the Board of Directors is complete, and all our directors will be elected annually.

There are currently 11 members of the Board of Directors:

Gilbert T. Ray, currently a director, is not standing for re-election and will be retiring from the Board of Directors as of the Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors has fixed the number of directors at 10, effective as of the Annual Meeting.

Michael C. Hyter was appointed as a director effective July 14, 2020. Mr. Hyter was identified as a candidate to serve as a director by a non-management director of the Corporation. John W. Peyton was appointed as a director effective January 4, 2021 in connection with his assumption of the role of Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation.

The business and affairs of the Corporation are managed under the direction of the Board of Directors. It is management’s responsibility to formalize, propose and implement strategic choices and it is the Board of Directors’ role to approve strategic direction and evaluate strategic results, including both the performance of the Corporation and the performance of the Chief Executive Officer.

The Corporation’s Amended and Restated Bylaws require the Chairman of the Board of Directors to be elected from the independent members of the Board of Directors as determined by the NYSE listing standards. Mr. Dahl was elected to serve as the independent Chairman of the Board of Directors effective September 2017.

The Board of Directors believes the separation of the roles of Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer allows the Chief Executive Officer to focus on managing the daily operations of the business and enhances the Board of Directors’ independence from management, thus leading to better monitoring and oversight of management. The Board of Directors believes this structure best serves the interests of the Corporation and its stockholders.

The Corporation’s Corporate Governance Guidelines outline the responsibilities of the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Amongst other responsibilities, the duties of the Chairman of the Board of Directors include:

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The Role of the Board of Directors in Risk Oversight

The Board of Directors and each of its committees have an active role in overseeing management of the Corporation’s risks. The Board of Directors regularly reviews information regarding the Corporation’s strategic, financial, and operational risks and believes that evaluating how the executive team manages the various risks confronting the Corporation is one of its most important areas of oversight.

In carrying out this critical responsibility, the Board of Directors has established an Enterprise Risk Management Council consisting of key members of the brand business units, risk management, quality assurance, legal, finance and internal audit functions within the Corporation. The Enterprise Risk Management Council assists the Board of Directors with the identification, assessment, management, and monitoring of risks inherent to the business of the Corporation and with risk management decisions pertaining to the Corporation’s practices and activities. The Enterprise Risk Management Council is led by the Corporation’s Executive Director of Risk Management, who reports regularly to the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors.

The Audit Committee assists the Board of Directors with oversight of the Corporation’s policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management. In addition, the Audit Committee oversees and evaluates the management of risks associated with accounting, auditing, financial reporting, internal controls over financial reporting, food safety, quality assurance and cybersecurity. The Audit Committee assists the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer in its oversight of the integrity of the Corporation’s financial statements, the Corporation’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the performance, qualifications, and independence of the Corporation’s independent auditor and the performance of the Corporation’s internal audit function. The Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing and discussing the guidelines and policies governing the process by which senior management and the Corporation’s internal audit function assess and manage the Corporation’s exposure to risk, as well as the Corporation’s major financial risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such exposures.

The Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also oversee risks within their respective areas of responsibility. The Compensation Committee oversees the management of risks relating to the Corporation’s compensation policies and practices. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees the management of risks associated with the Board of Directors’ organization, membership and structure, corporate governance, the independence of members of the Board of Directors and assessment of the performance and effectiveness of each member of the Board of Directors. While each committee is responsible for evaluating certain risks and overseeing the management of such risks, the entire Board of Directors is regularly informed through committee reports and management updates about such risks.

Director Independence

The NYSE rules require listed companies to have a board of directors with at least a majority of independent directors. The Board of Directors has had a majority of independent directors since the Corporation went public in 1991.

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Under the NYSE rules, a director qualifies as “independent” if the Board of Directors affirmatively determines that he or she has no material relationship with the Corporation (either directly or as a partner, stockholder or officer of an organization that has a material relationship with the Corporation). Based upon a review of the directors’ backgrounds and business activities, the Board of Directors has affirmatively determined that directors Howard M. Berk, Daniel J. Brestle, Susan M. Collyns, Richard J. Dahl, Michael C. Hyter, Larry A. Kay, Caroline W. Nahas, Douglas M. Pasquale, Gilbert T. Ray, and Lilian C. Tomovich have no material relationships (other than service as a director on the Board of Directors) with the Corporation and therefore that they each qualify as independent.

In making its determination for Mr. Berk, Mr. Hyter, and Ms. Nahas, the Board of Directors specifically considered, amongst other factors, the following:

John W. Peyton, the Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer, does not qualify as an independent director.

Both the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the NYSE rules require the Board of Directors to have an audit committee comprised solely of independent directors, and the NYSE rules also require the Board of Directors to have a compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee, each of which is comprised solely of independent directors. The Corporation is in compliance with these requirements.

Codes of Conduct

The Corporation is committed to maintaining high standards of business conduct and corporate governance, which the Corporation considers essential to running its business efficiently, serving the Corporation’s stockholders well and maintaining the Corporation’s integrity in the marketplace. Accordingly, the Board of Directors has adopted a Global Code of Conduct, which applies to all directors, officers, and employees of the Corporation. The Global Code of Conduct sets forth the fundamental principles and key policies that govern the way the Corporation conducts business, including workplace conduct, conflicts of interest, gifts and entertainment, political and community involvement, protection of corporate property, fair business practices, global relations and other laws and regulations applicable to the Corporation’s business.

In addition to the Global Code of Conduct, the Board of Directors has adopted a Code of Conduct for Non-Employee Directors, which serves as guidance to the Corporation’s non-employee directors on ethical issues including conflicts of interest, confidentiality, corporate opportunities, fair disclosure, protection and proper use of corporate assets, fair dealing, harassment and discrimination, and other laws and regulations applicable to the Corporation’s business.

The Board of Directors has also adopted the Code of Ethics for the Chief Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officers. These individuals are expected to avoid actual or apparent conflicts between their personal and professional relationships and make full disclosure of any material transaction or relationship that could create or appear to create a conflict of interest to the General Counsel, who will inform and seek a determination from the Chair of the Audit Committee as to whether a

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conflict exists and the appropriate disposition of the matter. In addition, these individuals are expected to promote the corporate policy of making full, fair, accurate and understandable disclosure in all reports and documents filed with the SEC; report violations of the Code of Ethics to the General Counsel or the Chair of the Audit Committee; and request from the General Counsel any waivers of the Code of Ethics, which shall be publicly disclosed if required by applicable law.

Any waiver of any provision of the Global Code of Conduct or the Code of Ethics for Chief Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officers for any executive officer may be granted only by the Board of Directors. Any waiver of the Code of Conduct for Non-Employee Directors may be granted only by the disinterested directors of the Board of Directors or the Audit Committee, and any such waiver shall be promptly disclosed to the Corporation’s stockholders. The Board of Directors and the Audit Committee review whether such waivers are in the best interests of the Corporation and its stockholders, taking into account all relevant factors. In 2020, there were no waivers of (a) the Global Code of Conduct for executive officers, (b) the Code of Ethics for Chief Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officers, or (c) the Code of Conduct for Non-Employee Directors.

