Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc., franchisor of the iconic quick-service sandwich chain with more than 3,400 Arby’s restaurants system-wide, announced the sale of 23 company operated restaurants in Southern California in two separate transactions with active and growing restaurant developers committed to investing in and growing the Arby’s brand.
Tony Lutfi, who purchased 42 Arby’s locations and development rights in Seattle, Wash., and Portland, Ore., in November 2012, continues to expand his Arby’s presence on the West Coast with the acquisition of 10 Los Angeles-area Arby’s restaurants. His portfolio now includes 130 restaurants, including Jack in the Box, Church’s Chicken, Sizzler and Little Caesars. In a simultaneous but separate transaction, an exciting new Arby’s franchise team of Ajay Chopra and Sunny Datta acquired 11 Arby’s restaurants in San Diego and two others in the Los Angeles market. Chopra, an accomplished software entrepreneur and owner of 45 Jack in the Box franchises, joins the Arby’s system for the first time. His business partner, Datta, already operates three franchised Arby’s restaurants on the West Coast. Both of these transactions include development and remodeling commitments that will bring additional capital and add valuable scale to these markets. In the aggregate, these development plans would represent more than a 50% increase in the number of Arby’s units these developers operate in Southern California.
“With 10 consecutive quarters of positive same-store sales and increased restaurant development, we continue to see strong momentum with our franchisees,” said Paul Brown, CEO of Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. “Mr. Lutfi, Mr. Chopra and Mr. Datta bring the right operations and development capabilities to help us usher in an exciting era of strategic growth and development for the Brand.”
“The timing has never been better to invest with Arby’s,” said Lutfi. “Arby’s seasoned management team, consistent sales gains and robust product pipeline make it an attractive addition to our portfolio.”
“The future for Arby’s is bright,” said Chopra. “The disciplined operations strategy that focuses on maximizing customer satisfaction by reallocating resources toward higher impact uses truly speaks volumes to the executive team’s efforts to improve operations and food quality.”
Atlanta-based 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. In addition to its classic Roast Beef and Beef ‘n Cheddar sandwiches, slow-roasted and thinly sliced in store daily, Arby’s is also known for its deli-style Market Fresh line of sandwiches and salads, Curly Fries and Jamocha Shakes. In 2011, Arby’s introduced Ultimate Angus, a premium, 100% Black Angus beef featured in freshly prepared sandwiches. In 2012, Arby’s launched a line of premium turkey sandwiches called Hot Turkey Roasters.
