ARBY'S TO OPEN MID-JULY, AUGUST AT THE LATEST

Arby’s, located in the Safeway plaza on the corner of Fifth Avenue and West Washington Street and adjacent to the new Rite Aid store, will be open by Aug. 1, according to owner Michelle Bush. Photo by Ashley Oden

Sequim restaurant won’t feature drive-through window

by ASHLEY ODEN
Staff writer

In a matter of months, Sequimites will be able to enjoy the roast beef sandwiches and melts Arby’s is famous for.

According to franchise owners Michelle and Dennis Bush, the restaurant will open its doors no later than Aug. 1.

“I would love to be open before Lavender Festival but I think that would be pushing it,” Michelle Bush said.

The Sequim Lavender Festival is July 18-20.

Bush, a real estate agent with Windermere Sequim-Central, said she and her husband have dreamed of opening an Arby’s restaurant in Sequim for several years. The couple used to own and operate a pizza place in Idaho before moving to Sequim four years ago.

“We like the restaurant business and wanted to get back into it,” Bush said. “We like the Arby’s product because everything is made fresh every day and they are famous for their roast beef sandwiches.”

“There is a big demand for Arby’s in Sequim,” she continued. “We know that because of how excited everybody got when we put up the sign.”

If all goes as planned, they are planning to open a second Arby’s in Port Angeles someday. “It all depends on how fast the area grows,” she said. “I don’t want to take business away from the Sequim Arby’s.”

A location for the Port Angeles Arby’s hasn’t been announced.

Going against tradition, the Sequim Arby’s won’t have a drive-through window but the Port Angeles branch will.

“Port Angeles is the type of town that demands a drive-up window; Sequim is more of a sit down and relax type of town,” Michelle Bush said.

The fact that the owner of Arby’s recently bought the Wendy’s corporation will not affect the Sequim restaurant, according to Bush. “It’s my understanding that the relationship will be similar to the KFC and Taco Bell thing,” she said. “One is not going away and there are no plans for a Wendy’s in Sequim that I know of.”

Following a study of brand and customer base, Arby’s introduced the “I’m Thinking Arby’s” campaign in 2005.  The ad series features Arby’s as high quality, unique products not typically found in the fast food industry.

When you’re craving Arby’s, you can’t think of anything else, the Web site states.

For more information about Arby’s, go online to www.arbys.com.