The Corporation also maintains an ethics hotline to allow any employee to express a concern or lodge a complaint, confidentially and anonymously, about any potential violation of the Corporation’s Global Code of Conduct.

Copies of the Global Code of Conduct, the Code of Conduct for Non-Employee Directors and the Code of Ethics for Chief Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officers can be found in the Corporate Governance section of the Corporation’s website, http://www.dinebrands.com. In addition, printed copies of the codes of conduct are available at no charge upon request to the Secretary at Dine Brands Global, Inc., 450 North Brand Boulevard, Glendale, California 91203, (866) 995- DINE. We will disclose any future substantive amendments to, or waivers granted to any officer from, the provisions of these ethics policies and standards on the Corporation’s website as promptly as practicable as may be required under applicable rules of the SEC or the NYSE.

Corporate Governance Guidelines

The Corporation has adopted corporate governance guidelines which can be found in the Corporate Governance section of the Corporation’s website, http://www.dinebrands.com. In addition, printed copies of the Corporation’s corporate governance guidelines are available at no charge upon request to the Secretary at Dine Brands Global, Inc., 450 North Brand Boulevard, Glendale, California 91203, (866) 995-DINE.

Director Attendance at Meetings

Directors are expected to attend the Corporation’s Annual Meeting. All directors attended the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders, which was held virtually by means of remote communication. The Board of Directors held twenty-one meetings during 2020. During 2020, each incumbent director attended 75% or more of the aggregate of the meetings of the Board of Directors and of the committees on which he or she served that were held during the period for which he or she served as a director.

Executive Sessions of Non-Management Directors

The NYSE rules require that the non-management directors of a listed company meet at regularly scheduled executive sessions without management. The Corporation’s non-management directors generally meet separately at regular meetings of the Board of Directors and committee meetings. The independent Chairman of the Board of Directors, Richard J. Dahl, presides during executive sessions of the Board of Directors.

Communications with the Board of Directors

Stockholders and other interested persons wishing to communicate directly with the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, any committee or chair of a committee, or any non-management director, individually or as a group, may do so by sending written communications appropriately addressed to the following address:

Dine Brands Global, Inc.

(or a particular subgroup or individual director)

c/o Office of the Secretary

450 North Brand Boulevard, 7th Floor

Glendale, California 91203

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Each written communication should specify the applicable addressee or addressees to be contacted, as well as the general topic of the communication. The Board of Directors has designated the Secretary of the Corporation as its agent to receive and review communications addressed to the Board of Directors, Chairman of the Board of Directors, any committee or chair of a committee, or any non-management director, individually or as a group. The Office of the Secretary will initially receive and process communications to determine whether it is a proper communication for the Board of Directors. If the envelope containing a communication that a stockholder or other interested person wishes to be confidential is conspicuously marked “Confidential,” the Secretary of the Corporation will not open the communication prior to forwarding it to the appropriate individual(s). Generally, any communication that is primarily commercial, offensive, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate, or does not substantively relate to the duties and responsibilities of our Board of Directors, may not be forwarded.

Board of Directors Retirement Policy

The Corporation’s corporate governance guidelines provide that no person may stand for election to serve as a member of the Corporation’s Board of Directors if he or she shall have reached his or her 76^th birthday. Under special circumstances, upon the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and upon approval by the Board of Directors, a person who has reached his or her 76^th birthday may be permitted to stand for election and, if elected, continue to serve on the Board of Directors.

Other Public Corporation Directorships

The Corporation’s corporate governance guidelines provide that directors should not serve on more than a total of four public corporation boards, inclusive of service on the Corporation’s Board of Directors. Directors who also serve as executives of the Corporation should not serve on more than a total of two public corporation boards, inclusive of service on the Corporation’s Board of Directors. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has discretion to waive this guideline on a case by case basis if it determines that special circumstances warrant permitting a director to serve on more than the applicable number of public corporation boards allowed under the corporate governance guidelines.

Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions

The Corporation’s Global Code of Conduct provides that executive officers who encounter a potential or actual conflict of interest must fully disclose all facts and circumstances to the Corporation’s General Counsel, who will inform and seek a determination from the Audit Committee as to whether a conflict exists and the appropriate disposition of the matter. The Corporation’s Code of Ethics for Chief Executive and Senior Financial Officers provides that no senior officer may enter into any investment, accept any position or benefits, participate in any transaction or business arrangement or otherwise act in a manner that creates or appears to create a conflict of interest unless the senior officer makes full disclosure of all facts and circumstances to, and obtains the prior written approval of, the General Counsel, the Chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors and/or the Board of Directors. The Corporation’s Code of Conduct for Non-Employee Directors provides that any director who becomes aware of any situation that involves, or reasonably may appear to involve, a conflict of interest with the Corporation must promptly bring it to the attention of the Corporation’s General Counsel or to the Chair of the Audit Committee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers conflicts of interest in evaluating director nominees.

The Board of Directors recognizes that transactions involving the Corporation and related parties present a heightened risk of conflicts of interest. The charter of the Audit Committee provides that it will review any related party transactions and, in doing so, consider the business rationale for the transaction and whether appropriate disclosures should be made. Since January 1, 2020, there were no transactions between the Corporation and any related party of the type or amount required to be disclosed under Item 404 of Regulation S-K.

Board of Directors Committees and Their Functions

The Board of Directors has three standing committees, each of which operates under a written charter approved by the Board of Directors: the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each member of these committees is an independent director in accordance with the NYSE listing standards and the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC.

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The Audit Committee Charter, the Compensation Committee Charter, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter can be found in the Corporate Governance section of the Corporation’s website, http://www.dinebrands.com. Printed copies are also available at no charge upon request to the Secretary at Dine Brands Global, Inc., 450 North Brand Boulevard, 7^th Floor, Glendale, California 91203, (866) 995-DINE.

The chart below identifies directors who are members and chairs of each committee as of the date of this proxy statement, the principal functions of each committee and the number of meetings held by each committee during 2020. The Board of Directors believes that committee rotation fosters the sharing of new perspectives and enables directors with diverse skills and experiences to focus on different areas of oversight. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee regularly considers committee rotation and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors as appropriate.

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Board of Directors Nominations

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers various criteria in evaluating Board of Directors candidates, including: business experience, board of directors experience, skills, expertise, education, professions, backgrounds, diversity, personal and professional integrity, character, business judgment, business philosophy, time availability in light of other commitments, dedication, conflicts of interest, and such other relevant factors that the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers appropriate in the context of the needs of the Board of Directors. In considering diversity, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee evaluates candidates with a broad range of expertise, experience, skills, professions, education, backgrounds, and other board of directors experience. While the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not have a formal policy with respect to diversity, it considers diversity of race, gender and ethnicity as important factors in identifying directors who will bring diverse viewpoints, opinions and areas of expertise that will benefit the Board of Directors as a whole. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not assign specific weights to particular criteria in evaluating prospective nominees.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also considers whether a potential nominee would satisfy the NYSE’s criteria for director “independence,” the NYSE’s “accounting or related financial management expertise” standard and the SEC’s definition of “audit committee financial expert.”

