BANGOR, Maine — The Arby’s Bangor location will close its doors after 32 years when its longtime owner retires on Friday.
Robert Smith owns the fast-food franchise, one of nearly 2,500 nationally. Arby’s, which specializes in meat sandwiches, owns another 950 restaurants as a company.
Smith, 77, of Brewer said Wednesday afternoon that he’s been operating restaurants in Bangor for 45 years and that it’s time for him to retire. His first restaurant was an ice cream shop in the Airport Mall.
He opened the Bangor Arby’s in 1983. It is one of six Arby’s in Maine. The others are in Auburn, Augusta, Presque Isle, South Portland and Topsham. None of those restaurants are closing because they’re owned by other franchisees.
Smith said he is working to sell the restaurant, located on Bangor Mall Boulevard.
“I’m hoping the community will see something else in there very shortly,” Smith said, adding that he’d consider selling the restaurant to someone who wants to continue to run it as an Arby’s.
He said he’s hopeful that some of the 20 people who will be out of work when the restaurant closes will find other employment with a new owner when he finds one.
Arby’s spokesman Jason Rollins said Wednesday that Arby’s as a brand is “doing extremely well, as evidenced by our Q2 System Sales announcement earlier this week,” which showed a 7.6 percent increase.
In 2014, the restaurant chain announced a “brand revitalization initiative” that included plans to revitalize many of its aging locations.
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