A & W Restaurants
A&W restaurant in Page, Arizona
A&W is a chain of fast food restaurants distinguished by their draft root beer and root beer floats, made on the premises from concentrate and served in large glass mugs. It is the oldest fast food franchise company in the United States. They serve a typical fast food menu of hamburgers, hot dogs and french fries. Many are 1950s-themed and sponsor classic car cruises. A number of them are drive-in restaurants with car-hops.
History
A&W began in 1922 in Lodi, California when Roy Allen took on partner Frank Wright to help with the root beer business he had started three years earlier. They branded their product A&W root beer after their last names. Two years later Allen bought out Wright and began franchising his product. His profits came from a small franchise fee and concentrate sales. There was no set food menu for franchises until 1978.
A&W may have been the first drive-in and by 1960 they had 2000 stores. In 1971 a beverage division was started, supplying bottled A&W products to grocery stores. The soft drinks sold under this brand are root beer and cream soda, made by Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc.
In the United States and southeast Asia, A&W is currently a Yum! Brands, Inc. company. Most A&W locations that have opened in the U.S. in recent years have been cobranded with Yum!'s fish and chips chain Long John Silver's, or with Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Menu
The A&W menu in Canada consists of several food items:
- The Burger Family:
- Baby Burger
- A half sized burger (1/8 lb.) meant for smaller children. Containing only ketchup inside a non-sesame seeded bun. Cheese is optional on this burger.
- Teen Burger
- A single patty burger which contains mustard, ketchup, diced onion, pickles, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, bacon, and cheddar cheese. Double Teen burgers are also available, with two patties of meat.
- Mama Burger
- A single beef patty (1/4 lb.) seasoned with seasoning salt on a toasted sesame seed bun topped with mustard, ketchup, pickles, sliced onion, and mayonnaise finish off the burger. Adding another 1 or 2 patties makes it a Papa and Grandpa burger respectively.
- Papa Burger
- Two beef patties (1/4 lb. each) seasoned with seasoning salt, with same toppings as a Mama Burger.
- Grandpa Burger
- Three beef patties (1/4 lb. each) seasoned with seasoning salt, with same toppings as a Mama Burger.
- Mozza Burger
- A single beef patty (1/4 lb.) seasoned with seasoning salt on a toasted sesame seed bun with a "Thousand Island" type dressing called Mozza Sauce. Burger has Mozzarella cheese and bacon, as well as Lettuce and Tomato. Adding another patty makes this a Double Mozza.
- Chubby Chicken Burger
- All white meat chicken burger breaded and deep fried. Served on a toasted sesame seed bun with "Chubby Sauce" (A different type of mayonnaise from the burger family) and Lettuce.
- Chicken Grill Delux
- All white meat chicken burger having been grilled. Served on a whole wheat bun with Butter Ranch Dressing, Pickles, Lettuce and Tomato. The burger also has the "Chubby Chicken Double Seasoning" sprinkled on it before serving.
- Swiss Veggie Burger
- A Portabella Mushroom and Tofu Combination patty. Grilled and seasoned with seasoning salt with a slice of Swiss Cheese. Served on a whole wheat bun with Butter Ranch Dressing, Pickles, Sliced Onion, Lettuce and Tomato. Please note that this burger does come into contact with meat juices.
- Chubby Chicken
- Chicken Pieces with seasoned batter, deep fried until crispy, and seasoned again with a special blend of spices. "Double Seasoned Chubby Chicken."
- Chubby Chicken Junior: 2 pieces of chicken served with medium sized fries.
- Chubby Chicken Dinner: 3 pieces of chicken served with medium sized fries and small coleslaw
- Bulk Chicken Pieces: 10, 15, and 20 piece buckets. Also comes in family meal packs.
- Family 10: 10 pieces served with one family sized fries, one medium sized gravy, and one large salad of your choice (Macaroni, Potato, Colslaw).
- Family 15: 15 pieces served with two family sized fries, one large sized gravy, and two large salads of your choice.
- Family 20: 20 pieces served with two family sized fries, one large sized gravy, and three large salads of your choice.
- Chubby Chicken Strips
- All white meat strips battered and deep fried. Comes in 4 sizes. Kid's Pack (2 strips, choice of dipping sauce, small fry, kid size drink, treats included), 3 strip (with choice of sauce), 5 strip, and 12 strip. 12 strip pack also comes in a family meal containing one Family sized fries, one medium gravy, and one large salad of your choice.
- Whistle Dog
- A hot dog, grilled, and served on a kaiser roll bun with relish, cheese and bacon. A regular hot dog is also available which comes with just Ketchup on a kaiser roll bun.
- Coney (Chili) Dog
- A hot dog served with Chili and Onions
- Coney and Cheese Dog
- A hot dog served with Chili, Cheese and Onions
- Side dishes:
- Drinks:
International
Canada
The first Canadian A&W restaurant was opened in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1956. The Canadian division of A&W was sold to Unilever in 1972, and no longer has any other relation to the American chain.
In 1975, facing tough competition from the growing Canadian operations of McDonald's, the company launched what was to have been a temporary advertising campaign starring an orange-clad mascot, The Great Root Bear. The bear and the catchy tuba jingle that accompanied him wherever he went became a long-running success story. The mascot was so successful that he was eventually adopted as a mascot by the American A&W chain.
Late
1990s concept store for Canadian chain.
In the early 1980's, the drive-in style of restaurant was phased out in Canada, replaced with a modern, pastel-coloured fast food outlet and healthier options.
In the late 1990's, marketing, design, and products began to take on a more "retro" aproach, with older menu items (such as the Burger Family and Chubby Chicken) being re-introduced to the menu, new orange, yellow, and brown interior & exterior design (older restaurants have since been painted to match this style), and they have introduced breakfast items.
On February 15, 2002, the A&W Revenue Royalties Income Fund TSX: AW.UN was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The initial public offering was 8.34 million units at $10 each. There are currently 650 A&W restaurants in Canada. The franchise is based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Okinawa, Japan
A&W drive-in restaurants are popular in Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture of Japan.
Australia
A&W operates in Australia. Until 2003, Tasmania did not have any A&W stores however, a trial run was tried, with A&W being combined with KFC stores, offering both store menus in the one location. The trial ended in late 2004, with the A&W branches closing down, and it is as yet unknown if A&W will make another venture into the market.
Bangladesh
A&W opened its first outlet in Bangladesh on the 15th of december 2004. The outlet is located in Gulshan, Dhaka. With the seating capacity of 165 people at a time, the restaurant remains open from 11:00am to 11:00pm on weekdays and until midnight on Thursday and Friday.
Malaysia
A&W's first store in Asia Pacific opened at Kuala Lumpur's Batu Road in 1963. It was also the first fast food corporation from the US to set foot in the country.
Singapore
The first A&W store opened at Dunearn Road in Singapore in the year 1966 as the first fast food restaurant from America in the country. The chain expanded in the later years including one at Singapore Zoo which closed down in 1999. The chain's Singapore operations dwindled in the 2000s, and by 2002 it had 7 outlets around the island. A&W finally closed in 2003.
United Kingdom
There are a few A&W outlets appearing in the United Kingdom, all of which share retail space with KFC. These include outlets in Derby, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Glasgow.
See also
External links
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