How Much Arby's Classic Roast Beef Sandwich Cost When The Chain Opened In 1964

If you're an Arby's fan, it's time to dust off that time machine that's been lying unused in the corner. If you were to buy a classic roast beef sandwich at the popular fast food chain today, it will set you back $5.39. Go back to the year 1964, when Arby's opened its first location, and you'd be able to buy eight sandwiches for the price of one. That's right. The cult classic from the Arby's menu cost just 69 cents when the chain opened six decades ago.

There are many facts about Arby's roast beef sandwich that you should know, including how it got its start. Arby's was founded by brothers Forrest and Leroy Raffel in Boardman, Ohio, to leave their imprint on a thriving fast food industry. It's fair to say they succeeded. Today, Arby's has over 3,000 locations in the U.S. and more than 200 stores overseas, and according to Franchise Times, the chain made $4.5 billion in 2025.

Now, it should come as no surprise at all that the price of a sandwich has gone up exponentially over six decades (you're bound to do a double-take or two if you take a quick glance at grocery ads from the 1960s, when potato chips were sold by the pound and sirloin steaks cost 78 cents). When it comes to Arby's, though, there's a bit of added nuance. While 69 cents for a sandwich sounds like an absolute steal, if you dig into the fast food scene at the time, it reveals a completely different story. 

The Raffel brothers had spent a considerable amount of time in business, running a food service consulting firm that helped operators with restaurant equipment. By the time they decided to start their own chain, they had a clear vision. Arby's launched with a short menu designed to provide an alternative to a fast food market that was bursting at the seams with hamburgers. White Castle was the original fast food chain, around since 1921, and by the time the '60s rolled around, burgers were flying out of kitchens at McDonald's, Burger King, and In-N-Out as well. 

The Raffel brothers didn't just position their roast beef sandwich as an alternative to the burger, but as an extremely premium alternative. Given that you could get a McDonald's burger for 15 cents in the 1960s, Arby's decision to launch with a price point that was over four times more expensive was bold. The gamble paid off. Within a year, it had a second location, and within four years, it had grown to 300 locations across 40 states.

Today, the gap between the price of a McDonald's burger and an Arby's roast beef has closed considerably. For example, you can get a classic hamburger for $3.99, while an Arby's roast beef will set you back $5.39. If you look at the respective prices from an inflation lens, the burger has actually become more expensive, while the roast beef sandwich price has corrected downwards According to a Consumer Price Index inflation calculator, a 15 cent burger should cost $1.61 today, while a 69 cent sandwich should cost $7.41 in 2026.