Arby's is about to roll out a dramatic new relaunch of the entire company pegged to the Olympics in Q3, according to the company's new chief marketing officer, Russ Klein.

Klein told us the relaunch will probably include:

• a new logo.
• a new advertising campaign
• redesigned restaurants
• a new, simplified menu  

In the past, Arby's has spent up to $100 million annually on advertising. (Its current campaign carries the tagline "Good mood food.") Arby's was spun off from Wendy's and taken private by Roark Capital Group in July 2011. Klein joined in January 2012 following a seven-year stint as chief marketing officer at Burger King until late 2009.

"I don't think it's any secret that the company has struggled in sales performance in the past," Klein said. "But people aren't aware of the fact that Arby's had five quarters of same-store sales growth."

His new job, Klein said, is "to literally identify what will be the long-term brand positioning for Arby's going forward. That involves an entirely new source of growth analysis" and a new target audience, a new creative brief for ad agency BBDO, and a new era of advertising. "Even though the 'good mood food' advertising has performed solidly I think it's quite likely there will be a new campaign," he said.

That campaign will debut around the Olympics in July. Right now, the company has completed the "arithmetic" stage of planning its relaunch and is transitioning from the drawing board to the real world. "By May I expect to be in production," Klein said.

Klein will stick with BBDO for the campaign rather than hold a review for a new agency. (Often, new CMOs start their jobs by casting about for new shops.) 

"Although some of my behavior may indicate otherwise, I don't think of myself as someone who feels the need to go chasing agencies just because I'm in a new post." (Klein changed Burger King's agency from Y&R to Crispin Porter + Bogusky six months into his job there.) "We help agencies be great by being great clients. I hope BBDO can be great for us."

Klein also addressed his odd departure from BK in 2009. At the time, he left the company on sabbatical to spend time "simply 'sharpening the sword.' And the bigger the dragon waiting for me when I return, the better." But then, months later, it was announced he would never return.

"I was really ready for a break," he said. "It takes a human toll to be a CMO in any job. They average 22 months in the industry. At Burger King they average 14 months, was the statistic I heard. It's intense. I spent almost seven years in that job. No one will ever come close to that again, but I'm not afraid to admit I was personally ready to tap out. I thought I could get away with just a brief respite but then I realized my heart wasn't in it."

At Arby's, the relaunch will focus on "heavy users"— the 15 percent of consumers who make up 54 percent of its sales. When asked if that wasn't the strategy he used at Burger King, where a relentless focus on young men alienated more casual eaters, Klein replied, "That sounds like the words of the people who are running the brand right now who can't grow it. I can only point to six consecutive years of same-store sales growth at a five percent CAGR."

Ouch! Sounds like he's got his breath back.

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Fast-food chain Arby's has fired its ad agency, BBDO, just two weeks after praising its record on the $100 million account and telling Business Insider that the agency will "be great for us" as the company prepares a total relaunch of its brand in Q3. Arby's recently saw five consecutive quarters of sales growth following BBDO's work.

Chief marketing officer Russ Klein has instead tapped Crispin Porter + Bogusky for the account. The move was somewhat predictable, as Klein hired CP+B to run the Burger King ad business when he was the chief marketer at that company from 2002 through 2009.

The agency switch comes after Klein told BI that he wasn't the type of client who switched agencies simply because he was new to the job (Klein arrived at Arby's in January). He said at the time:

"Although some of my behavior may indicate otherwise, I don't think of myself as someone who feels the need to go chasing agencies just because I'm in a new post." (Klein changed Burger King's agency from Y&R to Crispin Porter + Bogusky six months into his job there.) "We help agencies be great by being great clients. I hope BBDO can be great for us."

In an email to BI, a spokesperson for Arby's insisted Klein was telling the truth back in early February:

"He meant what he said when he said it."

The U-turn came quickly. On Feb. 16, Arby's svp/marketing Bob Kraut talked up BBDO's record at the Association of National Advertisers' conference in New York. Among the slides he showed covering the period served by BBDO, Kraut noted that awareness of Arby's "Good mood food" tagline was up 60 percent in 10 months and in 2011 the company saw its "highest sales increase in 10 years."

BBDO New York CEO John Osborn told B.I. he expects the agency to jump back into the fast-food category with another client, and wished Arby's well.

