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email: agilitynut@hotmail.com |
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| Arby's Roast Beef & Chuck Wagons |
(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)
| The first Arby's opened in 1964 in Boardman, OH and featured the Conestoga wagon style buildings and ten-gallon hat signs shown below. The roofs were originally yellow. By 1970, there were 250 locations. There are now more than 3,000 locations. The covered wagon building was phased out in the mid-1970s. Many have been adapted by other businesses. There are still many of the neon hat signs left other than those shown below. However, many have been replaced with smaller, plastic versions. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| Arby's Huntsville, AL |
Arby's South San Francisco, CA |
Arby's Reno, NV |
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This Huntsville Arby's is one of a handful of locations that still uses the original building. However, the front of this one had been altered and expanded. This location was an Arby's from 1967-1973. Then from 1973-1985, it was used as a sub shop and two BBQ restaurants. It became an Arby's again in 1985. It had the original tile floor until it was replaced in 2010 [photo thanks Lance George]. The neon Arby's hat has been replaced with a modern one as well.
The South San Francisco Arby's is another example of the classic covered wagon building and giant hat neon sign. Many locations across the country still keep their neon hat signs even when their buildings are replaced. This location's original tile floor is gone. For more, see this website. This Reno Arby's building is a modern style box. But it has what seems to be a modern yet unique chasing bulb and neon sign. I've never seen this style sign anywhere else. |
| Arby's [gone] Redondo Beach, CA |
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| This Redondo Beach Arby's featured an intact building with Western theme tile floor and neon sign. Unfortunately, just a couple months after this photo was taken in 2008, the building was demolished. |
| Arby's Dayton, OH |
Arby's Bartlesville, OK |
Arby's Laurel, MD |
Arby's Wichita Falls, TX |
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These Dayton and Laurel signs have well-preserved hat signs. The Laurel sign is from the late 1960s. It is the only one I have seen with the "Sandwich" on the bottom part of the sign and without the "Is Delicious" wording. The original sign from 1964 had the "Is Delicious". I believe these signs came in two sizes. The one in Bartlesville is an example of the smaller size. For more, see this website.
This Arby's in Wichita Falls was built in 1970. It features the original sign, building and tile floor. Around 2001, the original yellow roof was painted red upon the insistence of corporate headquarters. For more, see this website. |
| Arby's Ventura, CA |
Arby's Kent, OH |
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This Arby's in Ventura features a vintage sign. The building has been remodeled and the original tile floor is gone.
This Arby's in Kent also features the original sign, building and tile floor. The front part of the building has been altered to create a dining room. Note that the "Delicious" on the sign has been changed to "Drive-Thru". |
| former Arby's Decatur, GA |
former Arby's Doraville, GA |
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This former Decatur Arby's was built in 1969. It housed "Athens Pizza Express" when this photo was taken in 2007. The tile floor still had the old Arby's steer and branding symbols. Athens Pizza closed in 2010. The building now houses the "Kitsch'n 155" restaurant. The tile floor is gone now. For more, see this website.
This former Doraville Arby's housed "88 Tofu House" when this photo was taken in 2007. The building was vacant and boarded up in 2011. For more, see this website. |
| Kaya Restaurant Cambridge, MA |
East Coast Custard Parma Heights, OH |
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This former Cambridge Arby's was remodeled for a Middle Eastern restaurant. It is now used for the Kaya Restaurant which serves Korean and Japanese food. For more, see this website.
This East Coast Custard has occupied this former Arby's since 1985. This was the company's first location. They now have five others. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| former Arby's Pueblo, CO |
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| This former Arby's housed Ms. Paycheck when the first photo above was taken in 2004. By 2012, it was occupied by Rocco's Riverside Deli. |
| former Arby's Denver, CO |
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| This former Arby's housed Parkway Motors when these photos were taken in 2004. |
| former Arby's Durham, NC |
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| This former Arby's now houses Raleigh-Durham Check Cashiers. |
| Atlantic Fish N' Fry Grand Rapids, MI |
Biggby Coffee East Lansing, MI |
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The former Arby's in Grand Rapids houses Atlantic Fish N' Fry. The building has been remodeled somewhat and the floor inside has been replaced.
