Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. is the second largest quick-service sandwich chain in the U.S. with more than 3,400 restaurants system wide. Roark Capital Group acquired the company in July 2011 and owns 81.5% of the company, with The Wendy's Company owning the other 18.5%. In addition to its classic Roast Beef and Beef 'n Cheddar sandwiches,Arby's products also include deli-style Market Fresh line of sandwiches, Curly Fries and Jamocha Shakes.Its headquarters is in Sandy Springs, Georgia.
Forrest and Leroy Raffel started their food-service consulting firm, Raffel Brothers Inc., in the 1950s, but were soon thinking about starting their own restaurant. On a rainy night, the brothers found inspiration--roast beef sandwiches. In 1964, the first Arby's ("R.B." for "Raffel Brothers") opened in Boardman, Ohio. The original Arby's menu consisted of roast beef sandwiches, potato chips and iced tea. Over time other sandwiches, curly fries, milkshakes, meals for kids and light choices have been added to the menu.