Food

Raleigh couple shares special connection after iconic Arby's sign comes down on Hillsborough Street

Julia and Matthew Busch recalled stopping at the Arby's on Hillsborough Street for one final meal before their firstborn child was born. Now, the restaurant and its iconic sign are gone.

Posted Updated

By
Mark Bergin
, WRAL senior multiplatform producer
RALEIGH, N.C. — The iconic, lighted Arby’s sign on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh disappeared in early July, and since that time, people have made dozens of social media posts to pay homage to what was once a Raleigh landmark.

Of all of those posts, perhaps Julia and Matthew Busch’s story is the most poignant. On the night of Nov. 5, 2020, the Raleigh couple stopped in for one final meal before Julia went into labor with their daughter. Before the arrival of the couple’s firstborn child, Julia was craving cheesesticks on that rainy night.

“Once they induce you, you won’t get to eat for a while,” Julia Busch said.

Their order consisted of cheesesticks, a Jamocha Shake, jalapeno poppers and a Diet Coke.

“As we were at the drive-thru line, it just kind of … more food was added, more food was added, more food was added, and then we finally walked out, and we had several bags,” Matthew Busch said.

Julia and Matthew Busch recalled stopping at the Arby's on Hillsborough Street for one final meal before their firstborn child was born. Now, the restaurant and its iconic sign are gone. Photo courtesy of Matthew Busch.

The Buschs then enjoyed their last meal in the restaurant’s parking lot before becoming parents.

“I’m really glad that I did get something to eat that night because … it was a rough night and I didn’t get to eat again until like 7 a.m., so I’m just really glad that Arby’s was there and open that night,” Julia Busch said.

The couple’s daughter is due to celebrate her second birthday in November. It’s a memory they will share with her when she gets a little bit older.

Because Matthew Busch is a photographer, they’ll have a photograph to go along with the memory.

“It was really a chilly, crisp night, and I remember just pulling up and being right in the middle of the drive-thru line taking a picture, and she was like, ‘Would you please come on?’” Matthew Busch said.

Julia and Matthew Busch recalled stopping at the Arby's on Hillsborough Street for one final meal before their firstborn child was born. Their daughter is set to turn 2 in November. Photo courtesy of Julia Busch.

Arby’s decides not to renew its lease

CityPlat principal Vincenzo Verdino was surprised to get a call several weeks ago that the owner of the property wanted to sell.

Wake County public records show that Raleigh-based real estate agency CityPlat officially purchased the Arby’s property at 3415 Hillsborough St. in early August from Sandra Honeycutt Reynolds. According to the Wake County Department of Tax Administration, the transaction cost $2.5 million.

“We got a phone call out of the blue saying that they were open to … they were interested in selling,” Verdino said.

Verdino said the acquisition is part of a vision to build a mixed-use, multi-family apartment complex in the area. CityPlat also owns the nearby lots at 3411 and 3413 Hillsborough St. and 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 Turner St.

“[It’s] part of a larger assemblage, which is just [less than] 3 acres that we’ve been working on for [more than] five years,” Verdino said. “It’s just grown … It’s taken quite a bit of time to completely fall into place.”

Verdino said CityPlat is working with the city of Raleigh on a zoning change that would allow the developer to build a five-story structure. The property is currently zoned for up to three stories.

“The location, we love,” Verdino said. “It’s just on the periphery of student housing [and] the pedestrian portion of Hillsborough Street, but then it’s also connected to three main arteries meaning: Hillsborough Street, Wade Avenue is just a block away [and] Western is just a block away.”

Given how rent prices have skyrocketed in the last year or so, Verdino said it was too soon to provide an estimate of what the mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments might rent for.

Verdino said he hopes to start construction on the new development in two or three years. He also said tenants will have access to a parking garage or structure once the development is built.

“We’re not in a rush at all,” Verdino said.

Verdino said CityPlat considered several different options for the development, even before the acquisition of the Arby’s lot, including a grocery store, student housing, a hotel or condominiums.

In July, Arby's closed at 3415 Hillsborough St. in Raleigh.

Arby’s sign comes down

In early July, Arby’s closed and its iconic, lighted sign came down.

“When I heard they were taking it down, I just figured like, ‘Why couldn’t they just move it to another Arby’s?’” Julia Busch said. “Like, why did they have to take the whole sign apart?”

Verdino insisted CitiPlat had nothing to do with the sign coming down.

“We did not tear down the sign,” Verdino said. “We had nothing to do with the sign. It was gone … weeks before we even closed on the property.”

Verdino said CityPlat had reached out to Reynolds, the previous owner of the Arby’s, on several occasions to ask about buying the property. He said Reynolds initially wasn’t planning to sell, so CityPlat had planned to develop the surrounding properties.

“We were limited in what we could develop with our existing footprint that we had,” Verdino said. “[The additional space will allow for] more efficient building so we can actually put in more parking.

“There’s a lower cost. [It’s a] much more efficient design where you can build better amenities [and allow for] … more efficient construction.”

Verdino explained what prompted Reynolds change of heart.

“Arby’s did not continue [its] lease,” Verdino said. “Arby’s just decided to close down the location.”

WRAL News sent multiple emails to Arby’s with a request for comment about the decision to close.

WRAL News also has tried finding contact information for Reynolds.

“Arby’s made the decision to close,” Verdino said. “We didn’t kick anybody out.”

For decades, the iconic Arby's sign stood at 3415 Hillsborough St. in Raleigh. Photo courtesy of Google Maps.
At the same time, the Buschs said they are concerned about some of the changes in Raleigh, which include plans to tear down and rebuild the Char-Grill on Hillsborough Street at Boylan Avenue.

“We understand why the developer wants it,” Julia Busch said of the Arby’s location. “We understand why the owner sold it.

“What I think people probably would want to know more of is like, who in Raleigh is responsible for maintaining the heart of the city?”

Matthew Busch said the Arby’s sign was part of his childhood.

“Every time it was lit, it was just beautiful,” Matthew Busch said. “It just really made up part of the tapestry of Raleigh, and … It was just an iconic marker.”

In July, Arby's closed at 3415 Hillsborough St. in Raleigh.

A new restaurant in Arby’s former space?

In the interim, while CityPlat waits for that rezoning approval, Verdino said the company is looking for a second-generation restaurant to temporarily fill the void left by Arby’s until construction begins on the apartment development. He envisions a two- to three-year tenant.

“If you’re taking a space that’s a shell and up-fitting it for a restaurant, it’s a pretty heavy cost,” Verdino said.

Verdino suggested a successful food truck looking for a brick-and-mortar space might be interested in the space once occupied by Arby’s. He estimated it normally costs between $600,000 and $1 million for a restaurant to get up and running completely from scratch. The cost to take over the space, which already is outfitted as a restaurant, would be much lower, he said.

“It’s a very unique type of tenant, but we’re looking for somebody that’s kind of looking to get a start,” Verdino said.