On July 23, 1964, two brothers, Forrest and Leroy Raffel, opened the
doors to the very first Arby’s restaurant under a glowing neon cowboy
hat in Boardman, Ohio. They had a vision to shake up the fast food
industry with something different – roast beef. With an innovative menu
featuring oven roasted, freshly sliced roast beef sandwiches,
Texas-sized iced teas, and classic Jamocha Shakes, the Raffel brothers
quickly got people thinking Arby’s. Today, Arby’s is celebrating its 45th
anniversary and continues to offer a departure from everyday fast food.
Throughout the years, Arby’s has kept its taste for innovation. The
1970s brought now classic items including the Beef ’n Cheddar, the Arby-Q®,
and signature sauces like the tangy Horsey sauce. During the 1980s,
Arby’s expanded into Canada, added the signature curly fries to the
menu, created the Arby’s Foundation and introduced a new “Burger
Boycott” ad campaign. The 90s saw the addition of Sidekickers®
and the first Arby’s Charity Tour Golf Tournament to benefit the
company’s national charity, Big Brothers Big Sisters. 2000 and beyond
brought the launch of the popular Market Fresh® line of
sandwiches and salads, a new “I’m Thinking Arby’s” ad campaign and Arby’s®
Toasted Subs.
Today, the chain’s culinary innovation center, under the leadership of
industry veteran, Brian Kolodziej, employs a dozen people and has been
responsible for such creative menu introductions including Roast
Chicken, Iced FruiTeas and, most recently, Roastburgers™, a
mouth-watering new line of burger-inspired sandwiches served with Arby’s
famous slow roasted, thinly sliced roast beef.
At Arby’s, creativity doesn’t end in the kitchen. To help introduce its
new menu items, the company has launched a host of promotions and
programs, including a $5 BBQ Bacon Cheddar Roastburger combo (with curly
fries and a drink) available through August, a Wednesday FREEbies
program, with different free menu items (with purchase) offered each
week through August 26 at participating restaurants and its Arby’s
Extras fan club, where people can receive valuable offers.
“As we reflect on the past 45 years and look down the road to what’s
next, one thing remains true – our commitment to providing our customers
with a unique, better tasting alternative to traditional fast food,”
said Tom Garrett, President and CEO, Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc.
About Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc.
Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc., based in Atlanta, is the second largest
quick-service sandwich chain in the U.S.