Whenever a vacancy or potential vacancy exists on the Board of Directors due to expansion of the size of the Board of Directors or the resignation or retirement of an existing director, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee begins its process of identifying and evaluating potential director candidates. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers recommendations of members of the Board of Directors, management, stockholders, and others. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has sole authority to retain and terminate any search firm to be used to identify director candidates, including approving its fees and other retention terms.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee conducted an evaluation and assessment of each director whose term expires in 2021 for purposes of determining whether to recommend them for nomination for re-election to the Board of Directors. After reviewing the assessment results, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee determined to make a recommendation to the Board of Directors that Howard M. Berk, Daniel J. Brestle, Susan M. Collyns, Richard J. Dahl, Michael C. Hyter, Larry A. Kay, Caroline W. Nahas, Douglas M. Pasquale, John W. Peyton, and Lilian C. Tomovich be nominated for re-election to the Board of Directors. Current director Gilbert T. Ray will be retiring from the Board of Directors effective as of the Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors reviewed and accepted the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s recommendation and has nominated Howard M. Berk, Daniel J. Brestle, Susan M. Collyns, Richard J. Dahl, Michael C. Hyter, Larry A. Kay, Caroline W. Nahas, Douglas M. Pasquale, John W. Peyton, and Lilian C. Tomovich for re-election to the Board of Directors.

Stockholder Nominations

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider director candidates recommended by stockholders and will apply the same standards in considering director candidates recommended by stockholders that it applies to other candidates. Stockholders wishing to recommend director candidates for consideration by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may do so by writing to the Secretary, giving the recommended nominee’s name, biographical data and qualifications, accompanied by the written consent of the recommended nominee to serve if elected. Any stockholder who wishes to directly nominate a director candidate to stand for election at a meeting of stockholders must provide written notice that is timely and in proper form in accordance with the advance notice procedures provided in the Corporation’s Bylaws.

Environmental, Social and Governance Highlights

In executing on the Corporation’s strategic priorities, we recognize our responsibility to drive long-term stockholder value through ethical business practices that make sense for our business, our guests, and our communities. Pursuant to its charter, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has the responsibility to review and oversee the Corporation’s actions on issues related to corporate social responsibility, sustainability, philanthropy, and other matters associated with the Corporation’s participation as a global corporate citizen. During 2020, we formed a cross-functional

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team consisting of various stakeholders in order to support our ongoing commitment to such matters. A description of some of our corporate social responsibility efforts is set forth below.

Supporting our neighborhoods.

We value the neighborhoods in which we do business. Together with our franchisees and team members, we make a difference by giving back to the communities where we operate. Every year, we support hundreds of fundraisers and events taking place across the country through our charitable foundation, volunteering, and team member donations. Some highlights include:

We also seek to engage our team members in community-investment and development initiatives that serve the communities where we live and operate. An annual Philanthropic Day provides paid time off for our team members, giving them an opportunity to volunteer a full day to support a philanthropic effort of their choice.

Caring for the environment.

Animal Welfare

Animal welfare is an issue of critical importance for us and we are continuing to work with our suppliers, animal welfare experts and others both in and outside the industry to align on solutions and best practices that are supported by science and rigorous research. We are committed to an animal welfare policy that is rooted in sustainable progress and accountability and we continue to review our and our suppliers’ animal rights practices. For example, we ask our meat suppliers to limit the routine use of medically important antibiotics as defined by the World Health Organization, including prohibiting the use of these antibiotics for disease prevention and to report to us on the usage of antibiotics in their operations. We undertake an annual internal compliance review of our animal protein suppliers’ established animal handling procedures by requesting relevant third-party farm and plant animal audits, such as the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) harvesting audits and protocols. By requesting that protein suppliers submit their animal care policies, as well as relevant farm and plant audits on an annual basis, this guidance directs our practices as well as our selection of, and relationship with, sourcing partners. To improve the welfare of chickens in our egg supply and meet the desire of consumers to know more about the origins of their food, across both of our brands, we are committed to a U.S. egg supply (both shell and liquid) that is derived 100% from hens housed in a cage-free environment by the end of 2025. As of August 2020, 5% of our total egg volume is cage-free. To improve the welfare of pigs in our pork supply chains, we are increasingly sourcing pork from suppliers that use group housing systems and are enhancing our accountability by periodically reporting our progress. As of September 2020, 23% of our pork supply is gestation crate free, with 40% of our total pork supply utilizing group housing.

Environmental

We are focused on identifying ways to reduce our impact on the environment through improvements in how we supply, design, build and maintain our restaurants. We continue working to reduce the energy consumption in our restaurants and our restaurant support center. We have and are continuing to roll out various green initiatives in our restaurants and restaurant support center in order to reduce energy and resource consumption, including efficient plumbing, automatic light switches, HVAC controls that coordinate with kitchen equipment to maximize efficiency, and other measures. We have also been aggressive about replacing traditional lighting with compact florescent lighting wherever practicable. In addition, our IHOP^® and Applebee’s^® Restaurant Support Center is housed in a LEED Certified building.

We source a large amount of paper and plastic goods for our restaurants and choose recycled materials when feasible. We are working towards reducing the amount of polystyrene used in our “to go” orders and replacing these packaging products with recyclable packaging. We have removed 76% of all Styrofoam packaging products used in our IHOP locations.

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A number of our environmental programs focus on reducing waste generated by our operations. We continue to look for ways to eliminate, reuse or recycle potential waste. One example is the regular recycling of used cooking oil at many of our restaurants.

Valuing our team members.

We view our employees as one of the three core strategic pillars of our business—People, Brand, and Growth. We believe that hiring, developing, and retaining team members is critically important to our operations and that our corporate responsibility begins with our team members.

At Dine, we also believe the power to meaningfully impact the people and communities we serve is realized when each team member is personally and professionally fulfilled. One of our primary focuses is to ensure the health and well-being of our team members. Our Total Rewards Program plays a big part in our commitment to creating an environment of well-being. We believe that when team members are supported with the resources they need to care for themselves and their loved ones, they are able to be at their best. We have a consistent and fair compensation program that reflects our pay-for-performance philosophy and rewards our team members for their contributions to our success. We offer comprehensive health and protection benefits that support our team members and their families’ overall well-being. We also contribute to programs that provide our team members with financial security, now and in the future. We offer other rewards that focus on recognition, career building, health and wellness, time-off benefits, and other perks that are designed to make our peoples’ experience as team members productive and fun.

We assess our culture and listen to our workforce through periodic employee engagement surveys. Various policy changes have been made or been influenced by the feedback we receive from our employees.

We are focused on a comprehensive approach to diversity and representation across leadership, team members, franchisees, partners, and the community. We embrace our personal differences—whether it be race, gender, age, religion, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, veteran status, national origin, or physical ability—and the benefits that an array of backgrounds, cultures and thinking styles bring to our organization. We are committed to sustaining an environment that accepts, includes, and engages everyone in our workforce and encourages open dialogue, empowerment, and a sense of belonging. While the world and our business change rapidly, our management believes that respecting individual differences will continue to be essential to our long-term success.

