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This Arby's is an entirely new construction where I believe a Comerica Bank used to be. Comerica Banks have been very quietly disappearing from the Kalamazoo area in recent years and I expect them to continue to disappear. It seems they are not trying to gain new members in this area as I don't recall any media advertising or direct mail from them in a number of years. In addition, Comerica, founded on the automobile industry, announced on March 6 it is moving its Detroit headquarters to Dallas, Texas. The move is expected to be complete by the end of September. I don't know the future naming status of Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers baseball team. One of the tallest buildings in downtown Kalamazoo is the Comerica Bank Building (formerly ISB Bank Building). I wonder if that is still what the building will be called in 15 years? The new Arby's is located on the West Towne Plaza pad. West Towne Plaza is being renamed University Commons. At the time of this post, the road side sign listing all the merchants in the plaza still has the West Towne Plaza sign. In the space of about 2.5 years, the west side of Kalamazoo went from no Arby's to three. I think the Arby's on the Meijer West Main pad opened in May 2005. Then the Texas Township store in late 2006 and now Stadium Drive. These aren't the first Arby's ever on the west side. Until shortly after August 2000, there was an Arby's on West Main Street at Piccadilly Road, where a Qdoba now stands (entirely new construction). That Arby's was the dirtiest and most dank chain restaurant I've ever been to in the Kalamazoo area. It looked like it had not been remodeled since it was probably built in the 1970s. I only went in there once and that was enough. We ordered meals and the menu price did not include a drink. A meal includes a drink! They had one chicken finger on the menu for like 79¢. Who buys one chicken finger? Then to top it all off, the cashier licked his fingers immediately before opening a new roll of quarters and giving us our change. We were entirely disgusted by this point. We got our money back and left the store immediately. I don't know why the restaurant closed, but I always assumed the Kalamazoo County Health Department shut it down. Unfortunately, the Health Department's on-line restaurant inspection reports don't go back earlier than 2004. The Arby's on South Westnedge Avenue just north of Interstate 94 was probably the second worst chain restaurant. Even though it has apparently had some recent renovations, the health inspector's reports continue to show plenty of problems. When I last went there, sometime late last millennium I believe, they did not participate in the national promotions and did not accept Arby's gift certificates, in addition to being old and run down. So, after the atrocious Arby's closed on West Main, there were only 2 Arby's in the Kalamazoo area and only the one on East Cork Street was worth going to. This situation lasted about 2 to 3 years until the current Arby's boom began when one opened near Meijer Gull Road. In May 2005 came the Arby's on Meijer West Main pad. October 2005 brought an Arby's to the Shaver Road Wal-Mart pad, a Wal-Mart that opened in late January. Texas Township got its first Arby's in late 2006. Then finally the Stadium Drive store. In a span of about 4-5 years, the Kalamazoo area went from 2 Arby's to 7: Do you like Arby's Curly Fries? How about NASCAR? You've probably seen the tv ads where a race car is experencing extreme vibration and it turns out the driver is shaking his Arby's snack. What the ads don't tell you is you can get free Arby's Curly Fries on the Monday after that driver's, Matt Kenseth in Arby's Ford #17, every victory in a NASCAR race. It's called Monday's with Matt. To get your free fries when he wins, present one of the following to the cashier: on-line coupon, official race results from NASCAR, results from newspaper. Good at participating Arby's locations the Monday immediately following a Matt Kenseth NASCAR win only. One order per person, while supplies last. Not valid with any other offer. Matt's next race is the Emerson Radio 250 on Friday, September 7.
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