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JACKSON, Mich. (AP) -- A Michigan teen made a gristly discovery after biting into an Arby's junior roast beef sandwich.

Ryan Hart said he had nearly polished off his sandwich last Friday when he bit into something tough to chew that tasted like rubber, so he spit it out.

Turns out it tasted like finger. The fleshy pad of an unfortunate employee's finger, apparently.

"I was like, `That (has) to be a finger,'" Hart, 14, told the Jackson Citizen Patriot on Wednesday (http://bit.ly/LeTa5f ). "I was about to puke. ... It was just nasty."

The employee apparently cut her finger on a meat slicer and left her station without immediately telling anyone, said Steve Hall, the environmental health director for the Jackson County health department. Her co-workers continued filling orders before they became aware of what happened, he said.

John Gray, a spokesman for Atlanta-based Arby's, released a statement Wednesday apologizing for what he described as an isolated and "unfortunate incident." He said Arby's is still investigating, but has determined that the Jackson workers shut down food production as soon as they found out what happened and thoroughly cleaned and sanitized the restaurant.

The injured employee was treated at a hospital. Gray said the franchise has fully cooperated with health officials and was given the approval to remain open.

Ryan's mother, Jamie Vail, was incredulous. She and her friend, Joe Wheaton, had taken Ryan and his 11-year-old brother to the Arby's drive-through, and she said she thought her son was joking when he exclaimed he had found a piece of a finger in his sandwich.

"Somebody loses a finger, and you keep sending food out the window? I can't believe that," said Vail. She and Wheaton said the severed section was about an eighth to a quarter-inch thick and at least one inch long.

Vail said she called 911 and met police at a local hospital, where her son's blood was drawn and he was prescribed some medication.

Ryan said he is feeling fine. Vail said she has been in touch with a lawyer, but has not decided what course to take.

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Domino's isn't the only fast food chain with a new ad campaign that revolves around slamming its rival for allegedly serving less fresh food.

A major component of Arby's new marketing makeover involves attacking Subway for cutting its meat in Iowa as opposed to in-store. "That's a long walk for a turkey sandwich," a New York detective/actor says in the CP+B created spot that ran this weekend.

First a pizza war about frozen versus homemade pizza crusts and now a sandwich standoff? Can't we all just get along?

Arby's announced plans for a complete makeover— including a new logo, menu, and advertising campaign — in February when it handed the $100 million account from BBDO to CP+B.

The chain's new slogan goes with the new theme. What was "Good Mood Food" changed to "Slicing Up Freshness."

Nicer elements of the redesign come in the form of a cutesy new lower case logo. (Right)

Design blog Brand New, however, is unimpressed, declaring:

"The first impression is that this is a half-baked update that forces the new trend of bold, friendly, lowercase typography into the quirkiness of the old hat. No amount of roast beef can make that tasty."

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Some of the biggest brands in the country ditched their old logos for new ones this year.

Microsoft ditched its logo after 25 years, and Wendy's changed up its girl with the pigtails for the first time since 1983.

But even though a company's logo is one of its most valuable, and certainly visible, marketing tools, we're willing to bet that you missed a few of the major changes.

In August, Domino's logo ...

Read more about the logo change here>

... lost the pizza part.

Read more about the logo change here>

In January JC Penney transformed into ...

Read about the logo change here>

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Read the original version of this post at Thrillist.

Fast food: it's supposed to be cheap. But somewhere along the line, presumably due to communist witches, bad things started happening.

Dollar menus became "Value Menus", because nothing cost a dollar. "Extra Value Meals" stopped providing it. HOLY CRAP THEY JUST CHARGED YOU FOR SWEET & SOUR SAUCE.

But deep within their menus lies hope. To excavate it, we hit some top fast food joints and devised delicious, filling meals you can put together using only a five-dollar bill (and maybe a few of those Buffalo nickels you like to flash around, depending on tax).

We chose what to order based on what 1) had a high caloric content, because it's important to be, like, all full of energy after eating cheeseburgers, 2) tasted great, and 3) would mesh well with other menu items in the interest of making a full meal for $5. 

Smashburger

What to Order: Most Smashburgers start at $4.99, and we value variety in our incredibly cheap meals, so that was a no-go. Luckily, the Kids Smashburger meal ($4.99) offers a slightly smaller patty in exchange for a nice portion of fries, and a calorie-laden Fruit Punch. One downside: the meal does not include a toy. Smashburger was clearly never a child itself at any point.

