--- title: Arbys Launches Vegetarian Support Hotline 1 855 MEAT HLP description: Arbys launches Vegetarian Support Hotline to promote a brown sugar glazed bacon canonical: https://time.com/3944920/arbys-vegetarian-support-hotline/ author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-07T13:00:53.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:47:18.670Z og:title: Arby's Launches Bacon Hotline for 'Tempted' Vegetarians og:description: You can leave a message at 1-855-Meat-HLP og:url: https://time.com/3944920/arbys-vegetarian-support-hotline/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltab4ad7ef7a69a0a5/69885988524fc0e543df369f/screen-shot-2015-07-02-at-1-04-28-pm.png?branch=production&width=481&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 481 og:image:height: 271 og:image:alt: Screen Shot 2015-07-02 at 1.04.28 PM og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Arby's Launches Bacon Hotline for 'Tempted' Vegetarians twitter:description: You can leave a message at 1-855-Meat-HLP twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltab4ad7ef7a69a0a5/69885988524fc0e543df369f/screen-shot-2015-07-02-at-1-04-28-pm.png?branch=production&width=481&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Arby's Launches Bacon Hotline for 'Tempted' Vegetarians > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=30709336-91d3-4545-b2c8-e75c876179cb&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Daily | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 540,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 45.6% | TIME, August 2026 | | Click rate | 3.3% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Richard Hall, Editor | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The informed consumer. A scaled audience of readers who turn to TIME to stay informed and make sense of the world, with meaningful reach across education and research, nonprofits and civic life, media and communications, government and public institutions, and business and professional services. ### TIME The Brief: key statements * The Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * The Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=30709336-91d3-4545-b2c8-e75c876179cb&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/subscribe?i=30709336-91d3-4545-b2c8-e75c876179cb&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's daily news newsletter? The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It reaches 540,000 subscribers with a 45.6% open rate as of August 2026. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Jul 7, 2015 1:00 PM UTC  Arby's  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Jul 7, 2015 1:00 PM UTC Arby’s, the American restaurant that offered [Jon Stewart a job](http://www.people.com/article/jon-stewart-responds-arbys-job-offer) and bought [the oversized brown hat that Pharrell wore ](http://time.com/11364/arbys-bought-pharrells-weird-grammys-hat-for-44000/)at the 2014 Grammys, is out with a new gimmick called the [“Vegetarian Support Hotline.”](http://www.arbys.com/vegetariansupport) Just dial 1-855-Meat-HLP, which launched Tuesday to promote the brand’s brown sugar-glazed pepper bacon. The chain thinks the new menu item, available through July only, sounds so delicious that vegetarians will be “tempted” to eat it. When the number is dialed, there are different prompts depending on whether or not the caller has caved in. An example of the so-called “reassuring” advice that it dishes out: “Now, take a deep breath, and go make a salad.” But aren’t vegetarians usually health-conscious people? And isn’t bacon so unhealthy in the first place that adding brown sugar would just turn them off bacon (and meat in general) even more? Just a thought… Also, the Internet may be interested to learn that, while there isn’t a human operator on the line, callers are supposed to be able to leave a message, so happy trolling. ### See 15 Mouthwatering BBQ Photos  Smoked pork hot link with collard greens and mac and cheese at Jim 'N Nicks Bar-B-Q in Birmingham, Ala. Andrew Hetherington  Fried chicken at Husk in Charleston, S.C., named "Best New Restaurant in America" by Bon Appétit in 2011. Andrew Hetherington  Catfish with a selection of sides (including large lima beans, fresh green beans, collard greens, boiled cabbage, fresh mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts) from the daily cafeteria menu at Niki's West in Birmingham, Ala. Andrew Hetherington  Holeman & Finch Public House in Atlanta infamously serves only 24 burgers a night, at around 10 pm. Get there early; they almost always sell out. Andrew Hetherington  James Beard award-winning chef Sean Brock holding house-cured meat at McCrady's in Charleston, S.C. Andrew Hetherington  Whole pig ready to be butchered at Husk in Charleston, S.C. Andrew Hetherington  Smoked pork ribs with watermelon pickle at Cochon in New Orleans Andrew Hetherington  Menu display at Gus's Hot Dogs in Birmingham, Ala. Andrew Hetherington  Hot dog on the griddle at Gus's in Birmingham, Ala. Andrew Hetherington  The finished product at Gus's in Birmingham, Ala. Andrew Hetherington  All 24 burgers on the griddle at the same time at Holeman & Finch Public House in Atlanta. Andrew Hetherington  House-cured meat at Star Provisions in Atlanta. Andrew Hetherington  Bread for sandwiches and hamburgers at the soda fountain in Add Drug in Athens, Ga. The store is well known for the best-value lunch in town. Andrew Hetherington  Crawfish boil on the banks of the Mississippi in New Orleans with chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski of Cochon restaurant. The crawfish are cooked with lemons, garlic, and salt, then tossed with Old Bay and Cajun spices before being dumped on a plastic table for eating. Andrew Hetherington  Lemon meringue pie at Niki's West in Birmingham, Ala. Andrew Hetherington ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3944920/arbys-vegetarian-support-hotline/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3944920/arbys-vegetarian-support-hotline/"},"headline":"Arby's Launches Bacon Hotline for 'Tempted' Vegetarians","datePublished":"2015-07-07T13:00:53.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:47:18.670Z","description":"You can leave a message at 1-855-Meat-HLP","url":"https://time.com/3944920/arbys-vegetarian-support-hotline/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Food & Drink"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltab4ad7ef7a69a0a5/69885988524fc0e543df369f/screen-shot-2015-07-02-at-1-04-28-pm.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Olivia B. Waxman","jobTitle":"Staff Writer","url":"https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltab4ad7ef7a69a0a5/69885988524fc0e543df369f/screen-shot-2015-07-02-at-1-04-28-pm.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Screen Shot 2015-07-02 at 1.04.28 PM","caption":"","creditText":"Arby's","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3944920/arbys-vegetarian-support-hotline/","name":"Arby's Launches Bacon Hotline for 'Tempted' Vegetarians"}}]}] ```