Arby's proposed for GHT

Thu, Jun 12, 2008    to del.icio.us

GRAND HAVEN TOWNSHIP — An Arby's restaurant could soon move into a building at the southeast corner of U.S. 31 and Robbins Road.

The township's Planning Commission will be reviewing the preliminary plans for the restaurant at its meeting Monday night.

Township Manager Bill Cargo said the developer has shown plans to renovate the existing building, which is now home to the Morris Schnoor & Gremel insurance agency. It was formerly used as a bank branch.

"The building is sound and has enough square footage that they say they can renovate it (into an Arby's)," Cargo said.

The developer, who Cargo would not name, has proposed closing the existing entrance to the building from Robbins Road. They want to transform the intersection of Robbins and the private Whitaker Drive, the northern entrance to the Meijer store, into a full intersection where traffic can enter and exit from both ways. As it's presently configured, traffic can only enter Whitaker Drive from eastbound Robbins and exit from Whitaker by turning right (east) onto Robbins.

Cargo said a traffic signal may not be needed for the newly configured intersection, but a traffic impact study may be needed before the plans are approved.

The Planning Commission meets at Grand Haven Township Hall, 13300 168th Ave., at 7:30 p.m. Monday.

The first Arby's opened in Boardman, Ohio, in 1964. While it is widely believed that the restaurant's name stands for roast beef, a staple of its menu of sandwiches, the name actually comes from the initials for the Raffel brothers — R.B. — who started the chain.

Triarc Companies Inc. bought the restaurant chain in 1993. According to its Web site, there are more than 3,600 Arby's locations worldwide. The closest Arby's is located at 507 W. Savidge St. in Spring Lake.

On the Net:

www.arbys.com