I wrote about the Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips outlet that opened in Lorain back here. Well, here's another fast food restaurant that debuted during that same time period: the Arby's on Griswold Road in Elyria near Midway Mall.
Above is the ad that ran in the Lorain Journal on March 13, 1970 announcing that the Elyria location was now open. A few months later, the store ran an ad in the Journal announcing the winners in its Grand Opening contest (which I wrote about here).
Arby's has been a semi-regular topic on this blog for quite some time. I wrote about the cartoon glasses that you used to be able to collect at Arby’s here, and the demolition of the Griswold Road restaurant here.
I'll probably never be able to quit thinking (and babbling) about how good the chain's roast beef sandwich used to be in the early days, when it was the real thing. I’ve said before how my family used to drive to North Olmsted to get it, before the one in Elyria opened.
****
There are some interesting websites that feature articles and information about Arby’s.Click here to read about the Raffel Brothers (RB.. get it?) and how they created the Arby's chain. And this link will take you to the great RoadsideArchitecture.com website, which has a fascinating collection of photos of former Arby’s buildings as well as the original cowboy hat signs. (Did you know the original buildings were shaped like Conestoga wagons?)
The first Arby's was in Boardman, then two in Akron. The one you visited in North Olmsted is store number 4. It would have been the location closest to Lorain when you visited it. It's a tiny little restaurant that has not been expanded, mainly due to the narrow lot. You can still see the outline of the Conestoga wagon roof although it has been boxed in.
ReplyDeleteAmerica's Roast Beef Yes Sir!
ReplyDelete