Total Calories: 1010

Cost (pre-tax): $4.99

Taco Bell

What to Order: That there behemoth is the XXL Grilled Stuft Beef Burrito ($3.99), which has eight times the number of calories as your average Doritos Locos Tacos=, easily making it a much better value. And those cheesy nachos ($0.89) are the icing on a cake made of tortilla chips that've been drenched in processed nacho cheese. Despite the best efforts of Bond villains, water continues to be free.

Total Calories: 1150

Cost (pre-tax): $4.88

Wendy's

What to Order: One of the rare cases where ordering a meal is the way to go, we opted for the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, small fries, and a small Coke ($3.59 together), all of which left enough cash for the very necessary small chocolate Frosty ($0.99).

Total Calories: 1150

Cost (pre-tax): $4.58

Good morning, AdLand. Here's what you need to know today:

A new report from IT research firm Gartner says that mobile advertising spending will leap to $41.9 billion in 2017, up from its current forecast of $18 billion for 2014. As Mashable points out, this figure is more than the $32.5 billion advertisers are currently spending on radio, a medium whose influence is on the decline. Gartner attributes its bullish mobile ad forecast to "improved market conditions, such as provider consolidation, measurement standardization and new targeting technologies, along with a sustained interest in the mobile medium from advertisers."

Interpublic Group's Lowe and Partners acquired the global digital agency Profero, which has about 550 employees.

Viacomis creating a branded content division. 

CP+B's Los Angeles office created a set of online award for GIFs called the ".GIFYS." Categories include GIF of The Year, Best Sports GIF, and Can't Look Away, as the awards seek to honor the animated GIF "as a medium, social commentary and art form."

Lowe Campbell Ewald officially moved into its new downtown Detroit headquarters. In August, we told you about LCE creative director Iain Lanivich's plan to lure other startups and creative people to the Motor City.

Native advertising distributor Sharethroughraised $17 million Series C funding. The firm helps link publishers with content producers who want to advertise on their sites.

Dow Jones CEO Lex Fenwick has left News Corp. after less than two years at the company. He'll be replaced on an interim basis by chief creative officer William Lewis.

Huawei named Isobar its digital marketing agency for global product launches and consumer events. The Chinese telecom and hardware manufacturer is working to move into the consumer space.

Woman-focused media and marketing firm Meredith named Tim Russell senior managing director of sales for its video studio. Russell was previously VP East at Comcast 360. 

Previously on Business Insider Advertising:

• Apple Changed Super Bowl Advertising Forever 30 Years Ago Today, But Its '1984' Ad Almost Didn't Make It On The Air

• Chobani Intends To Win The 'Yogurt Wars' With Its Super Bowl Campaign

• The Muppets Are Coming To Toyota's Super Bowl Commercial

• Volkswagen Super Bowl Teaser Stars Carmen Electra, Puppies, And A Midget Firing A Tennis Ball At An Old Man's Crotch

• Dove's Short Film Reveals The Painfully Honest Way Young Women View Themselves

• Greek Yogurt Brand Reunites The Men Of 'Full House' In Latest Super Bowl Teaser Video

• The Worst Corporate Tweets Honoring MLK Day

Join the conversation about this story »

Arby's aired a 13-hour commercial this weekend to promote its Smokehouse Brisket Sandwich. 

The commercial, which broke a Guinness World Record for longest television commercial ever aired, shows brisket sizzling in a smoker for 13 hours. At the very end, Arby's executive chef Neville Craw removes the meat from the smoker and prepares the sandwich with smoked Gouda cheese, fried onions and barbecue sauce. 

The ad aired on a local television station in Duluth, Minnesota on Saturday. It will also be streamed online Wednesday beginning at 9 a.m. and viewers will be eligible for $20,000 in cash and prizes.

The commercial is promoting the re-release of Arby's popular Smokehouse Brisket Sandwich, which will be available until September. It's also meant to quell doubt over whether to Arby's really smokes its brisket for "at least 13 hours," as the company claims.

For years, Arby's has been plagued by rumors that its meat comes to the restaurant in paste or liquid form. The company adamantly denies these claims. 