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DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Generally, the Corporation does not pay directors who are also employees of the Corporation additional compensation for their service on the Board of Directors. Compensation for non-employee directors is comprised of a cash component and an equity component. Cash compensation for non-employee directors includes retainers for serving as a member of the Board of Directors and for serving as a member and/or chair of a Board of Directors committee and as the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

During 2020, non-employee directors were entitled to receive $70,000 as an annual cash retainer for serving as a member of the Board of Directors. In addition, depending on their roles, non-employee directors were entitled to receive:

On August 6, 2020, our Board of Directors increased the annual committee retainer for members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee from $7,500 to $10,000 and increased the annual committee chair retainer for the Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee from $7,500 to $12,500, in each case effective as of January 1, 2021.

The Corporation also reimburses each of the directors for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred for attendance at Board of Directors and committee meetings and other corporate events.

Under the Corporation’s equity plan, non-employee directors may receive periodic grants of non-qualified stock options (“NQSOs”), restricted stock awards (“RSAs”), restricted stock units (“RSUs”), stock appreciation rights (“SARs”) or performance unit awards. In February 2020, equity awards valued at approximately $105,000 in the form of RSUs were granted to each non-employee director under the 2019 Stock Incentive Plan. Consistent with the 2019 non-employee director compensation program, annual equity awards granted to non-employee directors are subject to a one-year cliff vesting from the date of grant. In the event a director retires from the Board of Directors after completing five years of service, all of the director’s then-outstanding RSUs will vest. To the extent the Corporation declares dividends, non-employee directors receive dividend equivalent rights in the form of additional RSUs in lieu of receiving cash dividends based upon the number of RSUs held by the director at the time of the dividend record dates. Dividend equivalent rights are subject to the same vesting restrictions as the underlying RSUs.

Directors are eligible to defer up to 100% of their annual Board of Directors retainer and committee fees and equity award compensation pursuant to the Dine Brands Global, Inc. Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Deferred Compensation Plan”).

Stock Ownership Guidelines

Non-employee directors are subject to stock ownership guidelines whereby each director is expected to hold the lesser of 7,000 shares of Common Stock or Common Stock with a value of at least five times the amount of the Board of Directors’ annual retainer (currently, $350,000). Directors are expected to meet the ownership guidelines within five years of joining the Board of Directors. Upon review by the Compensation Committee in 2020, all directors met, were on track to meet, or exceeded the ownership guidelines.

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Director Compensation Table for 2020

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the compensation earned or paid in cash and stock awards granted to each non-employee director who served on the Board of Directors in 2020. Mr. Joyce did not receive any additional compensation for his service as a director in 2020. Please see the 2020 Summary Compensation Table for the compensation received by Mr. Joyce in his capacity as Chief Executive Officer.

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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners

The following table sets forth information regarding beneficial ownership of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of any class of the Corporation’s voting securities, which information is derived solely from certain SEC filings available as of March 17, 2021, as noted below. The percentages of Common Stock ownership have been calculated based upon 17,057,786 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of March 17, 2021.

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Security Ownership of Management

The following table sets forth, as of March 17, 2021, the beneficial ownership of the Corporation’s Common Stock, including shares as to which a right to acquire ownership exists within the meaning of Rule 13d-3(d)(1) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), within 60 days of March 17, 2021, of each director, each nominee for election as director, each named executive officer and all directors and executive officers of the Corporation, as a group. The percentages of ownership have been calculated based upon 17,057,786 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of March 17, 2021.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required by Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K with management. Based on its review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended that the Board of Directors include the Compensation Discussion and Analysis in this proxy statement and the Corporation’s annual report on Form 10-K.

THIS REPORT IS SUBMITTED BY THE

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Daniel J. Brestle (Chairman)

Howard M. Berk

Caroline W. Nahas

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

The following discussion provides an overview and analysis of the Corporation’s compensation programs and policies, the material compensation decisions made under those programs and policies with respect to the Corporation’s named executive officers (the “NEOs”) and the material factors that were considered in making those decisions. Following this Compensation Discussion and Analysis is a series of tables under the heading “Compensation Tables” containing specific data about the compensation earned by or granted to our NEOs in 2020.

The following executive officers were NEOs in 2020:

On January 4, 2021, our former Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Joyce, transitioned to the role of non-executive special advisor and John W. Peyton became our Chief Executive Officer. On February 16, 2021, Mr. Joyce retired from the Corporation. On January 22, 2021, our former Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Song, resigned and Allison Hall was appointed as our interim Chief Financial Officer. On March 17, 2021, we announced the upcoming retirement of Bryan R. Adel, who will be succeeded as our Senior Vice President, Legal, General Counsel and Secretary by Christine K. Son, effective April 23, 2021. Ms. Son joined the Corporation in 2011, and has served as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of the Corporation since 2019 and as Vice President, Associate General Counsel from 2014 to 2019.

Executive Summary

2020 Fiscal Year Performance Highlights and Link to Pay Decisions

Our compensation decisions for 2020 were driven by our overarching goal of creating long-term stockholder value and linking pay with performance. 2020 performance was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and related governmental restrictions, which resulted in significant limitations to dine-in business, operating hours and in some cases temporary and permanent restaurant closures that significantly affected performance results. Throughout 2020, we took a number of actions to increase financial flexibility, stabilize our business and mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations, including the following:

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We believe the Corporation’s actions and responses to the global pandemic in 2020 have positioned the Corporation for stability, performance, and growth as we exit the pandemic. However, given the volatility experienced during 2020 and the business and financial disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, including the governmentally-mandated shutdown of many of our dining rooms, the goals under our 2020 Annual Incentive Plan became unattainable and the outstanding cash LTIP performance cycles became misaligned with the interest of investors over the course of 2020.

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The awards under the long-term cash incentive plan (“cash LTIP”) for fiscal years 2018, 2019, and 2020 were made in the form of performance units with three-year performance periods and were originally designed to be earned 50% based on the total stockholder return of the Corporation for the performance period against a peer group comprised of all publicly-traded restaurant companies (“Relative TSR”) and 50% based on growth in the Corporation’s annual average adjusted earnings per share (“AEPS”). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on business results in 2020 created the following unintended effects on the cash LTIP awards:

Therefore, the Compensation Committee removed the AEPS performance metric for the cash LTIP awards for 2018, 2019, and 2020, such that each of these awards are measured only by the Corporation’s Relative TSR. In making this decision, the Compensation Committee considered various factors, including (i) maintaining pay-for-performance alignment, (ii) reducing the unplanned impact of the business and financial disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and (iii) aligning executive and stockholder interests by solely measuring the Corporation’s shareholder returns relative to similar companies. Although this action did increase the payout for the 2018-2020 cash LTIP cycle, it more closely aligns payouts with pre-pandemic performance and Relative TSR performance. For the 2019-2021 and 2020-2022 cycles, this action avoided expected maximum payouts for the AEPS portion of the awards.

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Compensation Policies, Practices and Risk Management

The Compensation Committee, along with the Chief Executive Officer and the Senior Vice President, Chief People Officer, continually assess the Corporation’s compensation policies and practices to evaluate whether they remain aligned with the Corporation’s pay-for-performance culture, the creation of long-term stockholder value, effective risk management and strong governance practices.

