PORTLAND — The site of an Arby’s on Forest Avenue has been sold to a credit union, ending its days as a fast-food location.
The property was purchased by cPort Credit Union. It had been owned by Butler Forest Investors. Terms were not disclosed.
The property’s days as an Arby’s date back to the late 1970s, when the restaurant was opened by Ken and Jim Raffel, sons of one of the founders of the roast beef sandwich chain. The chain was launched in 1964 by Leroy Raffel – Ken and Jim Raffel’s father – and his brother, Forrest.
Arby’s stands for RB’s, for Raffel Brothers.
The chain was sold in 1976 and Jim Raffel frequently clashed with the new corporate owners over his desire to serve non-Arby’s items in addition to the chain’s fare. At one point, he opened a restaurant called Emily K’s inside the Arby’s, selling roasted chicken and other items.
Arby’s sued, and the Raffel brothers opened up a new restaurant, Raff’s, on the site, before they changed it back to an Arby’s in 1998.
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