Arby’s, America’s first nationally franchised sandwich restaurant brand with more than 3,300 restaurants worldwide, capped 2016 with U.S. system Same-Store Sales (SSS) growth of 3.8 percent – outperforming the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry by 2.3 percentage points* and marking 25 consecutive quarters of SSS growth.

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Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. (Photo: Business Wire)

Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. (Photo: Business Wire)

In 2016, Arby’s produced record systemwide sales of more than $3.6 billion. Arby’s posted two-year SSS growth of 11.8 percent. The fourth quarter also marked 11 consecutive quarters of transaction growth and 16 consecutive quarters of industry outperformance for the brand.

System Average Unit Volume (AUV) has increased more than 25 percent in the last four years. Arby’s returned to net restaurant growth for the first time since 2008, opening 60 new restaurants systemwide. The brand continued revitalizing its guest experience by remodeling 229 restaurants systemwide in the Inspire design.

“This was another record year for Arby’s,” said Paul Brown, CEO, Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. “Looking back on the year, I’m incredibly proud of our team, particularly our company and franchised restaurant team members who work hard every day to deliver on our purpose of Inspiring Smiles Through Delicious Experiences.”

Business highlights from the year include:

  • Continued Franchisee Growth – Arby’s inked deals with new and existing Arby’s franchisees for the development of 167 new restaurants systemwide.
  • NRN Golden Chain Recognition – Nation’s Restaurant News honored both CEO Paul Brown and franchisee Guillermo Perales with the Golden Chain award, which “celebrates the best in the restaurant business.”
  • We Have the Meats® – After becoming the nation’s first QSR to introduce a Pork Belly sandwich, Arby’s unveiled a Venison sandwich which sold out in all 17 hunting-centric restaurants in which it was offered. These were just two of the new 24 culinary innovations Arby’s brought to its menu throughout the year.
  • International Expansion – Arby’s announced its first international expansion since 2010 with a 25 restaurant development agreement in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia including openings beginning in 2017.
  • Inaugural PurposeFULL® CSR Report – Arby’s released its first-ever PurposeFULL report highlighting progress across its corporate social responsibility platform. Also, during 2016, the Arby’s Foundation raised a record nearly $7 million.
  • Surging Guest Satisfaction – Arby’s achieved significant improvement in guest satisfaction, with a six-point year-over-year improvement from 2015 to 2016 within the QSR industry, according to The American Customer Satisfaction Index Report.

*Source: The NPD Group/SalesTrack® Weekly reports same store sales collected weekly from 45 of the larger Quick Service Restaurant chains for 2016 through January 1, 2017.

About Arby’s

Arby’s, founded in 1964, is the first nationally franchised sandwich restaurant brand, with more than 3,300 restaurants worldwide. The Arby’s brand purpose is “Inspiring Smiles Through Delicious Experiences®.” Arby’s restaurants feature Fast Crafted® service, a unique blend of quick-serve speed and value combined with the quality and made-for-you care of fast casual. Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. is the parent company of the franchisor of the Arby’s brand and is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. Visit Arbys.com for more information.

With the current growth and momentum of the Brand, Arby’s is actively seeking new franchisees. To learn more about available markets and requirements, visit ArbysFranchising.com.