A&W Restaurants facts for kids

A&W Restaurants, Inc.

An A&W restaurant in Page, Arizona
Trade name	A&W All American Food
Type	Private
Industry	Restaurants Franchising
Genre	Fast food
Founded	June 1923; 102 years ago (1923-06) Lodi, California
Founder	Roy W. Allen Frank Wright
Headquarters	Lexington, Kentucky , United States
Number of locations	900+
Area served	United States Southeast Asia
Key people	Kevin Bazner (CEO) Dale Mulder (chairman)
Products	Hamburgers, fried chicken and tenders, hot dogs, root beer, root beer floats, cheese curds, waffles, soft serve, french fries, milkshakes and rice
Revenue	$330 million (2020)
Owner	A Great American Brand, LLC
Number of employees	approx. 35,000 (2019)

A&W Restaurants is a famous American fast food chain. They are known for their "Burger Family" meals, delicious root beer, and root beer floats. The story of A&W began in 1919. Roy W. Allen started a small stand in Lodi, California. He sold root beer to celebrate soldiers coming home from World War I.

In 1922, Allen teamed up with Frank Wright. They opened their first A&W restaurant in Sacramento, California, in 1923. The company name "A&W" comes from the first letters of their last names: Allen and Wright. A&W became famous for its "frosty mugs." These mugs were kept in a freezer and filled with A&W Root Beer right before serving.

A&W started offering franchises in 1926. Today, there are over 900 A&W locations in 16 countries. About 460 of these are in the United States, Southeast Asia, and Germany. They serve a fast-food menu including hamburgers, hot dogs, and french fries. Some A&W places are drive-in restaurants. They even have carhops who bring food to your car.

A group of A&W restaurant owners bought the chain in December 2011. This group is called A Great American Brand, LLC. A&W restaurants in Canada have been a separate company since 1972.

The Story of A&W Restaurants

How A&W Started

On June 20, 1919, Roy W. Allen opened his first root beer stand. It was in Lodi, California. The first day was a special celebration for soldiers returning from World War I. The next day, he sold root beer to everyone for 5 cents a glass.

The next year, Allen opened a second stand in Stockton, California. During Prohibition in the United States (1920-1933), when alcohol was banned, Allen's root beer became very popular. People liked having a drink with "beer" in the name.

Four years later, A&W truly began. Allen and Frank Wright opened their first drive-in restaurant in Sacramento. They combined their initials for the name. "Tray boys" and "tray girls" brought food to cars. In 1924, Allen bought out Frank Wright's share of the business.

In 1925, Allen started letting other people open A&W root beer stands. This was called franchising. These new owners could add other food items to their menus. Many of these early restaurants were on highways. They served travelers in California's Central Valley. This was possibly the first successful food franchising business. Allen sold the company and retired in 1950.

A&W's first menu mostly had root beer and snacks. These included popcorn, peanuts, and sandwiches.

In 1927, J. Willard Marriott got the rights to open A&W stands in Washington, D.C., and nearby cities. These stands later became Hot Shoppes. This helped create one of the world's largest hotel companies. By 1933, A&W had 171 stands. This number grew to 260 by 1941.

A&W survived the Great Depression and worker shortages during World War II. After the war, the American economy grew. Fast food and drive-in restaurants became very popular. The first meeting for A&W franchise owners was in 1949. It was held in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Growing Across the World

In the 1950s and 1960s, A&W grew a lot. New restaurants opened in Canada in 1956. By 1960, A&W had 2,000 restaurants.

In 1963, the first A&W opened on Okinawa. At that time, Okinawa was controlled by the United States. A&W then expanded to other countries. These included Guam (1961), Mexico, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The first restaurant in Malaysia opened on December 24, 1963.

The first A&W in Europe opened in Mannheim, West Germany, in 1962. This city had many US military members. It was the first drive-in restaurant in Germany and was very popular. The company planned to open more restaurants in Europe.

Dale Mulder opened an A&W restaurant in Lansing, Michigan, in 1961. In 1963, a customer kept asking for bacon on his cheeseburger. So, Mulder added the bacon cheeseburger to his menu. A&W is often given credit for inventing the bacon cheeseburger.

Changes in Ownership

In 1963, A&W was sold again. Then, in 1967, it was sold to United Fruit Co.. This company later became United Brands Company.

In 1971, A&W Beverages Inc. started selling bottled A&W products in grocery stores. These drinks became available all over the country. In 1972, the Canadian part of A&W was sold. It became a separate company.

A&W tried to open restaurants in mainland Japan in the early 1970s. But they did not do well there, unlike in Okinawa. This was partly because of the 1973 oil crisis. A&W left mainland Japan. Today, A&W's Japanese operations are still based in Okinawa.

By 1974, A&W had more restaurants than McDonald's, with a peak of 2,400 locations. However, problems like lawsuits and unhappy franchise owners caused many restaurants to close. By 1980, the number of A&W restaurants in the United States, Asia, and Europe had fallen to 1,300.

