Arby’s To Open New ‘Urban Inline’ Store Downtown

Atlanta-based Arby’s has a taste for something new downtown.

The quick-service sandwich chain will open one of its first “urban inline” restaurant in 34 Park Tower, Jim Caswell, vice president of leasing at Fairlead Commercial Real Estate, told What Now Atlanta (WNA) in a telephone conversation Thursday.

Fairlead acquired the downtown office tower late 2013.

“We’re very excited to tie in the Broad Street restaurant scene with the addition of Arby’s urban inline prototype location,” Caswell said.

The restaurant’s format is one of three new layouts the company announced late April it will use for future stores featuring the brand’s “flexible inspire design”: Urban Inline, Traditional Stand-alone, and an End Cap with Drive-thru.

“For 2015, Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. (ARG), the franchisor of the Arby’s brand, set a goal to open 60 new restaurants (20 percent company-owned) featuring the Inspire design (ARG currently owns 945 of 3,347 restaurants worldwide),” Jason C. Rollins, a company spokesperson, told WNA in an email Thursday.

“We plan to open several urban inlines first to prove the concept before seeking franchises in the new format.”

The addition of Arby’s is part of 34 Park Tower’s overall repositioning strategy. Fairlead has been awarded a $4 million grant from Invest Atlanta to apply towards capital improvements including an interior and exterior overhaul.

“Exciting changes are coming to this downtown classic as our repositioning efforts will offer a class A feel while providing extremely competitive rental rates and concession packages,” Caswell said in an email to WNA.

Arby’s should open its 2,600-square-foot prototype store late 2015 in space currently occupied by Alphagraphics, according to Caswell.

Alphagraphis will relocate to the second floor directly above its current space. The print shop’s new retail store is in the buildout phase and Alphagraphics is expected to move in 30 to 60 days.

34 Park Tower’s renovations are on track for a first quarter completion in 2016.