What Are Franchisees Saying?

Here’s what Arby’s franchise owners say about the brand

“(CEO) Paul Brown is a super individual, very unassuming, very focused, very professional. He hit the nail on the head when he met with (franchisees) about his plans and said, ‘You know this is about a brand, this isn’t about going out and trying to be somebody else,’ which we’ve done so many times.”

“At the time when our abundance of high quality proteins were out of sight, and it looked like it would be a difficult path forward, he came out with ‘We’ve got the meats,’ and he’s brought on a superb leadership team. We’ve taken on the monster with the price of proteins and made it a win-win for everybody. The new building design, the new Delight production tables that allows our footprint to be smaller, and the experience for our guests inside the restaurants — it’s all been very, very innovative, creative, and bold.”

— Rick Bentley, head of Bentley-Miller Corp., which owns 26 Arby’s restaurants in Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming

“There was one location we wanted, and there was competition for it, and the landlord had to make a decision between us or some other brand. Before I could make a deal, I had to get approval for the location. So I called the ARG real estate department, which was very busy, and they sent somebody out the very next day. I was very happy. They approved the site, we got the location, and we have that restaurant under construction right now…and when we have construction challenges, I call (Senior Director of Construction) Tom Huch, who I know is extremely busy doing so many remodels. He is always helping me. One restaurant we just picked up from another brand was in a very, very small location. I told Tom, that this is a very challenging project, and he’s helping me every step of the way.”

— Sunny Datta, owner of 26 Arby’s restaurants in California, Oregon, and Washington

“Product development is huge. We have the best pipeline of products this Brand has ever had. I am on the Arby’s Franchise Advisory Board, and we ask for proven, tested products and to be told the honest truth about how things test. They shoot straight, and that has helped us put promotional products in that deliver on expectations based upon what happened in the test markets. … We see great growth areas around us, and we have some plans to really try to grow this Brand.

Personally, I count my blessings every morning. I have good people who are working for me who are working their butts off everyday. I want continued growth for them. I could be happy where I am now for the rest of my life and would never have another worry, but what I want is continued growth for our folks and for the team that works for this franchise organization.”

— Joe Brumit, head of Brumit Restaurant Group, which owns 44 Arby’s restaurants in North Carolina and South Carolina

“Now everyone realizes Arby’s has untapped potential, and people are just starting to take note”

“Five years ago, when we were buying restaurants and growing, we looked at Arby’s as an iconic Brand that was just being held back. When Roark bought Arby’s, you felt there was something special was going to happen. Well, the world has completely changed. Now everyone realizes Arby’s has untapped potential, and people are just starting to take note. … The potential of this brand has never been greater than it is today. I have been a part of this brand for 20 years and today, I am more excited than I have ever been.”

— John Wade, head of AES Group LLC, which owns 21 Arby’s restaurants in Georgia and Indiana

“The Fast Crafted™ products appeal to two different groups (QSR guests and fast casual guests who appreciate being able to get a quality sandwich on the go), and the innovation that is taking place is quite a nice thing to be involved in. The ARG leadership team really is here to improve the Brand, listen to the franchisees and accept their input, and get their buy-in.

They respect the knowledge on other side of table, and that is great. … I think through the creativity of the ad agency, Fallon, and the creativity of our marketing team, they have accomplished great positioning — letting guests know we deliver quality proteins. And I like the way (CMO) Rob Lynch has engaged the social media aspects to drive young people to Arby’s. All brands age, and you always want to stay in front of young guests.”

— Grant Troja, head of Restaurant Management Inc., which owns 65 Arby’s restaurants in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee

“My brother and I, we live and breathe the business, and we love the responsibility of being the caretakers of the legacy that my parents started. We got to work alongside my dad. I have other brothers and sisters and brothers-in-law that have all been a part of the business over the last 45 years. What’s really neat about a family business that we have is that we have the third generation coming up. I’ve got three nephews that are involved in leadership in the company. They all started working in the restaurants. It’s a great legacy we have. We’re very proud of it.”

— John Davis, head of U.S. Beef Corp., which owns more than 300 Arby’s restaurants in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma