Growing a Franchise
Arby’s, a 3,400+ unit roast beef sandwich franchise under Inspire Brands, offers flexible restaurant models, a robust support system, and proven profitability for franchisees.
Arby’s, the 3,400-plus-unit sandwich franchise under the Inspire Brands umbrella, is headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Arby’s was founded in Boardman, Ohio, by the Forrest brothers and Leroy Raffel in 1964. Back then, the fast-food burger business was booming, and the founders wanted to offer a tasty and quick-serve alternative: roast beef. Today, the Arby's menu includes its famous roast beef, Market Fresh sandwiches, wraps and salads, as well as other one-of-a-kind items such as curly fries and Jamocha shakes.
As of November 2024, Arby’s operates 3,398 restaurants across the U.S. Internationally, the chain has expanded into several countries, including Canda, Turkey and South Korea. Overall, Arby’s maintains more than 3,400 restaurants worldwide.
Arby’s has been franchising since 1965. Roark Capital Group acquired 81.5% of Arby’s Restaurant Group in 2011, forming the major share of ownership with The Wendy’s Company having a stake of 18.5% in Arby’s. In 2018, ARG took over the ownership of Buffalo Wild Wings.
Today, Arby’s is part of parent company Inspire Brands, a global, multi-brand restaurant company unlike any other. They are home to five leading restaurant brands and more than 11,100 locations globally.
For the past 65 years, Arby’s has been perfecting its systems so that each franchisee can take advantage of easy buying, storage, training and management processes. Arby's restaurants are now constructed in a traditional or non-traditional design, highlighting prominent architectural features. The flexible, contemporary layout allows the brand to adapt restaurants to almost any prime commercial site. The chain also offers a range of prototypes and investment options to accommodate specific business needs.
| Restaurant Type | Median AUV |
| Company-Owned | $1,346,893 |
| Franchised | $1,263,041 |
| Total (U.S.) | $1,292,529 |
The initial investment necessary to open an Arby’s franchise ranges from $861,950 to $2,451,000 for a traditional restaurant and $644,950 to $1,374,000 for a non-traditional restaurant.
| Expenditure Type | Traditional | Non-Traditional | ||
| Min | Max | Min | Max | |
| Development Fee | $6,250 | $12,500 | $6,250 | $12,500 |
| Franchise Fee | $0 | $37,500 | $0 | $37,500 |
| Training Expenses | $5,000 | $23,400 | $5,000 | $23,400 |
| Lease Deposits & Payments | $12,000 | $50,000 | $12,000 | $50,000 |
| Site Costs | $0 | $451,000 | $0 | $4,000 |
| Landscaping | $0 | $45,000 | $0 | $0 |
| Professional Fees | $40,000 | $150,000 | $6,000 | $65,000 |
| Zoning/Permitting Costs | $1,000 | $112,000 | $1,000 | $18,000 |
| Building Costs | $400,000 | $850,000 | $236,000 | $500,000 |
| Equipment | $225,000 | $325,000 | $225,000 | $325,000 |
| Computer/POS | $32,000 | $55,000 | $32,000 | $42,000 |
| Décor Package | $11,000 | $35,000 | $11,000 | $35,000 |
| Signage/Drive-Thru | $44,000 | $88,000 | $25,000 | $45,000 |
| Pre-Opening Wages | $21,300 | $41,200 | $21,300 | $41,200 |
| Opening Inventory | $18,000 | $26,000 | $18,000 | $26,000 |
| Insurance | $8,400 | $14,400 | $8,400 | $14,400 |
| Additional Funds | $33,000 | $100,000 | $33,000 | $100,000 |
| Rent (1 Month) | $4,000 | $10,000 | $4,000 | $10,000 |
| Licenses, Permits & Deposits | $1,000 | $25,000 | $1,000 | $25,000 |
| Fee Type | Cost-Related Details |
| Royalty | 4% of gross sales for traditional restaurants; 6.2% of gross sales for non-traditional restaurants. |
| Advertising & Marketing Service Fee | Minimum of 4.2% of gross sales. |
| Renewal Fees | 10% of initial franchise fee (excluding discounts) for traditional restaurants; initial franchise fee for non-traditional restaurants. |
| Transfer Fee (Ownership) | $17,500 for transfer of first restaurant. |
| MTP Learning Path Program Fee | $2,100 per attendee, but no training fee for 3 managers from first restaurant and one manager from second restaurant. |
| Learning Management System Fee | $59.22 plus tax per year for each restaurant. |
| Additional Training | $0 - $2,100 plus expenses. |
| Arby’s Order Ahead Platform Service Fee | $25 per restaurant per month. |
| Restaurant Type | Development Fee | Franchise Fee |
| Traditional | $12,500 | $37,500 |
| Non-Traditional | $0 | $18,750 |
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