Arby's facts for kids
Logo since 2013
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An Arby's restaurant in Blairsville, Georgia
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | July 23, 1964 in Boardman, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Headquarters |
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United States
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Number of locations
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3,472 (as of 2019) |
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Area served
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United States (incl. Puerto Rico) Canada Costa Rica Egypt Mexico Saudi Arabia South Korea Turkey |
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Key people
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| Products | Fast food Sandwiches, salads, sides |
| Services | Franchising |
| Revenue |  US$3.884 billion (2019) |
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Number of employees
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80,000 (2019) |
| Parent | Inspire Brands |
Arby's is a popular American fast-food restaurant chain. It has more than 3,300 restaurants around the world. Arby's is best known for its delicious roast beef sandwiches.
The company is a big part of Inspire Brands. In 2012, Arby's was the third-largest fast-food chain in the United States based on sales. It was behind Subway and Panera Bread. By 2017, it was called "America's second largest sandwich chain" after Subway.
Arby's also sells other tasty items like gyros, wraps, chicken sandwiches, and milkshakes. The main office for Arby's is in Sandy Springs, Georgia. This city is a suburb of Atlanta.
In 2019, there were 3,472 Arby's restaurants. You can find them in seven countries outside the United States. These countries include Canada, Mexico, and South Korea.
Contents
How Arby's Began
Arby's started in Boardman, Ohio, on July 23, 1964. Two brothers, Forrest and Leroy Raffel, created it. They owned a business that sold restaurant equipment. They believed there was a good chance to start a fast-food chain that didn't just sell hamburgers.
The brothers wanted to name their restaurant "Big Tex." But that name was already taken by another business. So, they chose "Arby's" instead. This name sounds like "R" and "B," which stands for "Raffel Brothers."
The first Arby's restaurant opened with a simple menu. It offered only roast beef sandwiches, potato chips, and soft drinks. The brothers wanted to attract customers who liked a slightly fancier place. So, Arby's looked more luxurious than other fast-food spots. A roast beef sandwich cost 69 cents back then. Hamburgers at other places were only 15 cents.
A year later, the first Arby's that was owned by someone else opened in Akron, Ohio. Early Arby's restaurants had cool neon signs. These signs looked like a cowboy hat. They often said, "Arby's roast beef sandwich is delicious."
Growing and Changing
In the 1970s, Arby's grew very fast. They opened about 50 new stores every year. During this time, they added many popular items to their menu. These included the Beef 'n Cheddar sandwich and Jamocha Shakes. They also introduced chicken sandwiches and their famous curly fries. Two special sauces, Arby's Sauce and Horsey Sauce, also became popular.
Baked potatoes were added to the menu in 1985. Curly fries were first called Curly-Q Fries in 1988. Arby's was also one of the first fast-food places to offer a "lite" menu in 1991. This menu had sandwiches and salads with fewer calories and less fat.
The Raffel family sold Arby's to the Royal Crown Cola Company in 1976. Leroy Raffel stayed as the CEO for three more years. Over the years, Arby's changed owners a few times. In 2008, the company that owned Arby's bought Wendy's. They changed their name to Wendy's/Arby's Group. But in 2011, they decided to split up. Wendy's focused on its own brand, and Arby's became its own company again.
In 2010, Arby's opened a restaurant at Ft. Bliss. This was their first location on an American military base. Only military members and their guests can eat at these special Arby's locations.
Arby's also tried to open restaurants in the United Kingdom a couple of times. But these locations eventually closed.
In 2011, Roark Capital Group bought most of Arby's. At that time, Arby's was having some money problems. But the new owners worked hard to turn things around. They closed stores that weren't doing well. They also changed how they advertised and added new foods. After a few years, Arby's became very successful again!
In 2017, Arby's bought another restaurant chain called Buffalo Wild Wings. Because of this big purchase, the parent company of Arby's changed its name to Inspire Brands.
Arby's has continued to expand globally. In 2017, it returned to Kuwait. In 2018, it opened three restaurants in Cairo, Egypt. In 2022, Arby's announced plans to open in Saudi Arabia.
Delicious Food at Arby's
Besides its famous roast beef, Arby's has many other kinds of sandwiches. They have "Market Fresh Sandwiches" which are like deli-style sandwiches. These include Roast Beef and Swiss, Roast Turkey and Swiss, and Roast Ham and Swiss. They often come with honey mustard, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, and Swiss cheese. Later, they added popular options like the Roast Turkey Ranch and Bacon.
In 2003, Arby's added more specialty sandwiches served on long rolls called baguettes. These included the Italian Beef 'n Provolone and the French Dip 'n Swiss. Corned beef and turkey Reuben sandwiches were added in 2005.
For a while, Arby's served Pepsi products. But in 2017, they announced that they would switch to Coca-Cola products. This change happened in 2018. To celebrate, Arby's even broke two Guinness World Records for advertising! One was for the "world's smallest advertisement" on a sesame seed. The other was for the "largest advertising poster" in America's smallest town.
In 2007, Arby's introduced "Toasted Subs." These were sandwiches served on a toasted ciabatta roll. They had options like French Dip & Swiss and Philly Beef.
A very popular item, the Smokehouse Brisket sandwich, was introduced in 2013. In 2014, Arby's brought back gyros for a limited time. They were so popular that they became a permanent menu item in 2016.
Arby's also often offers special flatbread melt sandwiches. These have different fillings and are available for a short time.
In 2015, Arby's introduced small sandwiches called Sliders. These were very popular and helped increase sales. They even won an award for this new menu item!
In 2016, Arby's added new chicken sandwiches made with a buttermilk-breaded chicken. They also debuted a new Smokehouse Pork Belly Sandwich.
A very unique item Arby's tested was a venison (deer meat) sandwich in 2016. It was offered in a few states known for deer hunting. It sold out super fast! The venison came from New Zealand. In 2017, the venison sandwich returned nationwide.
In 2017, Arby's also offered an elk sandwich in some states. The elk meat also came from New Zealand. In 2018, they even offered a special duck breast sandwich!
Some Arby's locations, especially at truck stops, also serve breakfast.
Arby's Advertising
Since 2014, the famous actor Ving Rhames has been the voice of Arby's commercials. He is known for his deep, booming voice. The chain's current slogan is "Arby's, We Have The Meats!"
Where to Find Arby's
Arby's has restaurants in many countries. These include Canada, Costa Rica, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Mexico, South Korea, and Turkey. In the United States, you can find Arby's in almost every state. There are also Arby's locations on military bases in Japan, like Kadena Air Base and Camp Foster in Okinawa.
See also
In Spanish: Arby's para niños
