A Boardman-based man who co-founded one of the most recognizable fast food chains in the country has died.

Arby's co-founder, Leroy Raffel has died at age 96 according to a post on the fast food chain's Facebook page.

Leroy, along with his brother Forrest founded the popular restaurant in Boardman in 1964. Forrest died in 2008 at the age of 86.

The name "Arby's" comes from the Raffel Brothers' initials "RB." 

In 2014, 21 News spoke with Leroy about the restaurant's humble beginnings in Boardman. The restaurant differentiated itself from other fast food chains by offering roast beef sandwiches as opposed to hamburgers.

"On the day we opened, the McDonald's hamburger was 15 cents and our sandwich was 69 cents. So you had to be a little more affluent to buy our sandwich," he said.

The buns for these sandwiches were designed by Schwebel's.

Twelve years after opening, the brothers sold the Arby's chain, which had 400 locations at the time, to the Royal Crown Cola Company. 

Raffel told 21 News in 2014 that he credits the people of the Mahoning Valley for getting the company to where it is today.