If you're a fan of roast beef, you've probably enjoyed a sandwich or two at Arby's.
Well, there are a few surprising facts about the fast-food chain you should probably know
before biting into your next roast beef sandwich.
Arby's roast beef sandwiches have long been associated with one particularly pervasive
rumor.
As the story goes, the chain's signature sandwich meat starts out as an unappetizing paste,
which is later shaped, roasted, and sliced to perfection.
So... is there any truth at all to the nasty hearsay?
Sorry, conspiracy theorists: This rumor is as false as it is disgusting.
As Snopes reports, Jim Lowder of Arby's Quality Assurance has clearly stated:
"Our product does not arrive as a paste, gel or liquid."
Snopes further explained how an outsider might mistake a bag of the packaged roast beef for
"liquid" meat.
It's reportedly kept in a goopy solution prior to serving, so the meat probably looks rather
slimy at first glance.
But Arby's insiders confirm there's indeed a chunk of solid meat swimming in all that
goo, and it gets roasted and sliced just like Lowder says it does.
Okay, so that old liquid meat rumor doesn't hold any water… but what about this particular
news nugget?
"A Michigan teen was finishing his Arby's roast beef sandwich when he bit down on something
that seemed rubbery.
He spit it out only to discover it was the tip of a finger."
"Now Arby's has since apologized, saying it is an isolated and unfortunate incident.
The risk of getting an infection from chewing human flesh is low."
What can we say, other than: "Knowledge is power."
Yes, Arby's was founded on the roast beef sandwich, and yes, they took some time to
introduce other meats to their menu, but the chain doesn't want to be known as just a roast
beef joint anymore.
And that explains the focus of their 2018 campaign:
"Arby's.
We have the meats.”
"For sandwiches."
In an attempt to attract a younger customer base, the company launched a series of theoretically
witty commercials highlighting their various other offerings.
"Why do people still think Arby's is just roast beef when we have seventeen other sandwiches?"
"Maybe it was because the last time you went to Arby's, you were with your grandparents
who ate exclusively roast beef.
Every meal.
Somehow."
Way to call us out, Arby's.
It turns out Arby's has even more meat than you ever thought possible… including deer
meat.
"If you're serious about getting venison, you wake up early."
But does the world really need a fast food venison sandwich?
Apparently, yes.
The sandwich proved so popular during its initial test run, Arby's decided to roll it
out to mark the start of hunting season in 2017.
“Arby's is going to start selling venison sandwiches.
The fast-food chain says the sandwich will include thick-cut venison and crispy onions
with a berry sauce."
"A tasty venison sandwich.
Arby's says it will be one-hundred percent deer meat, as if that has to be promised."
Meanwhile, members of The Montana Wildlife Federation were reportedly unhappy with the
move, with Executive Director Dave Chadwick explaining to KRTV News:
“They certainly probably had the best of intentions but it's not the best way to honor
our hunting heritage in Montana."
Every few years, someone on social media seems to make the realization that the name "Arby's"
could be a play on words.
Take, for instance, this Twitter user, whose mind was apparently blown by his own revelation.
But Arby's actually doesn't actually stand for "roast beef," and squashing the rumor
has proven to be quite the uphill battle.
In fact, as these claims surface again and again on social media, Arby's does its best
to set the record straight.
"We came up with the name Arby's from the initials of our restaurant equipment company,
which was Raffel Brothers.
That became R-period, B-period; Arby's."
So there you have it.
Of course, a lot of the confusion probably stems from their '80s slogan — which was
an acronym for Arby's.
"You and I love America's Roast Beef — Yes, Sir!"
You brought this upon yourself, Arby's.
Throughout his long tenure on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart delighted in ripping into Arby's.
"Arby's.
Isn't there anywhere else we can eat?"
"Arby's.
You think pain and grief are hard to digest."
"Arby's.
Technically it's food."
As it turns out, Arby's was a really good sport about the running joke.
According to Grub Street, whenever Stewart took a jab at Arby's on The Daily Show, the
fast-food chain would send along a free lunch the very next day.
Chief marketing officer Rob Lynch explained to Fortune Live:
"If you try to stifle it, it comes across as very inauthentic, it comes across as Big
Corporate America."
And talk about good sports: When Stewart left The Daily Show in 2015, Arby's even made a
commercial to fondly bid him farewell.
Way to turn the other cheek, Arby's!
"Arby's…
No gimmicks, just diarrhea.
You know who loves you, baby."
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