The Midwest State That Has Way More Arby's Locations Than Anywhere Else

From its quotable "We Have the Meats" slogan to the iconic "Sir, this is an Arby's" meme, there's a lot to love about Arby's that isn't even on the menu. Although, for foodies in Ohio, the Arby's menu is where it's at. We're back with another Arby's fun fact to stoke meaty, regional appetites.

According to data analytics firm ScrapeHero, as of November 2024, there were 3,398 Arby's locations in America, 276 of which were in Ohio. Now, at the time of publication, the chain has 3,323 total locations in the U.S., 8% of which are located in Ohio, according to the Arby's website. The Buckeye State far and away leads the U.S. in Arby's stores, with the second-largest Arby's presence by state clocking in far lower at 176 stores in nearby Michigan. 

Indeed, while Arby's presence is fairly spread out across the country, the chain's highest concentration is allocated to the Midwest (172 stores in Indiana, 109 in Illinois), and the South (160 in Florida, 156 in Texas, 149 in Georgia, and 126 in Tennessee). It's also worth noting that, even as the times are a' changin' nationwide — in terms of both consumer dietary preferences and economic crisis — Arby's lovers in Ohio don't seem to be going anywhere. Even though the Arby's chain has lost 75 restaurants since last fall, Ohio Arby's locations only dropped by two, now sitting at 274 locations in the state. 

In one episode of the iconic NPR podcast "This American Life" titled "Hoaxing Yourself," Sean Cole laughingly recounts pretending to be a vegetarian to seem interesting to his college peers — even though, as he puts it, "[M]y dad and I would go to Arby's ... and we would buy 48 Arby's roast beef sandwiches ... and we would stuff them in our freezer. We would freeze the Arby's roast beef sandwiches and then we would have them there ...Buns and all." Even though Cole is from Boston (not Ohio), the point stands: Arby's fandom runs deep. 

From 1970 to 2016, Americans' per-capita beef consumption dropped from over 60 pounds per year to less than 40 pounds (as reported by the Pew Research Center), demonstrative of a significant industry shift. According to a recent study by Insider Monkey, Ohio isn't even in the top-five most meat-eating states in America. But, Ohioan regional dining preferences lean fast-casual and convenience oriented (per industry trend firm Food Handler's Guide) — and Arby's classic roast beef certainly fits the bill. In 2024, Arby's ranked #18 in QSR's top 50 fast-food chains by sales. It isn't a dismal ranking out of 50, but it does illustrate the company's gradual bowing-out to rising competitors like Taco Bell and Chick-fil-A. Although in Ohio, those roast beef sandos don't seem to be having any trouble keeping pace. We'll have a Jamocha shake too, thanks...