The company spent roughly $250,000 to produce and air the ad, according to the New York Times.

Here's what the process looks like from start to finish:

SEE ALSO: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About How McDonald's Food Is Made

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Arby's is selling a sandwich called the Meat Mountain. 

The $10 sandwich has 2 chicken tenders, 1.5 oz. of roast turkey, 1.5 oz. of ham, 1 slice of Swiss cheese, 1.5 oz. of corned beef, 1.5 oz. brisket, 1.5 oz. of Angus steak, 1 slice of cheddar cheese, 1.5 oz. roast beef, and 3 half-strips of bacon, writes Sarah Halzack at The Washington Post. 

The Meat Mountain is a by-product of marketing, a spokesperson told Washington Post.

After the company created a poster with every type of meat it offers, customers started asking workers to make it.

The Meat Mountain isn't officially on the menu, but workers have been trained to make it, an Arby's spokesperson told The Washington Post. 

People who order the sandwich have been posting about it on Twitter. 

So I found out yesterday that we sell a secret sandwich at Arby's that's not on the menu. It's called "Meat mountain"pic.twitter.com/4CaPCvSNFi

— Chris Guy (@Chris_Guy1) August 21, 2014

Meat mountain boys @bbower@DLechkobit@2pcsnackpic.twitter.com/wIRo5hp47p

— Allburn (@DeltaTeamZer0) August 21, 2014

Discover the Meat Mountain on Arby's new secret menu🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴 #meatpic.twitter.com/2h5FUOxtk0

— kennedy (@Kennedy_Hudson) August 18, 2014

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Arby's is outperforming the rest of the fast food industry. 

The chain, which is known for its slow-cooked meats and curly fries, had a 5.7% sales increase in 2014, compared with growth of 0.8% across the industry. The company has reported same-store sales growth for 17 quarters. 

Arby's success comes at a time when traditional fast food giants like McDonald's are struggling to compete with fast-casual brands like Chipotle and Five Guys.

"It's been a process," Arby's CEO Paul Brown told Business Insider. "We stepped back and made a conscious decision to differentiate ourselves in the marketplace."

Here's how Arby's is beating the rest of the industry. 

Ideal positioning

Arby's has the food quality of fast-casual restaurants, but the price point and convenience of fast food, Brown said.

This has allowed the brand, which has nearly 3,000 stores, to reach fans of both categories. 

The brand slow cooks and hand slices its roast beef for sandwiches every day. Arby's also offers a variety of deli sandwiches.

"We're in a unique position because consumers perceive our food as high-quality, but we are routinely priced below fast-casual competitors," Brown said. "This gives us an expanded base of customers."

Menu strategy

In two years, Arby's has added just one new item to its menu — the beef brisket, Brown said. 

The company keeps things exciting by retooling the meats, cheeses, and breads it already has into new combinations.

This helps prevent food waste and protects workers from becoming overwhelmed.

Focusing on the core product has benefitted Arby's at a time when McDonald's overloaded menu is said to be hurting business. 

While Burger King, McDonald's, and Wendy's all peddle burgers and chicken nuggets, Arby's roast beef sandwiches and curly fries are unique to the brand.

"You can't get our sandwiches anywhere else," Brown said. "This puts us ahead of the competition."

Customer service

Arby's invested in extensive customer service training, Brown said.

The company started referring to customers as "guests." Instead of "units," locations were called "restaurants." 

General managers also met with workers and had them write down their goals for the future. 

Taking an interest in workers' lives has led to better retention, Brown said. 

He also believes that the improvement in customer service helped drive sales. 

At a time when meats like bacon and brisket are popular, it isn't difficult for Arby's to sell its products.

"From a marketing standpoint, it's all about the food," Brown said. 

The company also had a viral media hit this year, when people began ordering the $10 "Meat Mountain" from the secret menu.

The $10 sandwich had 2 chicken tenders, 1.5 oz. of roast turkey, 1.5 oz. of ham, 1 slice of Swiss cheese, 1.5 oz. of corned beef, 1.5 oz. brisket, 1.5 oz. of Angus steak, 1 slice of cheddar cheese, 1.5 oz. roast beef, and 3 half-strips of bacon, wrote Sarah Halzack at The Washington Post. 

The Meat Mountain is a by-product of marketing, a spokesperson told Washington Post.