This former Arby's in East Lansing now houses a Biggby Coffee. This was Beaner's Gourmet Coffee's first location. They opened here in 1995. The company's name was changed to Biggby Coffee in 2007. |
| former Arby's Albuquerque, NM |
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| This former Arby's now houses the office of Auto Nation, a used car dealer. |
| former Arby's Albuquerque, NM |
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| This former Arby's in Albuquerque now houses a Starbucks. There is a modern Arby's location right next door. For more, see this website. |
| former Arby's King of Prussia, PA |
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| This former Arby's has also been adapted for Starbucks. |
| Roberto's Taco Shop Chula Vista, CA |
Bob Boast Dodge Bradenton, FL |
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This Chula Vista Arby's has been repurposed as Roberto's Taco Shop.
Bob Boast Dodge is another former Arby's. This location supposedly had a seated Pioneer Guy on the roof of their building until 2004 when he was destroyed by a hurricane. But as far as I can tell, these guys were from Wagon-Ho! (another fast food place). Perhaps when Wagon-Ho folded, this Arby's bought the statue? |
| former Arby's [gone] Kansas City, MO |
former Arby's Norfolk, VA |
former Arby's Austin, TX |
former Arby's Pensacola, FL |
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This Kansas City Arby's sign and building were adapted by Texas Tom's. Additions were made to all sides of the covered wagon building. The location is now closed and the Arby's hat sign was removed in 2010. There was at least two other Texas Tom's with adapted Arby's hat signs but this was the last one. For more, see this website. [photo thanks Glenda Campbell]
While this Norfolk Arby's building is gone, this hat sign has been adapted for a loans business. This Austin Arby's sign has been adapted by the Hat Creek Burger Co. For more, see this website. This former Pensacola Arby's is now home to the New Hope Christian Center. |
| former Arby's San Antonio, TX |
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| This former San Antonio Arby's has housed El Paraiso Ice Cream since at least 2006. |
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More Arby's Covered Wagon Buildings:
Fresno, CA Huntington Beach, CA Pomona, CA: 1, 2 Sacramento, CA Santa Rosa, CA Omaha, NE Boardman, OH Rocky Ridge, OH [restaurant remodeled, tile floor gone] |
| Chuck Wagon Wheat Ridge, CO |
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| Apparently, this building pre-dates the Arby's covered wagon design. The Chuck Wagon was built in 1961 to look like a Conestoga Wagon. These photos are from 2004. More recent tenants include: "The Grill Next Door", "O'Brien's Wings & Things", and "Silver's Burgers-N-Wings". As of 2010, the building houses "Big Mama's Burritos". |
| Taco Loco Wagon Dallas, TX 2006: |
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| 2011: | |
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| The Taco Loco Wagon was supposedly built around 1945-1955. I believe it was originally part of the "Chuc Wagun" chain. The building's size and design are also so similar to the Chuck Wagon in Denver described above that they may have been related. This location was previously known as the "Taco Wagon" and the "Fajitas Wagon". In 2011, the building was undergoing renovation. For more, see this website. |
| former Chuckwagon Restaurant Jamestown, ND |
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| The Chuckwagon Restaurant building is now used as storage by the Frontier Bar & Grill. Does anyone know when it was built and when it closed? |
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More Covered Wagons:
The Chuck Wagon (Wilmington, DE; gone) Covered Wagon Restaurant (Chicago, IL) [gone] World's Largest Covered Wagon (Milford, NE) Chuc Wagun (Tulsa, OK) [vintage; gone] Chuc Wagun (Waco, TX) [vintage; gone] Cowboy Coffee (Packwood, WA) Dilly Wagons: 1, 2 (various locations) |
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