Evolutionary experience: Rule-fighting Arby’s becomes A Patriot’s Place
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The Forest Lakes Arby’s sign gets replaced with an American Flag.PHOTO BY DAVE MCNAIR
Forest Lakes Arby’s owner Tom Slonaker has never been shy about promoting his business while expressing his libertarian beliefs, a tendency that’s got him in some hot water with County officials over the years, and those beliefs appear to have helped create a new restaurant concept.
Slonaker has repeatedly defied a County zoning ordinance prohibiting commercial flags (an ordinance that has been in place since 1969) by hoisting an Arby’s flag in front of his restaurant, along with signs for another business he owns. In 2003, Slonaker even hosted a “rally around the flag” event by handing out little Arby’s flags for people to put on their cars, and portraying the situation as a property rights issue.
Later, he claimed the sign ordinance was enforced unevenly against businesses along 29 North, and he filed a civil suit against the county with the help of the Rutherford Institute, which argued that Slonaker’s First Amendment rights were being trampled on.
Last year, however, a judge ruled that Slonaker had violated the sign ordinance and slapped him with $1,000 fines for several violations.
Meanwhile, Slonaker has also been having issues with Arby’s corporate rules, which have not allowed him to
Slonaker has been fighting County rules since 2003.FILE PHOTO BY JEN FARIELLO
add his own menu items. Specifically, he’s wanted to add soft-serve ice cream and “pressure cooked chicken,” which he describes as “fried chicken without all the grease.”
“People rave about it,” he says. “We’ve invested quite alot in the equipment.”
Shortly before the November 2 election, Slonaker covered up his Arby’s sign.PHOTO BY DAVE MCNAIR
So, after 11 years as an Arby’s franchise, Slonaker says he cut ties with the company and has yanked the Arby’s logos off the side of the building. Indeed, almost overnight, the restaurant looked like a polling place around the time of Election Day. Slonaker had covered the roadside Arby’s signs with white banners encouraging people to vote, put up American flags everywhere, and renamed the restaurant A Patriot’s Place.
“This country, this town is so divided,” says Slonaker in a distinctive radio announcer’s voice. “I hope this new concept conveys to people that we have to come together to fix the problems of this country.”
Slonaker says he hopes people can come to Patriot’s Place to eat good American food and learn about the words and the ideals of the founding fathers. He’s calling it a “revolutionary” experience.
Indeed, before the election Slonaker hosted a town hall meeting at his Arby’s between eventually defeated Rep. Tom Perriello and local Tea Party activists.
“I’ve known Tom since he was a little boy,” says Slonaker. “And I knew his father, Dr. Vito Perriello. I have a lot of admiration for him.”
Slonaker points to the Perriello town hall meeting as the kind of thing he hopes A Patriot’s Place will help promote, in which opposing groups can come together to work out their differences.
However, the success of the concept may also depend on the economy, which Slonaker admits has been rough on the business. Development and allegedly overburdensome county regulations haven’t helped either, he says.
As Slonaker mentions, his Arby’s was unique in that part of town a decade ago, but it had become just one of many fast food restaurants in the area.
“If I’m going to lose money,” he says, “I might as well do it on my own terms.”
I am certain that Slonaker will not “loose” money. He may lose it, but at least he’s doing what he wants to do.
The local government does everything in it’s power–and beyond–to ensure that this is the dullest and ugliest community possible.
Business-wise: the hostility towards anyone who attempts to run a business at all is unfathomable.
@Marijean: Sorry for the typo near the end. Now fixed!–hawes the editor
@Hawes: If you’re fixing errors, would you please correct “helped” in the first paragraph? Also, thanks for fixing “alot”! :-)
Thanks Hawes. You rock.
Just another guy who thinks the rules don’t apply to him. Rules are rules.
I wonder why he didn’t bother to paint over the Arby’s label scar. Am I the only one who thinks that was intentional?
That’s a little nutty, but I generally like mom & pop type restaurants better than chains anyway.
Those Arbys in Short Pump seem much different and have different items than I’ve seen in other Arbys, wonder how they get away with it?
Hawes, while you are fixing errors, anything you can do about Washington D.C.?
cookieJar, I laughed.
Good to see someone fight the rules, change doesn’t happen without a change maker.
Can I still get that delicious and healthy Arby’s food at the A Patriot’s Place?
I never gave that Arby’s any business because they never seemed to be open when I wanted to get something.
I do admire Mr. Slonaker for wanting to bring people together to try and solve our problems. I hope that is contagious. Maybe I will give ‘A Patriots Place’ a try.
Tom Slonaker is my new hero. I am going to A Patriots Place next to,e I am in Cville. Thank GOd for people like him!
I hear that mr Slonaker is making “the restaurant formerly known as Arby’s” a drive-in voting place. Sounds cool’ like “American Graffiti” for angry non readers.
First off, thanks to the Hook for telling us what’s going on. I’ve been wondering for a while what was up with the Arby’s.
Secondly, I’m all for libertarian values. But come one. Can’t we go have lunch without politics involved? It’s on the news 24/7. You can’t get away from campaign signs. And we have elections practically every year. Can’t I just enjoy my roast beef?
@Bud
The more people that participate in politics the more likely the politicians will listen to the people instead of their big money contributors. All the money in the world can’t get them elected if a majority of people voice their will - at least that is my opinion.
Thanks to the tea party and the right wing, the word “Patriot” has become associated with far-right politics. I think moderates and lefties, even if they enjoy a good political debate, will steer clear from his place.
Col. Forbin;
Were you born a tool or were you trained up to be one?
Seriously though, “rules are rules” as a statement is of a piece with “it is what it is” and is a classic tautology. There is a plethora of arbitary, capricious, and unreasonable rules extant in this society. Passive acceptance is a guaranty they’ll remain in place and be supplemented by more of the same. Pushback against rules which have tenuous, at best, connections to any true public good is our duty if we wish to be a people with any prospects for individual self determination.
Tom just follow the rules. Nut case!
I predict he’ll be out of business in six months. You can’t make money off the Tea Party crowd with their senior discounts and insistence on using coupons for every meal.
Angel,
Who is being a tool here?
Tom Slonaker’s problem is that he behaves as if EVERY rule he encounters is “arbitary, capricious, and unreasonable.” That just ain’t the case.
It’s funny how, now that the tea-baggers got their boy in office, we’re all supposed to come together and hold hands and sing kumbaya.
this man sells slop produced by agribusiness and calls it food
wow
what a hero and patriot
…and thus begins the ultimate demise of the restaurant formerly known as Arby’s of Forest Lakes. I imagine Mr. Slonaker discounts the business he derived from the Arby’s brand. And a previous commenter is right - the far-right/tea baggers have co-opted the word “Patriot” and using that will DEFINITELY turn away a huge percentage of the potential clientele. But Slonaker has been turning people off for years, so now he’ll be turning off Democrats and Independents as well as people who find his very public stances annoying.
I wonder what it’ll become next? Too small to become an Antique Mall, I suppose.
I would like to see Lowes become an antique mall.
Can’t we get a Home Depot in Charlottesville? Or is politics still involved heavily in that too?