Will Arby’s bring its fast-food back to Centre County? Here’s what we know
It’s been more than a decade since Centre County had an Arby’s, but the famous slogan bearing fast-food chain could be making a return.
Developers are looking at 116 Paradise Road in Benner Township as the potential destination for a new Arby’s in the area, local officials said. The news was first reported by StateCollege.com.
The plans for the fast-food chain are still in the earliest of stages, but if it were to become official, the restaurant would be located directly across Paradise Road from the almost-complete McDonald’s.
There’s an abandoned house on the property that would be demolished if the Arby’s came in, according to Benner Township secretary Sharon Royer.
A traffic study for the fast food chain has been completed, but Chris Schnure, Centre County’s subdivision and land development planner, said that no official plans have been submitted to the county yet.
“While there have been talks about an Arby’s coming on Paradise Road, that’s all it is right now — talks,” Schnure said. “No formal plans have been submitted to the county or the township, but they might be soon, we’ll see.”
Arby’s is a fast food best-known nationally for its slogan, “We Have The Meats,” and serves a variety of sandwiches. While it’s famous for its classic roast beef sandwich, the restaurant also offers burgers and sliders, wraps, gyros, and sides ranging from crinkle cut and curly fries to mozzarella sticks and and jalapeno bites.
The last Centre County Arby’s was located at 400 W. College Ave. in downtown State College and closed its doors in April 2011. In 2014, the restaurant’s former location was demolished to make room for the Metropolitan high-rise building to be constructed.
The closest Arby’s to Centre County are now in Lock Haven and Milroy.
The Benner Pike corridor where the potential Arby’s would be located has experienced high rates of business growth.
In recent years, the corridor has seen the emergence of the Paradise Plaza, a shopping center that is home to a new McDonald’s and Giant Market, with room for at least one more restaurant or retail development plan in the future.
Also in the works in the area is a Wawa gas station, a Tru Hotel by Hilton and a new warehouse.
