Rax Roast Beef facts for kids
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A Rax restaurant in Circleville, Ohio, 2018
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Trade name
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Rax Roast Beef |
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Formerly
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JAX Roast Beef (1967–69; 1972–77) RIX Roast Beef (1969–72) |
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| Industry | Fast food |
| Founded | 1967 in Springfield, Ohio |
| Founder | Jack Roschman |
| Headquarters | |
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Key people
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Jason Donahue (CEO) |
| Products | Roast beef sandwiches, salad bar, shakes, baked potatoes, fries, soft drinks, wraps, sandwiches, chicken |
| Owner | Rich Donohue |
Rax Roast Beef is a fast food restaurant chain in the U.S. It is famous for its roast beef sandwiches. Over the years, Rax has changed a lot. It once had over 500 locations in 38 states in the 1980s. But at other times, it had fewer than 20 restaurants. Today, Rax is based in Ironton, Ohio. As of 2024, there are only six Rax restaurants still open, owned by different people who run their own businesses (franchisees).
Contents
The Story of Rax Roast Beef
How Rax Started
Rax began in 1967 in Springfield, Ohio. It was first called "JAX Roast Beef." Jack Roschman was the person who started it. In 1969, he sold the chain to a big company called General Foods. They changed the name to "RIX Roast Beef."
General Foods ran the restaurants until 1972. Most of the RIX restaurants then closed. Only 10 of them were left. These were owned by a company called Restaurant Administration Corporation (RAC). RAC bought the rest of RIX from General Foods. They changed the name back to JAX.
RAC decided to focus on the roast beef business. They started letting other people open JAX restaurants as franchises. In 1977, the JAX restaurants were renamed Rax. This new name was easier to protect as a brand. The first Rax franchise opened in Columbus, Ohio. RAC also changed its name to Rax Restaurants Inc. By 1982, Rax had grown to more than 221 restaurants in 25 states.
In 1981, Rax added new items to its menu. These included baked potatoes and salad bars. By June 1984, the 300th Rax restaurant opened in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 1988, the company decided to make its salad bars smaller. This was to save money and focus more on sandwiches.
Rax's Most Popular Time
Rax was most popular in the 1980s. At that time, there were 504 Rax restaurants. They were in 38 states across the U.S. There were also some Rax restaurants in Guatemala.
Changes and Challenges in the 1990s
In the late 1980s, Rax started changing its business a lot. They tried to sell many different kinds of food. These included pizza, pasta, Asian food, and a taco bar. They also had an "endless" salad bar and a dessert bar. Rax also tried to make its restaurants look fancier. They added wood and glass sunrooms. They wanted to be the "champagne of fast food."
These changes made Rax lose its regular customers. It also made their main sandwich business unclear. Other fast food chains, like Wendy's, used similar ideas but did them better. This caused Rax's profits to drop a lot.
In 1991, the company's leaders bought the company. This led to many changes on the company's board. Rax tried to fix its struggling restaurants. They worked with other food chains like Miami Subs. They also focused on their main areas, especially in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
By August 1992, Rax was not as well known. The company tried a new advertising campaign. It featured an animated character called Mr. Delicious. He was a middle-aged man who talked a lot about his personal life. He also praised Rax restaurants. This campaign was supposed to attract adult customers. But customers did not respond well. Three months later, Rax Restaurants Inc. faced big financial problems and had to reorganize its business.
After 1992's Financial Troubles
In 1994, Rax Restaurants Inc. joined with another company. It was renamed Heartland Food Systems Inc. This new company also became a Hardee's restaurant owner. Heartland planned to turn all Rax restaurants into Hardee's by 1997. But this was too difficult. By 1996, Heartland faced financial problems again. As part of a plan to recover, the company sold the Hardee's restaurants it owned. It also changed its name back to Rax Restaurants Inc.
By 1996, the Rax chain had only 150 restaurants left. The company planned to bring Rax back. They wanted a simpler menu and a new look for their restaurants. But in November 1996, Wendy's International wanted to buy 37 Rax restaurants. They planned to turn most of them into Tim Hortons. This changed Rax's plans. They started looking for someone to buy their remaining restaurants.
In July 1997, a company called Cassady & Associates bought the Rax brand. By December 2005, another company owned Rax. There were 51 locations then. Rax also created a mascot for kids' meals. His name was Uncle Alligator. He was always shown doing sports or activities.
In 2006, only 26 Rax locations were left. They were in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. In December 2007, Rich Donohue bought the Rax brand. He owned a Rax restaurant in Ironton, Ohio. His new company, From Rax to Rich's Inc., planned to open more restaurants in Ohio and Kentucky.
The last Rax in Indiana closed in 2011. By February 2015, there were 15 locations left. These were in Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. The last Rax in West Virginia closed in 2016. The number of locations dropped to eight by March 2016. Most of the Rax restaurants still open are owned by franchisees. They can use the Rax name as long as their store is running.
As of April 2024, there are 6 Rax locations. They are in Illinois, Kentucky, and Ohio.
Rax Slogans
Here are some slogans Rax has used over the years:
- "All the Right Stuff"
- "Fast Food with Style."
- "Gotta get back to Rax."
- "I'd Rather Rax, Wouldn't You?"
- "You can eat here."