After the company created a poster with every type of meat it offers, customers started asking workers to make it.

Embracing the core product with the "we've got the meats" slogan helped the company gain favor with customers.

"We are unapologetic and don't try to be something we're not," he said.

SEE ALSO: How McDonald's can be great again

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Arby’s made history by setting a Guinness World Record for the longest television commercial ever aired. The Smokehouse Brisket in their sandwich is slow smoked for 13 hours.

To see the full 13-hour version click here

Video courtesy of Arby's

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Produced by Jacqui Frank. Special thanks to Ashley Lutz.

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After years of declining business, Arby's and Burger King are coming out on top. 

Arby's just reported same-store sales growth of 7.6% compared with last year's second quarter.

Burger King's sales are up 7.9%.

Both restaurants' sales growth far exceeded the industry average of 2.3%, according to NPD Group.

McDonald's same-store sales fell 0.7% in the second quarter. 

Here's what Arby's and Burger King are doing right:

Arby's

Executives say business is booming thanks to its "We've Got the Meats" marketing campaign and successful redesign of stores. The company has reported same-store sales growth for 19 quarters.

"It's been a process," Arby's CEO Paul Brown told Business Insider in February. "We stepped back and made a conscious decision to differentiate ourselves in the marketplace.

Arby's has the food quality of fast-casual restaurants but the price and convenience of fast food, Brown said.

This has allowed the brand — which has nearly 3,000 stores — to reach fans of both categories. 

The brand slow-cooks and hand-slices its roast beef for sandwiches every day. Arby's also offers a variety of deli sandwiches.

"We're in a unique position because consumers perceive our food as high quality, but we are routinely priced below fast-casual competitors," Brown said. "This gives us an expanded base of customers."

In two years, Arby's has added just one new item to its menu, the beef brisket, Brown said. 

The company says it keeps things exciting by retooling the meats, cheeses, and breads it already has into new combinations.

This helps prevent food waste and protects workers from becoming overwhelmed.

Focusing on the core product has benefited Arby's when McDonald's overloaded menu is said to be hurting business. 

Burger King

The second-largest burger chain credits poultry for a surge in sales.

Burger King brought back Chicken Fries, a menu item it discontinued in 2012, a move executives claim brought back many consumers. 

Burger King's young management team, led by 30-something CEO Daniel Schwartz, is impressing analysts at RBC Capital Markets. 

By outsourcing the operations part of its business, Burger King has been able to retain more cash for investments.

The company pared down the US menu and got new equipment to speed up operations. 

Burger King doubled-down on its marketing strategy to appeal to young and cash-strapped customers. 

SEE ALSO: The top food franchises in the world

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"The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart has consistently mocked Arby's over the past couple of years.

"Arby's — technically it's food," Stewart has joked. "The meal that's a dare for your colon. It's like if your stomach could get punched in the balls!"

But Arby's has been good-humored about the non-stop ribbing (no publicity's bad publicity, after all) and the fast-food chain chose to round up the best of the abuse in a tribute ad that ran during the penultimate episode of the Stewart-hosted "The Daily Show," which aired on Wednesday night. Stewart is retiring after 16 years hosting the show.

"Not sure why, but we'll miss you," reads the tag line.

Arby's also created a separate 30-second spot dubbed "Arby's last sandwich."

"This is the last sandwich Arby's ever wanted to make because it means he's really leaving," says the voiceover. "This sandwich with double corned beef and deli mustard on marble rye. It's for Jon. But also, it's for all of us to eat at Arby's whenever the sad thoughts come back."

Arby's told The Wall Street Journal's CMO Today that it will also "be part of" Thursday's finale, although it hasn't bought ad time for tonight's show.

Advertisers are forking out around $230,000 for a 30-second slot during Thursday night's show, which also includes a broader agreement to buy further air time on other channels owned by Comedy Central's parent company Viacom, ad buyers told WSJ CMO Today. Brands buying space include T-Mobile, Bud Light, and movie company Weinstein Co., the report says. 

Those ad rates are significantly higher than the average $46,000 for 30-seconds "The Daily Show" demanded in the second quarter, according to research company SQAD.

South African comedian Trevor Noah will take over from Stewart as the new host of "The Daily Show" next season.

