Bristol’s thinking about Arby’s.
The fast food retailer that specializes in sliced roast beef sandwiches is among the stores slated to move into The Shoppes at Larson Farms on Route 6, opposite Wal-Mart.
Arby’s Restaurants of Piscataway, N.J., the owner, is seeking permission from the city’s Zoning Commission to modify approved plans slightly to improve its proposed drive-through lane and parking.
Arby’s is one of the few widely known fast food franchises that hasn’t yet got an outpost in Bristol, which is already home to two McDonald’s, a Wendy’s, a Taco Bell, two Burger Kings and more.
Arby’s has a number of restaurants in Connecticut, including stores in Waterbury, Plantsville, Berlin, Newington and Cheshire. The closest is 8 miles away.
The former Larson family farm property will house the Arby’s, a bank, an L.A. Fitness Center and a sit-down restaurant.
The Arby’s will need a 2,930-square-foot building while the unidentified other restaurant on the site is more than twice as big. In the past, officials have said it is likely to be a Chili’s Grill & Bar.
City Planer Alan Weiner noted in a public hearing last spring that there is “a certain irony” in having both an Arby’s and a fitness center on the site.
The 1379 Farmington Ave. property is owned by WL Associates, a partnership between the Larson family, which ran a farm there for generations, and Stephen Wasley, who owned a car dealership next door. L.A. Fitness has four other branches in Connecticut. Its fitness center will take up 45,000-square-feet.
Arby’s, an Atlanta-based chain which has been around since 1964, has more than 3,500 restaurants around the world.
It touts itself as “the place for people hungering for a unique, better tasting alternative to traditional fast food.”
“ Serving one-of-a-kind menu items, Arby’s is well known for slow-roasted and freshly sliced roast beef sandwiches, Arby’s Chicken Naturals, and famous Market Fresh sandwiches, wraps and salads, made with wholesome ingredients and served with the convenience of a drive-thru,” according to the company’s website
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
14 comments:
Steve, you must feel really dirty for writing this article. But I guess it had to be written.
The Zoning Commission must be really proud of their work.
Anonymous poster, What the hell did Steve do? All he did was report what was happening and what the company claims about itself. If there's something dirty going on, it isn't in what Steve did. Enlighten us, please, and don't shoot the messenger! If you shoot the messenger, you'll never get any more messages...
The message is not blaming Steve for anything. The opposite in fact. It's calling attention to the pathetic situation that a lot of the noteworthy recent commercial development taking place in Bristol are fast food places like Arby's, Wendy's, and Taco Bell, so that's what poor Steve has to write about because there is nothing else. Instead of being able to write about the kinds of businsesses that will actually revitalize our town, Steve is forced to talk about the Arby's menu. Steve is doing a good job. The shame goes to developers in Bristol and the Zoning Commission for letting developers do anything they want.
I too think Steve is doing a great job. But I think you are missing the big picture. I know that places like Arby's, Taco bell and all the others are not the most glamerous eating establishments in town but business draws more business. I know that I often find myself traveling to Southington for something a little different than Ruby Tuesday's. It will only be a matter of time before we see major franchises locating to Bristol. Our demographics certainly are attractive to stores like TGI Fridays, The Outback, Chili's etc. etc. Arby's is a positive thing for Bristol even though it may not seem so. What we do need to do is find a way to draw these sit down restaurants closer to the downtown area.
I don't believe those citizens that have expressed their desire for Bristol to have more restaurants,family or otherwise, did not have another fast food( which is what Arbys' really is ) chain in mind.
I like Arby's and am glad to see it coming to Bristol. It offers a different type of fast food and is a higher quality. The roast beef is actually a healthier alternative to the fried chicken and burgers offered at their competitors.
Everyone complains about the lack of restuarants in Bristol however, the few higher-quality sitdown restuarants in the city often are starved for customers because not enough people frequent them. This includes many of the people who do the most complaining about lack of restuarants as well as those elected officials proposing grandiose ideas for our city.
If most of the entrees are over $10to $12 the majority of people in Bristol will not go there, period! On the other hand, places like Ruby Tuesday's and the 99 are packed.
If you want more fine restuarants in Bristol you need to have something unique that will draw large numbers of people from outside the city into an area. Then the restaurants can complement that draw.
I'm hungry.
I can't wait to see that Arby's sign in the shape of a big ugly cowboy hat all lit up on Farmington Ave. Go to Waterbury to see what it will look like. There is something we can be proud of.
Thank you Frank Johnson and the Bristol Zoning Commission.
Yee haw!
Anon 11/17 11:05,
Get over it. Perhaps you have amnesia and have mistaken the lot across from Walmart on Route 6 for West Hartford Center.
I'm sure that many of the people who actually spend their money in Bristol will appreciate having another option for inexpensive meals.
Sure, people from Park St and West End and Forestville and Cedar lake will be driving (if they have a car) all the way to the Farmington line and deal with the Rt 6 traffic just for Arby roast beef.
I will go. I currently drive, on occassion, all the way to the Southington/Meridan line when I want one! Thought about trying the new one in Kensington the other night but didn't have the time to make the trip.
Love that Roast Beef and Cheddar. Don't forget the Horsey Sauce. Yum!
I went to Panera today and it was packed as usual. Sometimes you don't feel like paying $10 for a sandwich and a drink. Arby's is a nice alternative.
is the Bristol Arby's open yet?
Just another fast food restaurant to add to the worlds obesity problem.
Its so sad that all these cheap greasy restaurants are taking over the world. Good healthy food is hard to come buy these days.
The Bristol Zoning comission is a joke.
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