NEW YORK (AP) — Arby's is returning to Manhattan this month after a seven-year hiatus, as growing sales make the sky-high rents easier to swallow.
The Atlanta chain known for its roast beef sandwiches is enjoying a bit of a revival thanks in part to some pop culture moments.
When Pharrell Williams appeared at the Grammys last year sporting what looked like its cowboy hat logo, Arby's scored thousands of retweets when it asked for its hat back.
Arby's also became a running joke on Comedy Central's Daily Show, and the chain thinks host Jon Stewart's insults about its food helped remind people of its existence.
Menu variety is also attracting a broader customer base, as Chief Marketing Officer Rob Lynch concedes roast beef isn't "the hippest, coolest thing."
The privately-held chain, which has about 3,300 U.S. locations, said in October it achieved its 20th straight quarter of comparable store sales growth.
What was your reaction when you first saw it?
Did he have a bad experience?
Do we send him a letter saying, "We can't believe you're doing this — we use the highest quality ingredients."
Or do we play along?
[...] we sent him and his crew lunch, and they sent us back a letter saying, Usually when we make fun of people, they send us nasty letters.
The marketing for your Manhattan store plays up the idea that this town loves quality meat.