The Compensation Committee believes that, through a combination of risk-mitigating features and incentives guided by relevant market practices and corporate-wide goals, our compensation policies and practices do not present risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Corporation. The Compensation Committee believes that appropriate safeguards are in place with respect to compensation policies and practices that assist in mitigating excessive risk-taking that could harm the value of the Corporation or reward poor judgment by the Corporation’s executives and other employees.

The Compensation Committee’s independent compensation consultant, Exequity LLP (“Exequity”), conducted a risk assessment in 2020 of the Corporation’s compensation policies and practices as they apply to all employees, including the NEOs. Exequity reviewed the design features and performance metrics of the Corporation’s cash and stock-based incentive programs along with the approval mechanisms associated with each and determined that the Corporation’s policies and practices were unlikely to create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Corporation.

The following actions, practices and policies are intended to provide for continued alignment with the Corporation’s principles and/or reduce the likelihood of excessive risk-taking:

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Overview of Executive Compensation Philosophy and Objectives

The Compensation Committee has structured the Corporation’s executive compensation programs to align with a compensation philosophy that is based on several objectives, including:

The Role of the Compensation Committee

Under its charter, the Compensation Committee has the sole authority to determine and approve compensation for the Corporation’s NEOs and other executive officers. In addition, the Compensation Committee, which is comprised solely of independent directors and reports regularly to the Board of Directors:

The Compensation Committee is also responsible for reviewing the compensation for the members of the Board of Directors and submits any recommended changes for approval by the Board of Directors.

The Compensation Committee reviews the Corporation’s executive compensation plans throughout the fiscal year. Decisions concerning annual salary increases, the approval of annual cash incentives, the design and objectives of each year’s incentive plan and the granting of long-term incentive (“LTI”) awards are typically made in the first quarter of each fiscal year after a series of meetings among the Compensation Committee, its compensation consultant, the Chief Executive Officer and the Senior Vice President, Chief People Officer. The Compensation Committee also performs a “tally sheet” analysis which provides the Compensation Committee with information related to total annual compensation of each NEO and the potential payout each NEO would receive upon separation from the Corporation. The Compensation Committee performs this analysis on an annual basis as part of its oversight function with respect to executive compensation.

The general practice of the Compensation Committee has been to evaluate annually the performance of the Chief Executive Officer and the other executive officers and approve compensation based on this evaluation. As it relates to the assessment of the Chief Executive Officer’s performance, the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the chairs of the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee discuss annual performance goals with the Chief Executive Officer and conduct an annual performance review and compensation discussion.

In addition, the Compensation Committee annually determines the compensation of the other executive officers based on evaluations of their respective performance.

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Generally, the Chief Executive Officer and the Senior Vice President, Chief People Officer provide input to the Compensation Committee in connection with its compensation deliberations except with regard to decisions concerning themselves:

The Role of the Compensation Consultant

The Compensation Committee has the sole authority to retain or terminate a compensation consultant to assist in carrying out its responsibilities. Accordingly, during 2020, the Compensation Committee directly engaged Exequity as its independent compensation consultant to provide objective and expert analyses, advice, and information with respect to executive compensation. In performing its services, Exequity interacted collaboratively with the Compensation Committee and with senior management at the direction of the Compensation Committee. In 2020, Exequity performed the following services:

Exequity did not provide any additional services to the Corporation during 2020 beyond those provided in the capacity of independent compensation consultant to the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee has assessed the independence of Exequity pursuant to the rules of the SEC and concluded that Exequity’s work for the Compensation Committee does not raise any conflicts of interest.

Compensation Benchmarking and Peer Group

The Corporation uses a restaurant peer group and compensation surveys for different benchmarking comparisons, including base salary, target annual cash incentive, LTI awards and total direct compensation opportunity (“TDCO”). The Compensation Committee, with input from its independent compensation consultant and management, periodically reviews its peer group (the “NEO Peer Group”) for the purpose of evaluating executive compensation.

The Corporation’s significantly franchised business model is uncommon amongst its peer group. The majority of the peer companies have a significant number of company-owned restaurants, with only 8 of our 18 current peers having more than 85% of their restaurants franchised. We believe our significantly franchised business model (approximately 98% franchised as of fiscal year end 2020) requires less capital investment and general and administrative overhead, generates higher gross profit margins and reduces volatility of adjusted free cash flow performance as compared to owning more company-operated restaurants. In acknowledging the structural differences, the Compensation Committee considers a variety of metrics in evaluating the NEO Peer Group, which includes but is not limited to revenues, system-wide sales, market

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capitalization and enterprise value. As compared to the NEO Peer Group, as of December 31, 2020, the Corporation ranked in the second quartile in revenues, first quartile in market capitalization and enterprise value, and the top quartile in system-wide sales. The NEO Peer Group consists of companies in the Corporation’s industry and companies with similar business models in related industries that the Compensation Committee believes to approximate the Corporation’s general labor market for top executive talent.

The NEO Peer Group used for evaluating 2020 compensation decisions consisted of the companies set forth below.

The NEO Peer Group was the primary data source considered by the Compensation Committee when reviewing total pay levels of the NEOs. The Compensation Committee also considered broader compensation data from the 2020 AON Hewitt US Total Compensation by Industry Survey, which provided general industry pay data on executive positions for companies with comparable sales.

The NEO Peer Group was revised by the Compensation Committee on August 3, 2020 to remove Domino’s Pizza, Inc. to reduce the variability in size in the NEO Peer Group, and add the following four companies that all met the peer group selection criteria listed above: Dave & Buster’s Entertainment, Inc.; Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.; Shake Shack Inc.; and Wingstop Inc. These changes were made in order to create a more robust NEO Peer Group size and more closely align the financial metrics in the NEO Peer Group described above with the Corporation.

The Role of Say on Pay Votes and Stockholder Outreach Efforts

The Corporation provides its stockholders with the opportunity to cast an annual advisory vote on executive compensation (say on pay). In addition to receiving overall feedback on the Corporation’s compensation programs as part of the annual say on pay proposal, the Board of Directors and management are committed to regular engagement with our stockholders to solicit views and input on important topics including executive compensation. During 2020, the Corporation reached out to stockholders representing a majority of outstanding shares to discuss key executive compensation and other governance topics. The Corporation incorporates stockholder feedback into its compensation and governance policies. At the Corporation’s annual meeting of stockholders held in May 2020, approximately 98.5% of the votes present and entitled to vote at the meeting on the say on pay proposal were voted in favor of the proposal approving the compensation of the NEOs as disclosed in the 2020 proxy statement. The Compensation Committee believes that the Corporation’s approach to executive compensation is reasonable considering market conditions and is consistent with the Corporation’s pay-for-performance philosophy and overarching goal of creating long-term stockholder value.

In addition to direct feedback from the Corporation’s stockholders, the Compensation Committee will continue to consider the outcome of the Corporation’s say on pay votes when making future compensation decisions for its NEOs.

Compensation Discussion Related to the Chief Executive Officer

In connection with Mr. Joyce’s retirement, Mr. Peyton joined the Corporation as Chief Executive Officer, effective January 4, 2021.

