QSR: New Energy at Arby’s

Company same-store sales were up 9.8 percent at Arby’s during the first quarter of 2015, the 18th consecutive quarter of gains, according to QSR. Those are impressive numbers for any franchise brand, particularly one as long-standing as Arby’s.

So what’s driving it? Have Millennials suddenly discovered they can’ t live without regular doses of sliced roast beef and Horsey Sauce? Not quite.

QSR reported that energy conservation is a big part of Arby’s’ recent wins. The news source stated Arby’s reduced energy use 11 percent across its 3,400 units from 2011. This number is forecast to be 15 percent by the end of this year. Meanwhile, it’s expected to hit 20 percent by 2020.

Not only is this saving the franchise buckets of cash in energy costs, it’s also appealing to eco-conscious consumers, Millennials chief among them.

“We’re expanding way beyond what everybody’s grandparents knew Arby’s for,” John Bowie, chief operating officer at Arby’s, told QSR. “We’re really 3,400 neighborhood businesses. It makes good sense to do this as members of the human race.”