SEE ALSO: Super Bowl ad prices have soared 11% to $5 million for a 30-second slot

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NOW WATCH: Things you may not know about Jon Stewart and how he got to 'The Daily Show'

Snack-sized food is a hot menu trend lately, especially within the fast food industry as Burger King's lauded Chicken Fries made a triumphant return last year.

And finally, Arby's is entering the game with its new sandwich sliders.

There are five varieties: Roast Beef 'n Cheese, Crispy Chicken 'n Cheese, Corned Beef 'n Cheese, Ham 'n Cheese, and Jalapeño Roast Beef 'n Cheese.

These new snack sandwiches are being released on a wave of unprecedented growth for the company.

This month makes 19 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth for Arby's, according to a company release. 

Business Insider tested the sliders — here's the verdict.

SEE WHY: 3 reasons Arby's business is on fire

SEE ALSO: Arby's mocks itself in a good-humored goodbye ad to 'The Daily Show's' Jon Stewart

It's immediately clear that these sliders are pretty much exactly like regular Arby's sandwiches, just scaled down. So if you're a fan of the big guys, odds are you'll like these.

They come in little holding containers, making them even easier to eat on the go.

The new flavor addition is the Jalapeño Roast Beef 'n Cheese slider, seen here. One of our in-house taste testers told us they were "not wild spicy, but just enough kick."

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Next time you step into an Arby's, you may not recognize it.

The sandwich chain is redesigning its restaurants, riding on the momentum of its 19th consecutive quarter of same-store sales.

According to a company release, Arby's is on track to open 60 new restaurant locations and complete over 160 remodels through the end of this year. The remodeled restaurants have already shown sales increases of 15% or more.

Keep scrolling to see what the new, sleek, and modern Arby's looks like inside and out.

MORE ARBY'S: We tried the newest menu item at Arby's — here's the verdict

SEE ALSO: The 20 fast-food chains that rake in the most money

Vintage locations like this one in South San Francisco may soon get a makeover.

The new design for Arby's involves clean and sleek architecture with lots of windows.

Say goodbye to the bland booths and linoleum ...

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An alliance of consumer, health, and environmental groups has released a new report showing how the nation's top 25 fast-food companies by sales stack up on their policies regarding antibiotic use in their meat.

The results are dismal: The report gave 20 of the 25 companies failing grades for not effectively responding to a "growing public health threat by publicly adopting policies restricting routine antibiotic use" in meat.

Of those that passed, only Panera Bread and Chipotle Mexican Grill received an A grade. Chick-fil-A received a B, and McDonald’s and Dunkin' Donuts received C's.

These chains beat out the likes of Starbucks, Olive Garden, Taco Bell, and Kentucky Fried Chicken, who were among the many companies assigned big, fat F's in the report:

The "Chain Reaction" report and scorecard was assembled and released by the nonprofit groups Friends of the Earth, Natural Resources Defense Council, Consumers Union, Food Animal Concerns Trust, Keep Antibiotics Working, and Center for Food Safety.

The report arrives amid growing concern about antibiotic-resistant superbugs, a problem partially fueled by the rampant use of antibiotics in cows, chickens, and other farm animals raised for food. Such concern has sparked the launch of the Obama administration's five-year plan to combat antibiotic resistance, as well as the Food and Drug Administration's new guidelines aiming to restrict antibiotic use in farm-animal products, like meat and poultry, that make it to our dinner plates.

After surveying each of the top 25 restaurant chains through in-person, email, and traditional mail surveys — as well as public statements — the groups assigned grades to each company. They plan to perform this survey annually to measure improvements.

The five chains that passed have demonstrated that they are limiting the use of medically necessary antibiotics or that they prohibit antibiotic use altogether in the meat-production process, according to the report.

The 20 that received failing grades, which represent the majority of the best-selling food chains in the US, haven't showed that they are responding to this issue, the report said.

"Consumers should be as concerned as the foremost infectious disease doctors are — which is very concerned,” David Wallinga, a senior health officer at the environmental nonprofit the National Resources Defense Council, who contributed to the report, told Time.

Antibiotic-resistant superbugs have become one of the world's most pressing public-health concerns. An estimated 2 million people become infected with drug-resistant bacteria in the US each year. Of those, at least 23,000 die.