Mr. Peyton’s compensation package primarily consists of the following:

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In determining the overall compensation package for Mr. Peyton, the Compensation Committee considered the state of the business at the time of Mr. Peyton’s hire, Mr. Peyton’s previous leadership experience, and cash and equity awards Mr. Peyton would forfeit in leaving his then-current employment. The Compensation Committee also considered competitive market data and the input of Exequity.

Our former Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Joyce, served as Chief Executive Officer from September 2017 to January 2021.

Mr. Joyce’s compensation package primarily consisted of the following:

Please see Elements of the Compensation Program For NEOs section below for additional information regarding Mr. Joyce’s 2020 compensation.

Elements of the Compensation Program For NEOs

The Corporation’s executive compensation program for NEOs generally consists of the following components:

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The Compensation Committee’s compensation strategy is comprised of a TDCO for each NEO which is defined as base salary, target annual cash incentive and the grant date fair market value of LTI awards.

The TDCO for each NEO is generally set by using a holistic approach that considers various individual factors as well as relevant benchmark data. Such individual factors include performance, experience level, criticality, scarcity of skill set, internal equity, and external competitiveness. Rather than striving for a single market reference point, the Compensation Committee believes that this broader holistic approach provides appropriate flexibility in tailoring award opportunities.

The TDCO for 2020, as reviewed and approved by the Compensation Committee for the NEOs on February 19, 2020, is listed in the following table. TDCO differs from the total compensation amounts reported in the 2020 Summary Compensation Table in that it includes the base salary and target annual cash incentive opportunity in effect following such approval, while the 2020 Summary Compensation Table includes the amounts actually earned. Further, TDCO does not include amounts set forth in the “All Other Compensation” column of the 2020 Summary Compensation Table nor does it include one-time equity awards made in connection with hiring, retention, or other non-standard circumstances. In addition, TDCO includes the value of the target opportunity under the cash LTIP grant at the time it is awarded whereas the 2020 Summary Compensation Table includes the actual value earned, if any, based upon performance under the cash LTIP after the completion of the performance period.

2020 Total Direct Compensation Opportunity

A significant portion of executive pay has been structured to be contingent on satisfying pre-established performance goals and increasing stockholder value. For the NEOs, excluding Mr. Joyce, who did not receive any equity awards in 2020, an average of 69% of 2020 TDCO was linked to performance and/or increasing stockholder value.

See the section entitled “Compensation Decisions Made in 2020” in this proxy statement for additional information regarding the elements of compensation for NEOs.

The chart below illustrates the 2020 pay mix for the NEOs, excluding Mr. Joyce:

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Compensation Decisions Made in 2020

Annual Base Salaries

In setting annual base salaries, the Compensation Committee generally considers benchmarking data derived from a review of the proxy statement disclosures of the NEO Peer Group, the AON Hewitt survey and, in the case of the NEOs other than the Chief Executive Officer, recommendations and assessments of the performance of the individual NEOs by the Chief Executive Officer. The Compensation Committee uses the market data to establish points of reference to determine whether and to what extent it is establishing competitive levels of compensation for the NEOs. In February 2020, the Compensation Committee set annual base salaries for 2020 as follows:

These base salary increases were set before the onset of pandemic-related disruptions to our business. The base salary increase for Mr. Song was driven by external market competitiveness and an increase in his job scope to include oversight of our international business. The base salary increases for Mr. Cywinski and Mr. Johns were based on individual performance and external market competitiveness. The base salary increase for Mr. Adel was based on external market competitiveness and an increase in his job scope to include oversight of communications, events, and publishing services personnel.

Performance- and Stock-Based Compensation

Annual Cash Incentives

In early 2020, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Compensation Committee approved the 2020 Annual Incentive Plan to reward executive officers whose performance meets or exceeds the Corporation’s expectations, to provide incentives for excellent future performance that contributes to the Corporation’s success and profitability and to serve as a means by which eligible participants may share in the Corporation’s financial success.

Pursuant to the 2020 Annual Incentive Plan, the target annual cash incentive amount for each of the NEOs is established as a percentage of base salary based on the participant’s level in the management structure. The 2020 threshold, target, and maximum payout amounts for each NEO are provided in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2020 table. The 2020 threshold, target, and maximum percentages of base salary for each of the NEOs under the Corporation’s 2020 Annual Incentive Plan were as follows:

Decisions regarding the threshold, target and maximum incentive percentages were made in consultation with Exequity and after consideration of the NEO Peer Group and survey data mentioned above and the desired TDCO pay mix. In February 2020, the Compensation Committee increased the target annual cash incentive percentage of base salary for Mr. Cywinski from 80% to 85% due to external market competitiveness, and Mr. Adel from 70% to 75% due to the increase in the scope of

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his role with the Corporation. The Compensation Committee believes the incentive targets to be generally consistent with incentive opportunities at the NEO Peer Group companies for similarly situated executives.

The annual cash incentive for the NEOs is based on a combination of the Corporation’s AEPS, Dine Brands Global, Inc., IHOP, and Applebee’s Operating Profit, Same Restaurant Sales, Traffic, and Net Development. The Compensation Committee focused the 2020 Annual Incentive Plan’s metrics entirely on financial and operating performance metrics to drive an emphasis on delivering results and improving performance. In 2020, Net Development was added as a metric for both Mr. Cywinski and Mr. Johns. Overall, the Compensation Committee believes the 2020 annual cash incentive metrics reflected the appropriate balance between profitability (60-80%) and growth (20-40%) at the time the targets were set. The annual cash incentive for each of the NEOs could then be decreased or increased based on the individual performance of each executive.

The Compensation Committee used AEPS as a primary incentive metric as it represents a broad and commonly used measure of financial performance for the Corporation. The Compensation Committee included Operating Profit as a performance measure because it believes operating profit appropriately incentivizes the business units on items specifically within their control. The Compensation Committee utilized Same Restaurant Sales with a Traffic modifier in order to encourage the brands to drive improved Same Restaurant Sales performance based on guests visiting the restaurants rather than solely by increases to average check. “Operating Profit” is defined as Segment Profit plus gains on asset dispositions, less Direct G&A and losses on asset dispositions, excluding the impact of extraordinary, unusual, infrequently occurring, non-recurring and unanticipated events. “Segment Profit” is defined as segment revenues less segment expenses. Direct G&A is defined as general and administrative expenses directly incurred at operating units excluding any allocation of shared service and general corporate overhead. “Same Restaurant Sales” is a growth performance indicator used by the Corporation and the restaurant industry and provides a measure of the change in restaurant sales by comparing the sales performance of the same restaurants from period to period. “Traffic” is a growth performance indicator used by the Corporation and the restaurant industry and provides a measure of the change in the number of guests visiting restaurants by comparing the number of guests visiting the same restaurants from period to period. Based on Traffic performance, the Same Restaurant Sales metric is increased or decreased by up to 20% for a given measurement period. Net Domestic Franchise Restaurant Development is a growth performance indicator measuring the number of new restaurants opened during the fiscal year, less any restaurant closings, in the United States (excluding Hawaii).

