The demise of Arby's and Roast Beef places in general.

I actually remember Arby's serving beef sliced from a real roast back in the mid 70s, and remember how much my parents were disappointed when they shifted to the processed meat rolls.
 
I haven't been to an Arby's in probably a decade (I'm pretty sure neither VT nor NH has Arby's, nearest one I've seen was someplace down near Boston).  But the Northeast still has a lot of fairly decent roast beef places that still do it the right way.
 
Here's one from Kelly's Roast Beef in Saugus, MA:
 

 
And here's one from Billy's Roast Beef in Wakefield, MA:
 

 
So it's not completely dead....

Your average customer wants two things from every purchase:
1) free
2) now
 
If you can deliver your product as close as possible to those "ideals", then you will be successful in business.
Hence, the race to the bottom in the fast food world.

db1105


I don't think Arby's ever sold roast beef. It is some kind of meat product. What it is, I don't know. I had one and it was enough to never go back.

Actually when my friend worked as a manager at Arbys about 10 years ago the individual resturant had a choice of 4 grades of Roast Beef, I do not know if they still do that..

Near New Carlisle, Ohio (east of Dayton), on OH 235 about a mile north of I-70 Exit 41 there's a Ranchers Roast Beef restaurant I occasionally go to.  It is one of two--the other one is in Washington Court House.  (I have been informed that Ranchers Roast Beef once operated in more locations, including Middletown.  That city stands out since I was born in Hamilton.)
 
Check out http://www.ranchersroastbeef.com/ for more info.

Another roast beef place that we used to have around here was Rax Roast Beef.  They only lasted a few years in the Kansas City area, but I think their initial success is what brought Arby's to the area.  Does Rax still exist?

collinf


Another roast beef place that we used to have around here was Rax Roast Beef.  They only lasted a few years in the Kansas City area, but I think their initial success is what brought Arby's to the area.  Does Rax still exist?

They're on life support.
http://raxroastbeef.com/
 
 

Despite being a Steelers fan, he is correct. :-)
 
Google is your friend.

The only thing I like about Arby's now (and I think our local one might not be here for long now, just my opinion) is that you can buy a sandwich and on the receipt there's a # to call and you get a code and can get another for free.  I used to love the Super but they mucked that up and now I just get a beef and cheddar whenever I stop in.  I have seen people looking in the trash cans for these receipts - seriously.