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tiggersbox remembers...
When I see the old school Arby's signs it makes me remember the way Arby's used to taste. The roast ...  More »
Posted on 11/22/08

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Love those Munchies!
Posted by wldpuma on 09/18/07

CATCH PHRASE:

America's Roast Beef, Yes Sir!

What’s in a name?  A lot, usually.   Some creations are simple and straight-forward, like in the case of Wendy’s (owner Dave Thomas’s daughter) or McDonald’s (the last name of the two brothers who started up that very famous first hamburger stand.)  Kentucky Fried Chicken got its start in Corbin, Kentucky, and Carl’s Jr. was started  by Carl Karcher.  So, what does Arby’s mean?  Well, their first names were Forrest and Leroy.  Scratch that.  Their last name was is Raffel.  Hmm, scratch that, too.  It started up in Boardman, Ohio.  Put an X through that one as well.  Interestingly enough, the popular fast food chain got its name as a version of R.B. which stands for Raffel Brothers, though many throughout the years have suspected it stood for Roast Beef, the first item they sold at their first locale in Ohio.  They were initially going for the name "Big Tex."  Can you even imagine it now?

In the 1950s, the Raffel Brothers had a steady business providing and servicing restaurant equipment, installing hundreds of kitchens all over the Northeast, in hotels, motels, airports and just good old regular restaurants.  At that time, fast food was becoming pretty hip with advent of McDonald’s and a number of other regional chains, and the Raffel brothers were well aware of the potential.  But their challenge was evident: how could they stand out from the hamburger-flipping and french-fry-slinging masses?  One rainy night in Boston, Massachusetts, they came across a sandwich shop with a huddle of patrons waiting for the hit item, a quick and simple 79-cent roast beef sandwich.  The first Arby’s opened up in a little town just south of Youngstown in 1964, and quick eats haven’t really been the same since.

The first Arby’s ran successfully on serving only roast beef sandwiches, chips and iced tea.  A year later, Arby’s began to franchise, and their first licensee opened a restaurant in nearby Akron, Ohio.  Three years later, in 1968, Arby’s started springing up in other states.  Chains began appearing all across the Midwest, and during the 1970s, Arby’s added around 50 restaurants each year throughout the country.  During this time, now-popular menu items began appearing, such as Beef n’ Cheddar, Curly Fries as well as Arby’s famous sauces – Arby’s BBQ sauce (affectionately known as Arby-Q Sauce to some) and the classic nostril-tingling Horsey Sauce.  Ham and chicken started showing up on the menu as Arby’s raced toward the 80s, during which time the classic campaign slogan “America’s Roast Beef, Yes Sir!” was being used.  Today, they offer everything from gourmet salads and deli-style eats, without ever losing sight of their original classic, the roast beef sandwich.

Arby’s has been the point of praise and ridicule in pop culture.   Seinfeld’s Elaine Benes’ on-and-off boyfriend, David Puddy couldn’t get enough of Arby’s while Elaine couldn’t stand it.  Arby’s is also a re-occurring subject on The Simpsons, most often a subject of ridicule.  Arby’s, however, is a favorite for Lieutenant Dangle on Reno 911! Today, there are over 3,500 restaurants in operation, making it easy to take care of anyone’s craving for a little less burger and little more Horsey Sauce.