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A&W (Canada) facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Traded as | TSX: AW.UN (A&W Revenue Royalties Income Fund) |
| Industry | Fast food |
| Founded | 1956 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Headquarters | North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
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Number of locations
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1,029 (2022) |
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Key people
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Susan Senecal (CEO & president) |
| Products | Root beer, hamburgers, chicken burgers, veggie burgers, onion rings, french fries, sweet potato fries, breakfast items, fried chicken, and previously, hot dogs |
| Revenue |  CA$1.34 billion (2020) |
| CA$28 million (2020) |
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Number of employees
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20,000 (2020) |
| Parent | A&W Restaurants (1956–1972) Unilever (1972–1995) A&W Trade Marks Limited Partnership (Trademark only) |
A&W is a popular fast-food restaurant chain in Canada. It is run by a company called A&W Food Services of Canada, Inc.
The first A&W restaurant in Canada opened in Winnipeg in 1956. It was part of the A&W chain from the United States. In 1972, a company called Unilever bought the Canadian A&W operations. This made the Canadian A&W separate from the American one. Later, in 1995, a group of Canadian A&W owners bought the chain from Unilever.
Today, A&W Canada is still owned by Canadians. Its main office is in North Vancouver. In 2022, A&W was the second-largest fast-food hamburger chain in Canada. It had 1,029 restaurants across the country.
Contents
History of A&W Canada
The very first A&W restaurant in Canada opened its doors in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1956. Over the next ten years, more than 200 A&W locations opened across Canada. These Canadian restaurants were part of the American A&W chain until 1972. That's when they were sold to a large company called Unilever.
The Great Root Bear and New Ideas
In 1975, A&W faced strong competition from other fast-food chains. To stand out, they launched a fun advertising campaign. It featured a mascot named The Great Root Bear. This orange-clad bear and his tuba jingle became very famous. The tune was even released as a song! The Great Root Bear was so popular that the American A&W chain also started using him as their mascot.
In the early 1980s, A&W changed its restaurant style. They moved away from the old drive-in look. Instead, they created modern, bright fast-food places. These new restaurants also offered slightly healthier food choices. A&W started opening many locations inside shopping malls. This is why you can still find A&W in many Canadian malls today.
New Ownership and Retro Style
In 1995, the senior managers of A&W bought the chain from Unilever. This meant A&W Canada was now fully Canadian-owned. Around the late 1990s, A&W started using a more retro (old-fashioned) style in their marketing. They brought back popular menu items like "The Burger Family." Their ads began to appeal to older customers who remembered the original A&W.
A new restaurant design was also introduced. It featured bright orange and yellow colours, like restaurants from the 1950s. The inside was decorated with items from that time too. Existing restaurants were updated to match this new style. A&W also started opening more standalone restaurants, especially in smaller towns. The last drive-in style restaurant closed in 2000.
Modern Focus and Good Food
On February 15, 2002, A&W Canada made a big step. They listed the A&W Revenue Royalties Income Fund on the Toronto Stock Exchange. This fund owns the A&W trademarks in Canada. It allows A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. to use them. In return, A&W Food Services pays a small fee (3%) on all sales.
In June 2006, A&W celebrated 50 years in Canada. In 2009, they introduced new restaurant designs. Some were very modern, while others kept a few classic touches. A&W also started focusing their advertising on animal welfare. They highlighted that their chicken and beef were raised without antibiotics.
In February 2018, Susan Senecal became the company's chief executive officer. In June 2018, A&W was the first fast-food chain in North America to replace plastic straws with paper ones.
A&W Products
A&W is famous for its root beer. But their menu also features "The Burger Family." This group of hamburgers was first introduced in the 1960s. After being changed for a while, they were brought back in Canada in the late 1990s.
The Burger Family
Displays of "The Burger Family" outside an A&W in Morinville
The original Burger Family includes the Baby, Mama, Teen, and Papa burgers. Today, you can still buy these, along with other "family members":
- Baby Burger: A small beef patty with ketchup on a plain bun. You can add cheese.