Most farm animals on the planet get antibiotics to fatten them up and protect them from illness. About 80% of the antibiotics sold in the US every year are for farm animals. Overuse of antibiotics on farms isn't the only issue, but it's a huge contributor to the growing threat of a post-antibiotic era, when even minor infections will not be easily treatable with the drugs we have today.

Tech Insider contacted each of the brands in the report for their reactions. Keep scrolling to read the responses we've received so far, each brand's grade from the report, and which companies haven't gotten back to us.

Panera Bread — "A"

Sara Burnett, director of wellness and food policy at Panera Bread:

More than a decade ago we started serving chicken raised without antibiotics — ahead of the industry. We're glad to see that others have followed and proud to have extended our commitment to all of the chicken, ham, bacon, sausage and roasted turkey on our salads and sandwiches.

Chipotle — "A"

Chris Arnold, spokesman for Chipotle:

We have served meat from animals raised without antibiotics for many years and do more of that than any other restaurant company, so naturally we are pleased to enjoy the highest available grade in this study. While others have made some small steps in a similar direction, the study shows there is more work do be done on this issue within the restaurant industry, and we hope others will follow our lead.

Chick-fil-A — "B"

Rob Dugas, vice president, supply chain, at Chick-fil-A:

Chick-fil-A was the first in the quick service restaurant industry to announce a commitment to “No Antibiotics Ever” in its chicken supply back in 2014. This commitment is the most restrictive in the industry, with no antibiotics (including ionophores) to be administered at all within the chicken’s lifespan.

Because chicken makes up 99% of our menu, Chick-fil-A is prioritizing completely eliminating any antibiotic use in the poultry supply first. Because of this stringent requirement and our desire to have third-party verification of our supplier’s processes, the switch will take some time. 

We are happy to report that —in addition to continuing to serve chicken that has always been 100% pure breast meat with no fillers, additives, hormones or steroids  -- we have converted more than 20% of our poultry supply to our “No Antibiotics Ever” standard and are on track to be fully transitioned by 2019. We also are committed to transparency throughout the process and are posting regular updates on our web site (http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Antibiotic-free), with another update scheduled for this fall.

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An alliance of consumer, health, and environmental groups have released a new report showing how the nation's top 25 fast food companies by sales stack up on their policies regarding antibiotic use in their meat.

The results are dismal: The report gave 20 of the 25 companies failing grades for not effectively responding to a "growing public health threat by publicly adopting policies restricting routine antibiotic use" in meat.

Of those that passed, only Panera Bread and Chipotle Mexican Grill received an "A" grade. Chick-fil-A received a "B," and McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts received "C's."

These chains beat out the likes of Starbucks, Olive Garden, Taco Bell, and Kentucky Fried Chicken, who were among the many companies assigned big, fat "F's" in the report:

The "Chain Reaction" report and scorecard was assembled and released by the non-profit groups Friends of the Earth, Natural Resources Defense Council, Consumers Union, Food Animal Concerns Trust, Keep Antibiotics Working, and Center for Food Safety.

Their report arrives amid growing concern about antibiotic-resistant superbugs, a problem partially fueled by the rampant use of antibiotics in cows, chickens, and other farm animals raised for food. Such concern has sparked the launch of the Obama administration's five-year plan to combat antibiotic resistance, as well as the Food and Drug Administration's new guidelines aiming to restrict antibiotic use in farm animal products, like meat and poultry, that make it to our dinner plates.

After surveying each of the top 25 restaurant chains based on in-person, email, and traditional mail surveys — as well as public statements — the groups assigned grades to each company. They plan to perform this survey annually to measure improvements.

The five chains that passed have demonstrated that they are limiting the use of medically-necessary antibiotics, or that they completely prohibit antibiotic use altogether in the meat production process, according to the report.

The 20 that received failing grades, which represent the majority of the best-selling food chains in the US, haven't showed that they are responding to this growing problem, the report stated.

"Consumers should be as concerned as the foremost infectious disease doctors are — which is very concerned,” David Wallinga, a senior health officer at the environmental nonprofit the National Resources Defense Council, who contributed to the report, told Time.

Antibiotic resistant "superbugs" have become one of the world's most pressing public health concerns. An estimated two million people become infected with drug-resistant bacteria in the US each year. Of those, at least 23,000 die.

