Arby's $1, $2, $3 CIassics Deal Online Only

[Alpha8472]

The online-exclusive menu includes the following options:

Small Curly Fries for $1
Regular Jamocha Shake for $2
Classic Roast Beef for $2
$2 4-piece Mozzarella Sticks for $2
$3 Classic French Dip & Swiss for $3

Through July 30. Perhaps this will bring in the customers.
https://www.brandeating.com/2023/07/arb ... -2023.html

[storewanderer]

The "Small" Curly Fries was previously the Kid/Value Curly Fries and isn't worth much more than $1. The Reno Arbys run by Diversified Foods (large Taco Bell franchisee) wants 2.99 for it but most other Arbys are around 1.99 for it, less on Happy Hour if they participate (Reno doesn't participate in Happy Hour).

Putting the regular roast beef at $2 is a solid deal, since it is regularly around $5, but discounting a core/popular menu item like that is not necessarily the best move. I think a 4 for $5 Slider Promotion would have been more effective to draw in business, upsell existing customers more food, but not "trade down" core menu item ordering customers.

Interesting Arbys is running so many price focused promotions. I suspect franchisees like Diversified Foods who pretend like they have no scanners so they can't scan app promotions (but still accept them if you mobile order and the surprised acting as if it is the first time they've ever seen promotions on the app manager in Reno will eventually just discount the order if you show them the app and keep showing them the app after they pretend like they can't honor it because they supposedly have no scanners), do not participate in Happy Hour, do not have any signs up at their units anywhere about the 2 for $7 items (but will honor it if you ask for it- and it works through the app at their locations), did not have any advertisements up about the 2 for $4 Rib Sliders a few months ago (same deal if you asked for the deal they'd honor it), are hurting the brand and customer price perception. So the result is promotions like this.

What is odd is this Diversified franchisee runs all of the promotions Taco Bell forces out- they have the 1/2 price drink Happy Hour, they even still have a bean/rice/cheese burrito at $1 and a few other items at $1, so I have no clue why this franchisee doesn't participate or tries to act like they don't participate in various Arby's promotions.

[cjd]

That’s a decent deal for the sandwich. The Arby’s here doesn’t do happy hour anymore, I didn’t realize that was something they still had.

Nothing at Arby’s strikes me as a good deal anymore. It was nice when you could add a slider or shake to a meal during happy hour.

[storewanderer]

That’s a decent deal for the sandwich. The Arby’s here doesn’t do happy hour anymore, I didn’t realize that was something they still had.

Nothing at Arby’s strikes me as a good deal anymore. It was nice when you could add a slider or shake to a meal during happy hour.

These app deals through the end of July are great deals in my opinion. $2 for the Regular Roast Beef is more than a fair price at this point.

I've got a couple of locations doing Happy Hour but the prices keep rising.
16oz Shake $2 (was 12oz shake $1)
Small Fry 1.19 (today's Small Fry is the old kid/value fry; Happy Hour used to be the old larger small fry $1 which is now medium fry)
Small Soda 1.00 (16oz)
4ct Chicken Nugget 1.49
Slider 1.39
Cookie 1.00

[reymann]

the arby's franchise in fresno seems like it is winding down operations in california. they have minimal staffing at both locations and are drive thru only, i think they will likely be closing soon unless they find a buyer.

[storewanderer]

the arby's franchise in fresno seems like it is winding down operations in california. they have minimal staffing at both locations and are drive thru only, i think they will likely be closing soon unless they find a buyer.

Who is that franchisee, are they some local franchisee? Any idea what units they have?

The Blackstone unit supposedly has no working restrooms (??) so legally they are not allowed to offer dine in (this has been going on for months...) but still allow you to walk in and order to go.

The Ashlan unit appears to have just been remodeled but I am reading reports of it being drive through only.

The Visalia unit supposedly has no working air conditioning (?) so that is their excuse for not allowing dine in (what about the employees having to work in there) but still allows you to walk in and order to go.

I think the Fresno franchisee also has one location in Bakersfield (Buck Owens) too which also appears to have just been remodeled. I wonder if remodeling two stores has caused them financial problems.


I think the other Bakersfield unit is a Marlu unit but I may be wrong.

The Stockton Arbys recently closed. It was a Marlu Group unit but was a pretty odd unit (they also have the formerly corporate Arbys in Portland/Seattle areas and a few scattered closer to Los Angeles too).

[reymann]

Cambridge investments is the franchisee for the california locations not affiliated with marlu. the arby's in santa maria closed not too long ago. the franchise is very cheap and has been slowly closing locations.

[storewanderer]

Cambridge used to be the franchisee in San Diego and Fresno, but Arby's Corporate took them over from Cambridge some time ago. It has been a while now. Then Arby's refranchised those units again.

Some of the Cambridge sites went to Marlu.

I'm not sure who has the San Diego ones now maybe they're connected to Fresno again via a franchisee as quite a few closed there.

[reymann]

i wonder if all of the california arby's locations are now being ran by marlu.

[storewanderer]

i wonder if all of the california arby's locations are now being ran by marlu.

Definitely not, there are quite a few franchisees. There are actually a surprising number of single unit Arby's franchisees in CA. Most around Sacramento are single unit franchisees, oddly enough.

I found the list from 2021 and the following were owned by someone called Little Rock Management at that time, not sure if anything has changed:
Visalia
Fresno-Ashlan
Fresno-Blackstone
Canyon Country
Bakersfield-Buck Owens
Palmdale
Baker
Bakersfield-Rosedale (this I thought was a Marlu store, I guess not)
Victorville
Apple Valley
Ridgecrest

Marlu CA units are owned under an entity called Smart Management. There aren't as many as I thought. Just a handfull, what is left is in SoCal.