All metrics were set after consideration of the business environment at the time the metrics were approved and the Corporation’s forward-looking strategic plan, in each case before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Compensation Committee believed at the time that the performance targets were rigorous yet achievable, and established challenging levels such that attainment of the targeted amounts was not assured at the time they were set and would require a high level of effort and execution in order to obtain them.

Because these targets were set in February 2020, these targets were set prior to the time when the Corporation could have anticipated or known the impact of the impending COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, due in large part to the business and financial disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the performance metrics in the 2020 Annual Incentive Plan were not achieved as AEPS, Operating Profit, Same Restaurant Sales and Net Development all fell below threshold. Accordingly, no payments were made pursuant to the 2020 Annual Incentive Plan

In acknowledgement of various factors, including, (i) the actions taken to stabilize the business during a time of significant industry disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic, (ii) the Corporation’s relative financial performance during a period of extreme volatility and disruption, and (iii) the need to ensure that the Corporation retains and motivates key employees to successfully drive its business beyond the pandemic to create additional long-term stockholder value, the Compensation Committee approved discretionary cash awards for all our employees, including discretionary cash payments equal to 50% of the target annual cash incentive for each NEO.

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The table below outlines the annual cash incentive metrics and weighting for each of the NEOs as originally designed for 2020:

The threshold, target and maximum payout levels for the performance metrics are illustrated in the table below.

The amounts in the table below represent the discretionary cash payments paid to each of the NEOs based on the Compensation Committee’s assessment of the factors described above.

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Long-Term Incentive or LTI Awards

The Compensation Committee grants each of the NEOs, other than the Chief Executive Officer, a blend of NQSOs, RSAs and cash LTIP awards. The NQSOs vest in equal installments over a three-year period and are exercisable for up to a maximum of ten years. The RSAs typically cliff vest after three years and the cash LTIP payout is based on Relative TSR against an index of publicly-traded restaurant companies over a three-year performance period. NQSOs have value to the executive only if the Corporation’s stock price increases over the price on the date of grant and the value of RSAs fluctuates with changes in the Corporation’s stock price.

The Compensation Committee believes that this mix of long-term incentives appropriately balances an emphasis on absolute and relative stock price performance and aligns the compensation of our NEOs with the long-term interests of stockholders. The LTI awards are comprised of 34% of the grant date value in NQSOs, 33% of the grant date value in RSAs and 33% of the grant date value in the cash LTIP (at target). The Compensation Committee believes this weighting provides a balanced strategy between stockholder alignment, executive retention, risk, and performance.

The Compensation Committee considered a range of factors in setting the value to be awarded to the NEOs, including assessments of individual performance, the potential contributions that each NEO could be expected to make in the future, each NEO’s TDCO, LTI awards previously granted to certain NEOs, the size of awards provided to other individuals holding similar positions in the market data considered by the Compensation Committee, the number of shares which remained available for issuance under the 2019 Stock Incentive Plan and overall accounting expense associated with the awards.

The table below summarizes the grant date value of the annual long-term incentive awards made in 2020 (additional detail regarding long-term incentive awards granted in 2020 can be found in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2020 table in this proxy statement):

The increase in long-term incentive awards for Mr. Song was driven by external market competitiveness and an increase in his job scope to include oversight of our international business. The increases for Mr. Cywinski and Mr. Johns were based on individual performance and external market competitiveness. The increase for Mr. Adel was based on external market competitiveness and an increase in his job scope to include oversight of communications, events, and publishing services personnel.

At the time of grant, the 2018—2020, 2019—2021 and 2020—2022 cash LTIP cycles provided payment between zero and 200% of the target award based 50% on the Corporation’s Relative TSR performance and 50% based on the Corporation’s AEPS growth performance. The Relative TSR performance and AEPS growth performance targets for the 2018—2020 cycle were as depicted below:

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The performance goals were designed to be challenging but achievable with strong management performance. During 2020, the business and operations of the Corporation were, and they continue to be, negatively impacted by business disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. These business disruptions, which could not have been foreseen when the cash LTIP awards were granted, created unintended effects on the cash LTIP awards. 2018 AEPS growth results were 29% and 2019 AEPS growth results were also 29%, well above the target and near the maximum level. The business and financial disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in -74% AEPS growth for 2020. The average of the three annual AEPS growth results was -5%, which would have completely eliminated the payout of the AEPS component of the cash LTIP awards for the 2018-2020 cycle. The historically low AEPS baseline for 2020 was likely to result in atypically high average AEPS growth results for the 2019-2021 and 2020-2022 cycles, with a high probability of maximum payouts for the AEPS portion of these awards.

On February 17, 2021, the Compensation Committee removed the AEPS performance metric for the cash LTIP awards for 2018, 2019, and 2020, such that each of these awards are measured only by the Corporation’s Relative TSR. In making this decision, the Compensation Committee considered various factors, including (i) maintaining pay-for-performance alignment, (ii) reducing the unplanned impact of the business and financial disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and (iii) aligning executive and stockholder interests by solely measuring the Corporation’s shareholder returns relative to similar companies. Although this action did increase the payout for the 2018-2020 cash LTIP cycle, it more closely aligns payouts with pre-pandemic performance and Relative TSR performance. For the 2019-2021 and 2020-2022 cycles, this action avoided expected maximum payouts for the AEPS portion of the awards. The Compensation Committee routinely evaluates incentive plan performance metrics and takes into consideration the perspectives of our shareholders. AEPS growth was previously added as a second metric in part based on shareholder feedback and the Compensation Committee will reevaluate the performance metrics for future grants as business conditions stabilize.

2018—2020 Cash LTIP Payout

Demonstrating the Corporation’s pay-for-performance philosophy and the direct link between pay and the Corporation’s stock price performance, the cash LTIP payout as a percentage of the target has varied significantly over the past three performance periods based on TSR performance relative to the companies included in the index of publicly-traded restaurant companies. Performance and payouts under the 2018-2020 performance period and prior performance periods were as follows:

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For the 2018-2020 cash LTIP cycle, the Corporation’s TSR performance achieved a percentile rank of 63.6% relative to the companies included in the index of publicly-traded restaurant companies during the three-year performance period. The amounts in the table below represent the target cash LTIP incentive and actual amounts paid to the NEOs pursuant to the 2018-2020 cash LTIP. Mr. Joyce is not eligible to participate in the cash LTIP and did not participate in the 2018-2020 cash LTIP cycle.

Stock Ownership Guidelines

The Corporation maintains robust stock ownership guidelines that are intended to further the Compensation Committee’s objectives of aligning the financial interests of its executives with those of the Corporation’s stockholders. The stock ownership guidelines call for each NEO to accumulate a minimum number of shares equal in value to a multiple of their base salary. For purposes of the guidelines, stock ownership includes Common Stock owned directly, in-the-money value of exercisable NQSOs, RSAs, and stock-settled RSUs that are not subject to performance goals that have not been achieved. The types and amounts of stock-based awards are intended, in part, to facilitate the accumulation of sufficient shares by the Corporation’s executives to allow them to meet the stock ownership guidelines.

