New Jersey Residents Were Lining Up Overnight For Roy Rogers

Audio By Carbonatix

Cherry Hill, New Jersey, just a short drive over the river from Philadelphia, is getting a new fast food restaurant today: Roy Rogers. If you had forgotten that Roy Rogers exists, you’re not alone.

Roy Rogers restaurants, formerly known as ‘RoBee’s Roast Beef’ which is a name they 100% should have kept and not ditched back in 1968, is famous for its roast beef sandwiches which apparently has been declining in popularity for decades but that didn’t stop New Jerseyans from turning out to wait in the dark.

At its peak, Roy Rogers had over 600 locations across country. Currently, there are around 42 as of today as interest in Roy Rogers has waned over time but man, the people interviewed in this video seem amped for roast beef sandwiches.

Do they not know that Philly is 8 miles away and home to the most famous beef sandwiches in America, possibly in the entire world? Sure, Roy Rogers has a fantastic ‘Fixin’s Bar’ and you won’t be judged for putting the toppings on your roast beef sandwich that you choose, like you might be at a cheese steak restaurant in Philly, but does that make it worth standing outside from midnight until 10am for a grand opening of a fast food shop?

Honestly, I didn’t realize there were RR locations that were outside of rest stops in the mid-Atlantic or Northeast. The only time I’d ever see them were in Pennsylvania or Maryland and even then it was just when I was stopping at a rest stop for some reason other than eating.

Speaking about what this grand opening means to them, customer Mark Orgiefsky told ABC6 “The Double R bar. I used to work at the Moorestown Mall years ago and there was a Roy Rogers in the mall and the food there was great.” Customer Jodie Waldman added “I came over [from Philadelphia] for Roy Rogers opening for the free fixins bar. I remember growing up and it was about a mile from my house, and that’s all I remember growing up is getting all the pickles I wanted.”

As for why the customers were lining up overnight… Marc Orgiefsky and the others that camped out since midnight were at Roy Rogers for free food. As part of the grand opening, the first 50 customers at the new Cherry Hill, NJ location would receive one free combo meal per week if they used the RR mobile app.

All of that is to say that yes, we now live in a world where Roy Rogers has a mobile app. I’m not quite sure how to feel about that. I am craving a burger now though…