Arby’s Tests Selling Meat By The Pound From Select Locations

Would you buy meat from a fast food chain?

That’s the question Arby’s is looking to answer with their newest trial. In select restaurants in Atlanta, they are selling their sliced deli meats in bulk through the end of September.

Arby’s told Foodbeast that the idea actually came from its customers, who have expressed a curiosity to take cold cuts home by the pound. Currently, they’re making that option available for turkey, corned beef, or ham, with a half pound going for $4.99 and a full pound selling for $8.99. They can be picked up through the drive-thru, just like a regular meal order.

In terms of cost, the price is about on par with what you might expect to pay at a grocery store. At Target, for example, a block of corned beef goes for $9.49 per pound, slightly more than what Arby’s is offering its cold cuts at.

Arby’s is testing the idea out because it noticed customers buying more bulk orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to CNN, a customer survey Arby’s sent out found that most customers would prefer having the cold cuts sold in bulk, rather than something they would need to heat up at home.

If this test in Atlanta proves to be a success, Arby’s may expand both its market and availability of bulk meats, potentially even scaling to a national level. So far, according to Arby’s Chief Marketing Officer Patrick Schwing, the test has had a “positive response.”

Since consumers preferred cold cuts in the initial customer survey, Arby’s would likely stick with the three above cuts of meat were the program to go nationwide, a representative told Foodbeast. However, they will “make a determination on how best to move forward and whether we will add any new deli meat options” once the test ends.