In 1982, A. Alfred Taubman bought A&W. He wanted to update the chain's image. He ended agreements with 100 poorly performing restaurants. He also changed how the company worked. A&W split its restaurants into two types: the traditional orange-roof A&W restaurants and A&W Great Food Restaurants.

In 1983, A&W opened its first restaurant in Thailand. It was in a shopping mall in Bangkok.

In 1985, A&W introduced the Third Pounder burger. This was to compete with McDonald's Quarter Pounder. A&W said their Third Pounder tasted better and cost less for its size. However, some people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4 because 3 is a smaller number than 4. The burger was brought back in 2021 as the 3/9 Pound burger.

A&W opened its first restaurant in Indonesia on April 21, 1985. It was in South Jakarta. Indonesia is now A&W's biggest international market. As of February 2023, it had 243 restaurants in 30 cities. A restaurant in Ximending, Taiwan, opened in 1986.

In 1987, Dale Mulder became the CEO and president of A&W. The company started expanding again. In 1989, A&W made a deal with Carousel Snack Bars. They converted 200 of Carousel's stores into A&W Hot Dogs & More. Some of these are still open today. A&W also bought the Burger City chain. They changed its nine drive-thru kiosks into A&W locations.

George E. Michel became president of A&W Restaurants in January 1991. He used the company's long history to create a feeling of nostalgia.

New Ownership and Growth

In December 1994, A. Alfred Taubman sold A&W to Sidney Feltenstein. The goal was to expand A&W even more around the world. At that time, there were 790 restaurants. Most international locations were in Malaysia, Thailand, and Japan. In January 1995, Grotech Capital Partners took over operations.

In 1996, A&W partnered with Walmart to open restaurants in seven locations. A&W also updated its restaurants to have a "contemporary nostalgia" look. This meant a modern feel with a nod to the past.

A&W aimed to open more restaurants in places like gas stations. They also planned to grow in other countries. These included Oman, Dubai, Seoul, and Singapore. They also wanted to return to the Middle East. In early 1997, they announced plans to open locations in colleges and universities.

A&W entered China in 1996. They had eight restaurants in Beijing. However, the Chinese franchisee had problems. The restaurants closed between 2002 and 2003. The "father of American fast food" did not quite fit with local tastes.

The first A&W restaurant in Qatar opened on December 18, 1997. There were also plans for restaurants in Cairo and more in the UAE. In June 1998, A&W had only two restaurants in Mexico. The Cairo branch opened in August 1998. This made Egypt the seventeenth country outside the US to have an A&W.

In 1997, the first A&W restaurant that combined with another chain opened. It was with a Mexican food chain called Amigos in Lincoln. This helped attract more customers. In March 1999, A&W announced a new restaurant in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A&W merged with Long John Silver's in March 1999. They formed Yorkshire Global Restaurants. In 2000, Yorkshire agreed to test having multiple brands in one location with Tricon Global Restaurants. By March 2002, this test was successful. It included KFC/A&W, KFC/Long John Silver's, and Taco Bell/Long John Silver's locations.

In December 2000, A&W announced plans to open new restaurants in unusual places. These included casinos, airports, and gas stations. At that time, A&W had over 1,000 locations in 47 states. They also had over 200 international locations in 14 countries.

Tricon bought both A&W and Long John Silver's in March 2002. Tricon then became Yum! Brands.

Under Yum! Brands

In March 2002, Yorkshire merged with Tricon Global Restaurants to form Yum! Brands. Yum! decided to move A&W's operations to Louisville. They wanted to run all their chains from one place. Under Yum!'s management, A&W added new restaurants with a nostalgic look and modern technology. Some had a carhop design and picnic tables.

In 2004, the Papa Burger brand returned to A&W restaurants. This was part of the old "Burger Family" brand.

In September 2001, a Malaysian company called KUB took over A&W franchises in Southeast Asia. The chain left the Philippine market in 2004. This was due to a lack of interest in its food and high costs.

A&W tried to enter large European markets by partnering with KFC. The first non-military A&W in Germany opened in Garbsen in May 2003.

A&W opened its first restaurant in Bangladesh on December 15, 2004. This location closed in 2024. Indonesia reached a milestone in October 2004. Its hundredth A&W restaurant opened there. By the end of 2004, all A&W restaurants in the Philippines had closed.

Most A&W stores opened in the U.S. under Yum!'s ownership were combined with another Yum! chain. These included Long John Silver's, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, or KFC.

By 2009, A&W's operations in Southeast Asia were mixed. Indonesia and Bangladesh were doing well. But Thailand and Malaysia faced challenges. For its 90th anniversary, A&W announced plans to open fifteen new drive-ins. They called this the “Three-D Drive In: Drive-In, Drive-Through, Dine-In” concept.