Most farm animals on the planet get antibiotics to fatten them up and protect them from illness. About 80% of the antibiotics sold in the US every year are for farm animals. Overuse of antibiotics on farms isn't the only issue, but it's a huge contributor to the growing threat of a post-antibiotic era: when even minor infections won't be easily treatable with the drugs we have today.

Tech Insider contacted each of the companies or franchises included in the report for their responses. Keep scrolling to read the reactions that we've received so far.

Domino's Pizza — "F"

Tim McIntyre, vice president of communications for Domino’s Pizza:

Our suppliers currently meet all USDA requirements and we don't purchase chicken or beef treated with the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics. We rely on farmers and the veterinarians who support them to determine the best way to raise and treat their animals.

Panera Bread — "A"

Sara Burnett, director of wellness and food policy at Panera Bread:

More than a decade ago we started serving chicken raised without antibiotics - ahead of the industry. We're glad to see that others have followed and proud to have extended our commitment to all of the chicken, ham, bacon, sausage and roasted turkey on our salads and sandwiches.

Chipotle — "A"

Chris Arnold, spokesperson for Chipotle:

We have served meat from animals raised without antibiotics for many years and do more of that than any other restaurant company, so naturally we are pleased to enjoy the highest available grade in this study. While others have made some small steps in a similar direction, the study shows there is more work do be done on this issue within the restaurant industry, and we hope others will follow our lead.

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Arby's reached 20 consecutive quarters of same-stores sales growth last week — and the sandwich chain is only getting bigger.

In the third quarter of 2015, Arby's reported 9.6% same-store sales growth in the US, thanks in large part to traffic growth.

The company is dominating the rest of the industry, outperforming a sample of the larger quick-service chains by 7.4%, according to Arby's.

In the long term, the chain's growth is even more impressive, with comparable two-year same-stores sales up 20%.

Despite Arby's success, it keeps a low profile compared to competitors like McDonald's, Burger King, and Taco Bell.

"The first big uptick from a sales standpoint started with the launch of our brisket in Q3 of 2013 ... that was where we saw our first double-digit increase in same stores sales," Arby's CEO Paul Brown told Business Insider.

He added that the brisket "launched us on the higher growth trajectory that we’ve been on ever since. That was our first really premium sandwich that was along the lines of our internal vision of 'deli inspired deliciousness,' that was really great protein, great quality meats, combinations of sandwiches that you certainly can't easily make at home."

According to Brown, the company realized that in 2013, while demand for quality ingredients and transparency were increasing, much of the quick-service industry had been focusing on bread and vegetables.

Two years ago, the chain began developing products and marketing that put protein front and center. Last July, the company launched the “We Have the Meats” campaign, putting this vision in all-capital letters for consumers to see.

As a result, Arby’s is selling more meals than ever before. Half of the sales growth in the third quarter can be attributed to increased traffic, due to returning customers visiting more frequently and rising numbers of new customers, according to Brown.

New customers tend to be younger as Arby's increases afternoon sales and uses nontraditional methods to grow brand visibility. Recent hits include the brand’s Vegetarian Support Hotline and involvement in a tongue-in-cheek feud with comedian Jon Stewart.

However, other than their age, new and returning customers tend to be similar in most ways — especially in their love for meat. Brown says the two biggest categories the brand attempts to target are the “fast foodies,” who crave innovative, fun dishes, and the “eating machines,” who are all about food with strong protein-to-dollar ratios.

Brown is confident that the chain has only just begun bringing in new customers. One major way that the company hopes to attract new consumers: opening locations in areas previously devoid of Arby’s, including urban centers, such as Manhattan, New York, where the first ever Arby’s location will open in the first week of December.

Arby’s is on track to open 60 new restaurants this year, compared to 30 last year, and 15 in 2013. The chain has developed a number of new store formats, including smaller format stores intended for urban areas.

“Urban locations have been a little bite of a white space for the brand, and the reason why is … we just didn’t have building formats that worked really well in urban locations,” says Brown. “For a brand our size to not have as wide of a penetration in urban locations — it’s a real opportunity for us.”

With new store formats and continued product innovation such as the recently released A.1. Special Reserve Steak Sandwich, expect Arby’s to get hotter in the coming year.

“We’re obviously turning our attention more towards growth,” says Brown. “We’ve ramped it up dramatically over the last several years, and I think our intent is certainly to ramp it up at an even faster pace going forward.”

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