- Mama Burger: A regular beef patty with onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and Teen Sauce on a sesame seed bun. You can add cheese.
- Teen Burger: A regular beef patty with onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, bacon, Teen Sauce, lettuce, tomato, and cheese on a sesame seed bun.
- Papa Burger: Two regular beef patties with onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and Teen Sauce on a sesame seed bun. You can add cheese.
- Grandpa Burger: Three regular beef patties with onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and Teen Sauce on a sesame seed bun. You can add cheese.
- Uncle Burger: A large beef patty with red onion, pickles, ketchup, Chubby mayo, Uncle Sauce, lettuce, tomato, and two slices of cheese on a sesame seed bun.
- Double Teen Burger: Two regular beef patties with onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, bacon, Teen Sauce, lettuce, tomato, and cheese on a sesame seed bun.
Chubby Chicken
Chubby Chicken is another classic item that returned to the menu. Chubby burgers are made with breaded white-meat chicken breasts. There are three kinds:
- The Original Chubby Burger: Made with Chubby Mayo and lettuce on a sesame seed bun.
- The Spicy Habanero Chicken Burger: Has a spicy chicken patty with jalapeño aioli, lettuce, and tomato on a seeded bun.
- BLT Chubby Burger: Made on a 7-grain bun with Chubby Mayo, two slices of bacon, lettuce, and tomato.
You can order these burgers alone or as part of a combo meal. A&W also offers white-meat chicken strips. You can get them in 3 or 5 pieces, or in wraps like the "Chipotle Chicken wrap."
Value Menu
In 2012, A&W added its first value burger, the Buddy Burger. It also has a Double Buddy burger. You can order both with or without cheese. These burgers helped A&W compete with other fast-food chains that had similar value options.
In 2015, A&W tested a new Chicken Buddy burger. It was very popular and became a permanent item on the value menu in 2016.
- Buddy Burger: One or two small beef patties with mustard, ketchup, Teen Sauce, and grilled onions on a plain bun. Available as single or double, with or without cheese.
- Chicken Buddy Burger: One or two breaded chicken patties with mayonnaise and pickles on a plain bun. Available as single or double.
Breakfast
A&W updated its breakfast menu in the summer of 2014. Besides the Bacon N' Egger and Sausage N' Egger, they added new items like The All-Canadian Special and pancakes. You can choose to have your breakfast sandwiches on English muffins or on buns. In 2017, A&W started offering their breakfast sandwiches all day long.
Beyond Meat
In July 2018, A&W started serving the vegan Beyond Burger from Beyond Meat. This plant-based burger was very popular. In 2019, A&W added the Beyond Meat Sausage N' Egger to their breakfast menu.
- Beyond Meat Burger: A plant-based patty with mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, red onion, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and A&W seasoning on a sesame seed bun.
- Beyond Meat Sausage N' Egger: A plant-based sausage patty with margarine, egg, and cheddar cheese on an English muffin.
Other Products
Glasses of A&W Root Beer
A&W also sells their Mozza Burger. It has a beef patty, lettuce, tomato, bacon, mozzarella cheese, and a special Mozza sauce on a sesame seed bun.
The ketchup and mustard used at A&W restaurants are made by French's. They use only Canadian ingredients. The Whistle Dog, a hot dog with cheese, bacon, and relish, was available for a limited time in July 2022.
Animal Welfare
A&W cares about where their food comes from. The chicken and eggs they use are from hens that live in comfortable spaces. These hens are fed a vegetarian diet. Antibiotics are only used for A&W's animals if they are sick and need medicine. Those animals are then taken out of food production. All pork comes from Canadian farms that do not use small stalls for pigs. A&W is also working to have all their meat production meet high animal welfare standards.
Trademark
The A&W trademarks (like the logo and name) are owned by A&W Trade Marks Limited Partnership. This partnership lets A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. use the trademarks. In return, A&W Food Services pays a royalty of 3% of all sales from A&W restaurants in Canada.
See also
- List of hamburger restaurants