QSR highlights Arby’s new site selection strategy

Flexible design strategy enables brands to make most of real estate opportunities, magazine points out

QSR Magazine recently took a look at how restaurant companies are adjusting their site selection strategies to take advantage of real estate opportunities, and devoted a large portion of the article to highlighting Arby’s. We have embraced a flexible “menu of venues” approach that reconfigures common restaurant design elements to fit a variety of locations — standalone, in-line, or endcap.

 

 

 

From the article:

Specifically, the Brand has designed models for building (and remodeling) three kinds of stores: standalone, end-cap (at the corner of a shopping center or other business), and urban in-line, which are placed within an existing shopping corridor.

“We’d like to be able to open an Arby’s restaurant in virtually any size space and in a variety of venues that may have [previously] created unaccustomed challenges,” says Dave Gleason, Director of Franchising. “It also allows more flexibility for franchisees to open new restaurants and for Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc. as we’re evaluating new company-owned locations.”

A new approach to restaurant design

Arby’s new restaurant design — the “Inspire” line — is engineered to be extremely adaptable and efficient. The new design includes a reconfigured front counter and kitchen workspace, which are designed to put the authenticity of Arby’s Meatcraft™ on full display while also improving workflow for employees, leading to greater efficiency. The new Delight production line reduced the square footage needed for the production area by 20 percent. This helps Arby’s take advantage of smaller footprints, including in-line and end-cap locations.   

The Inspire design is also a contemporary look for Arby’s.

“That really sets us apart again,” says John Davis, CEO of U.S. Beef, the largest Arby’s franchisee with more than 300 units. He says the Inspire design is a perfect fit for Arby’s identity as a meat-centric QSR that straddles both the fast food and fast casual segments. “We really feel that the Inspire design sets us apart from the typical QSR. We have a unique Fast-Crafted™ niche, and I think the design reflects that quality and spirit.”

Become an Arby’s franchisee

To learn more about what’s driving Arby’s sales growth, visit our milestones page to view the events that have provided momentum to the brand. For an in-depth look into the opportunity, fill out a form to download the Arby’s Executive Summary and to begin a conversation.