Arby’s is set to return to Bangor — in the same building that last housed the fast food restaurant more than 10 years ago.
The franchise owner plans to open the Arby’s at 57 Bangor Mall Blvd., where the chain operated previously from 1983 until it closed in 2015 when the owner retired.
Bangor’s planning board approved a permit last month for renovations to the property. The building will be the same size, but changes will include closing a driveway, modifying the pavement and curb, repainting the parking lot, and putting in trees and a new dumpster, according to planning board records.
The restaurant, which will have a drive-thru, was unanimously approved for a land development permit on the conditions that the owner secure a Maine Department of Transportation traffic movement permit before starting construction and submit modified plans showing new light poles.
“It’s great to see some more development coming to Bangor and another restaurant returning,” planning board member Justin Cartier said in the meeting.
The building is next to a cannabis store and across the street from Wendy’s.
The business owner is Jason Cole, who opened a Buffalo Wild Wings, which is under the same parent company as Arby’s, in Augusta in 2024. The construction is being managed by Tennessee-based architecture firm Design and Engineering, Inc., according to planning board records.
The business did not respond to a request for comment.
Arby’s has four Maine locations, including Auburn, Augusta, Presque Isle and Topsham, according to the company’s website.
Another company wants to open an Arby’s location in Scarborough, although those plans have not yet been approved, according to planning board records.