The Compensation Committee annually reviews each NEO’s progress towards meeting the stock ownership guidelines. The Compensation Committee has informed management that it may reduce or choose not to grant future stock-based compensation to any executive who fails to make reasonable progress towards meeting the stock ownership goals within five years from becoming subject to the guidelines. Based upon its October 2020 review of each NEO’s equity holdings in the Corporation, the Compensation Committee determined that other than Bryan R. Adel, each NEO met, exceeded or was on schedule to meet his guideline. The Compensation Committee considered Mr. Adel’s previous historical consistency in exceeding his stock ownership goals and the impact of abrupt stock price declines during 2020 on the ratio of his holdings to his base salary and determined not to take any action with respect to Mr. Adel’s stock ownership at such time.

The following table sets forth the stock ownership and goals of each of the continuing NEOs:

Clawback Policy

To the extent permitted by governing law, in the event that (i) the Corporation is required to make a material restatement of its financial statements as a result of fraudulent behavior or material intentional misconduct on the part of the Corporation’s current or former (a) Chief Executive Officer, (b) executive officers subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act or (c) other executive officers who report directly to the Chief Executive Officer and (ii) any incentive compensation was paid to any of these individuals based upon achievement of certain financial results and in reliance upon the financial statements to be

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restated, then the Board of Directors may, in its sole discretion and upon making a determination that it would be in the best interest of the Corporation to do so, direct the Corporation to make reasonable efforts to seek reimbursement of any such incentive compensation paid within the past three years from the date of the restatement to the extent it exceeds the amounts that would have been earned under the restated financial statements. This policy shall apply in addition to any right of recoupment against the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 or other applicable law or regulation.

Hedging and Pledging Restrictions

Under the Corporation’s Insider Trading Policy, all officers, employees and directors of the Corporation are prohibited from engaging in short sales of the Corporation’s common stock or in taking positions on the Corporation’s publicly traded call and put options or otherwise using financial instruments to engage in hedging transactions to lock in the value of the Corporation’s securities by preventing a decrease and/or increase in value.

Employment Agreements and Change in Control Provisions

Employment Agreements

The Corporation enters into employment agreements with certain executives when it determines that an employment agreement is desirable for the Corporation to obtain a measure of assurance as to the executive’s continued employment in light of prevailing market competition for the particular position held by the executive officer, or where the Compensation Committee determines that an employment agreement is necessary and appropriate to attract an executive in light of market conditions, the prior experience of the executive or practices at the Corporation with respect to other similarly situated employees.

Mr. Peyton and Mr. Cywinski are each a party to an employment agreement with the Corporation. Each employment agreement provides for an initial employment term of three years and automatic successive one-year extensions unless the Corporation or the executive gives notice to the contrary more than 90 days prior to the expiration of the then-current term of the agreement. The Corporation may terminate the agreement at any time, with or without cause upon written notice to the executive. The employment agreement provides for a base salary, a target annual cash incentive opportunity as a percentage of base salary and certain other perquisites and benefit programs. The employment agreement does not contain multi-year incentive guarantees or tax gross-ups. The employment agreement contains confidentiality, trade secrets, discoveries, and non-solicitation provisions. Mr. Song was also party to an employment agreement with similar terms while he was employed with the Company. Mr. Song voluntarily terminated his employment agreement as of January 22, 2021.

Mr. Joyce was a party to an employment agreement with the Corporation. The employment agreement called for a term beginning on September 12, 2017 and ending on February 1, 2021 with no automatic extensions. In connection with our CEO transition, in November 2020, Mr. Joyce and the Corporation amended Mr. Joyce’s employment agreement to transition Mr. Joyce to the role of non-executive special advisor as of January 4, 2021 and to extend the term of the agreement through February 16, 2021. Mr. Joyce’s employment agreement terminated as of February 16, 2021.

Ms. Hall, Mr. Adel, and Mr. Johns are parties to employment offer letters with the Corporation, effective as of January 19, 2021, August 2, 2010, and June 13, 2019, respectively.

Under certain termination scenarios, the employment agreements may provide for severance payments, benefits continuation and vesting of outstanding equity-based awards. See “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” in this proxy statement for additional information about severance arrangements, including projected severance payment amounts, pursuant to the employment agreements.

Amended and Restated Executive Severance and Change in Control Policy

Mr. Adel and Mr. Johns participate in the Corporation’s Amended and Restated Executive Severance and Change in Control Policy. This policy is intended to increase the retention of the senior leadership team and to provide severance benefits under specified circumstances to certain individuals who are in a position to contribute materially to the success of the Corporation. These arrangements also are intended to facilitate changes in the leadership team by setting terms for the

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termination of an executive officer in advance, thereby allowing a smooth transition of responsibilities when it is in the best interests of the Corporation. Under certain termination scenarios, the policy may provide for severance payments, benefits continuation and vesting of certain outstanding equity-based awards. The policy does not provide for tax gross-ups. See “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” in this proxy statement for additional information about severance arrangements, including projected severance payment amounts, pursuant to the Amended and Restated Executive Severance and Change in Control Policy.

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Pursuant to the Deferred Compensation Plan, all NEOs are eligible to defer their base salaries, annual cash incentives, and long-term incentive plan cash distributions. Deferrals are always 100% vested. This plan provides the NEOs with a long-term capital accumulation opportunity. The Deferred Compensation Plan provides a range of investment opportunities and is designed to comply with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”). See “2020 Nonqualified Deferred Compensation” in this proxy statement for additional information.

Perquisites

The Corporation provided all 2020 NEOs with limited perquisites as part of a competitive total compensation package. The Compensation Committee annually reviews the perquisites provided to the NEOs and approves those personal benefits or perquisites that it deems to be in the Corporation’s best interest in order to induce executives to maintain or accept employment with us.

Annual Physicals. Each NEO is entitled and expected to have an annual physical provided at the Corporation’s cost.

Automobile Allowances. The Corporation pays each of the NEOs an automobile allowance.

Supplemental Life Insurance. The Corporation provides supplemental life insurance for each of the NEOs in addition to paying for life insurance for all eligible employees. NEOs are provided $900,000 in life insurance under the Corporation’s group policy.

Supplemental Disability Insurance. The Corporation provides supplemental disability insurance for each of the NEOs in addition to paying for disability insurance for all eligible employees. The coverage for each NEO generally provides for a benefit equal to 60% of pre-disability earnings subject to a maximum of $25,000 per month.

Tax Preparation Reimbursement. The Corporation may provide tax preparation reimbursement for certain NEOs who are required to file tax returns in multiple states as a result of their employment with the Corporation. The benefit is taxable to the NEO and is intended to encourage the NEO to engage knowledgeable experts to assist with tax preparation.

Restaurant Dining Expenses. The Corporation reimburses each of the NEOs for amounts spent dining at Applebee’s and IHOP restaurants.

Other. On a case-by-case basis, the Corporation may provide other perquisites to certain executives from time to time.

See the 2020 Summary Compensation Table for additional details on these perquisites.

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COMPENSATION TABLES

Compensation tables and accompanying notes and disclosures for all NEOs are set forth below.

2020 Summary Compensation Table

The following 2020 Summary Compensation Table and accompanying notes set forth information concerning compensation earned by each of the Corporation’s NEOs for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, and, to the extent required under applicable SEC disclosure rules, the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018.