Hundreds of people going to Ontario Arby's to protest lack of Toronto location

The self-named Arby's Army is preparing to descend on an Ontario Arby's location this weekend all because there are none in Toronto.

Diners at the Oshawa Arby's location might be in for more than they bargained for on Saturday, March 9, because an army of over 400 is planning a trip to the restaurant all because there is not a single Arby's location left in Toronto.

While I, personally, cannot get behind the enthusiasm for rubbery roast beef sandwiches smothered in mystery sauce, I do have to applaud the commitment.

This isn't the first time the Arby's Army has gathered — their last outing was focused on the Burlington location, and since then, their cause has only grown in numbers.

To date, 458 people have responded to the event's Facebook page, with more than 100 confirmed to be attending and 348 (including, intriguingly, my middle school math teacher) interested.

The city has not suffered through Arby's-lessness forever: there used to be several locations in the city, at malls including the Eaton Centre and Scarborough Town Centre, as well as a small handful of standalone locations, like a restaurant at Yonge and Eglinton.

Over the past decade-or-so, though, Toronto Arby's locations have systematically closed, leading chain's the small-but-mighty fan base to helplessly cry "where are the meats?"

This isn't the first time a controversial fast-food chain in Toronto has been the subject of discourse online. Back in 2022, Taco Bell closed the majority of their Toronto locations, leaving only three, which led to some hilarious conspiracy theories.

Though not interested in eating an Arby's sandwich ever, I, for one, am glad that the Arby's Army will be getting together for a taste of what they love.