Where Are The Raffel Brothers From?
Leroy is still alive (as of this writing) and over the age of 90. The story of The Raffel Brothers is one of both believing in one’s self and having tenacity, two qualities that every entrepreneur must have if they are going to achieve business success.
The story of The Raffel Brothers is one of both believing in one’s self and having tenacity, two qualities that every entrepreneur must have if they are going to achieve business success.
The Raffel brothers had the vision to sell quarter-pound roast beef sandwiches in the same manner as McDonalds was selling hamburgers. But the brothers went one step further in the fast food business. The customers were able to watch the roast beef cooking in a glass-walled rotisserie.
The Raffel brothers opened the first new restaurant in Boardman, Ohio, just outside Youngstown, on July 23, 1964. They initially served only roast beef sandwiches, potato chips, and soft drinks.
Who are the Raffel brothers?
The Raffel brothers were Forrest and Leroy from New Castle, PA. Forrest, or “Fuzzy” as he was known, was the oldest and according to his younger bother was “the creative genius” behind this new concept of fast food.
Forrest was survived by his wife, Gloria, who he married in 1964, a brother, three daughters and three stepchildren. Since the Raffel brothers have left the Mahoning Valley, Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. has grown to be the second largest restaurant franchising system in the sandwich segment of the quick service restaurant industry.
The brothers went on to design and install school and hospital kitchens along with all the airport flight kitchens at the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport. They also provided food service facilities for the Ohio Turnpike and the Hospitality Inn Motel; a chain of Standard Oil of Ohio.
It was the opening of the very first Arby’s restaurant near the intersection of Market Street and Route 224. The Raffel brothers had the vision to sell quarter-pound roast beef sandwiches in the same manner as McDonalds was selling hamburgers.
When did the Raffel brothers retire?
By the end of 1979, The Raffel Brothers would decide to step down from operating Arby’s, retiring from the food service industry as multi-millionaires.
They successfully came out of the bankruptcy reorganization and by the end of 1975, …
The brothers took a chance and on Thursday, July 23, 1964 , when they opened their first quick service roast beef sandwich shop in Boardman, Ohio. They were going to call it “Big Tex,” but that name was already in market use, so they called the shop “Arby’s” based on the initials of “R” and “B” of Raffel Brothers.
Both brothers served in the military during World War II (Forrest in the Air Force and Leroy in the Naval Reserve). Forrest graduated from Cornell University’s School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration. Leroy graduated from the Wharton School of Finance from the University of Pennsylvania.
During the 1960s and ’70s, there was massive hype over the expansion of quick serve restaurants McDonalds (due to Ray Kroc) and KFC (due to Colonel Sanders). However, there was another massively growing fast-food chain that was taking significant market share and that chain was “Arby’s.” Today, the Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc. is the second-largest fast-food sandwich chain in America, second only to Subway, with Panera Bread and Jimmy Johns coming in at a very close third and fourth.
Literally everyone called the brothers crazy in the early 1960s when they were thinking of jumping into the quick service business with the roast beef sandwich concept, but they believed in themselves, stepped out on their vision, and succeeded in rapid mass fashion.
So as a result, the brothers sought to take their organization public with an IPO in 1970.
Who owns Arby’s Buffalo Wild Wings?
Arby’s is owned by Inspire Brands, the renamed Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. (ARG). ARG was renamed as the company took over ownership of Buffalo Wild Wings on February 5, 2018. Roark Capital Group acquired 81.5% of Arby’s Restaurant Group in July 2011 and is now a majority-owner of Inspire Brands.
Arby’s medium roast beef with fries. During the 1970s, the expansion of Arby’s took place at a rate of 50 stores per year. During this time it created several menu items, including the Beef ‘n Cheddar, Jamocha Shakes, chicken sandwiches, Curly Fries, and two signature sauces: Arby’s Sauce and Horsey Sauce.
Arby’s is an American fast food sandwich restaurant chain with more than 3,300 restaurants system wide and third in terms of revenue. In October 2017, Food & Wine called Arby’s “America’s second largest sandwich chain (after Subway )”.
Its headquarters are in Sandy Springs, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta which uses Atlanta mailing addresses.
In November 2017, Arby’s announced it had negotiated a purchase for the restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings for $2.4 billion in cash. As part of this acquisition, the parent was renamed from Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. to Inspire Brands.
On an almost annual basis, Arby’s had offered some sort of a flatbread melt sandwich for a limited time. In 2007 and again in 2008, it was the Philly Cheesesteak and the Fajita Beef. The Beef Fajita returned with the new Chicken Fajita in 2009. After a six-year hiatus, Steak Fajita Flatbreads were offered for a limited time in 2015. The following year, Steak Fajita returned in 2016 with Chicken Fajita along with a choice between a hot and mild sauce.