A Great American Brand Takes Over

In January 2011, Yum! Brands decided to sell A&W. They wanted to focus on growing their other brands internationally, especially in China. In September 2011, Yum! announced that A Great American Brand would buy A&W. This group was made up of A&W franchise owners. The sale was completed on December 19, 2011. Kevin M. Bazner returned as CEO.

A&W moved its headquarters back to Lexington, Kentucky. The company had 1,200 restaurants at the time. About 850 were in the U.S., and most of the rest were in Asia. A&W decided to focus on its strengths. These included smaller cities and towns in the USA.

In early 2013, A&W launched a new product. It was a six-ounce version of its soft-serve dessert treat called Mini Polar Swirls. The next summer, 250 A&W restaurants started hand-breading their chicken tenders. This was to offer higher-quality food. In April 2014, they added the Hand-Breaded Chicken Tender Texas Toast Sandwich to the menu.

In October 2013, A&W opened a new type of restaurant. It was called A&W Burgers Chicken Floats. This new concept focused on fresh, made-to-order food and great customer service. The menu included burgers with fresh beef, hand-breaded chicken tenders, and hot dogs. The new management helped A&W open more locations than it closed in 2017.

In April 2019, A&W returned to Singapore after 16 years. Its first new location was at Jewel Changi Airport. In June 2019, A&W moved its headquarters to the University of Kentucky Coldstream Research Campus.

A&W announced in March 2022 that it would leave the Thai market. The restaurants closed on March 20. In early 2023, A&W planned to open three new locations in western New York. The first one in Niagara Falls opened between May and June 2023.

As of October 2024, there are nearly 1,000 A&W Restaurants worldwide. About 475 of these are in the U.S. A&W's profits improved in the first half of 2024. They are focusing on single-brand restaurants and unusual locations. In November 2024, A&W announced plans to open in Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin.

Betsy Schmandt became A&W's CEO and president on March 4, 2025. Kevin Bazner continues as chairman. In April 2025, A&W signed a deal to open three restaurants in the Memphis metropolitan area. The first one in Millington is set to open by the end of 2025.

How A&W Operates

A&W is the only major fast-food chain in the United States owned entirely by its franchise owners. This happened after the 2011 sale from Yum! Brands. The current owners prefer single-brand restaurants. This is different from past owners who liked combined, co-branded restaurants.

As of December 2021, there were 900 A&W restaurants in the US and Asia. In the United States, the states with the most A&W restaurants are California, Wisconsin, and Michigan. As of the end of 2023, A&W had 455 franchised restaurants in the US. The number of co-branded locations has been going down. A&W has been on the Franchise 500 list for six years in a row. In 2024, it was ranked 210th. The number of restaurants in the US and Asia is almost the same. A&W has been opening more restaurants outside the US since 2015.

A&W Advertising and Mascots

Advertising Campaigns

A&W does not advertise nationally. This is because they do not have restaurants in all parts of the United States. Their first national TV commercial was on June 16, 1969. It advertised root beer to take home.

In 1976, A&W Restaurants helped Easter Seals. They collected money from large root beer mugs for a telethon.

In 1997, the chain started using "All American Food" as its slogan. This was to help more people recognize the brand. In February 2000, A&W increased its marketing budget. They planned a new line of burgers for January 2001.

In the summer of 2007, A&W launched the "Moove to American" campaign. This campaign encouraged people to eat U.S. beef. It started with a fun event. 35 cows were sent on a boat to the Statue of Liberty.

A&W partnered with Green Bay Packers player Greg Jennings in 2009. Papa Burgers were sold for 85 cents in Green Bay if Jennings scored a touchdown. This was so popular that it expanded to all of Wisconsin in 2010.

In January 2013, A&W Restaurants hired a new advertising agency. The contract was renewed in January 2024.

In January 2019, before its 100th anniversary, A&W removed the ampersand (&) from its logo. This was part of a funny campaign. They pretended to try and bring the ampersand back as the 27th letter of the alphabet.

Starting in October 2020, A&W created quizzes on its website. This was to help make up for money lost when some restaurants closed. For Halloween that year, they released a funny online video called "The Onion Ring." It was a parody of the movie The Ring.

A&W launched a new campaign in 2024. It uses the ampersand in its logo and the slogan "Burgers, Floats & Then Some." The packaging was also changed.

Special Mugs and Free Floats

A&W Restaurants first offered a day of free root beer floats in 2004. Now, A&W supports Disabled American Veterans. Since 2013, they collect money for this group on National Root Beer Float Day. This day is celebrated on August 6. In 2019, they raised a record $175,000.

Each year, A&W announces a new design for its Collectors' Mug. In 2005, the mug had a colorful picture of The Great Root Bear on it.

A&W Mascots

In the 1960s, a character called Chubby Chicken appeared on Chubby burgers.

In 1963, A&W introduced four types of hamburgers. They were called Papa Burger, Mama Burger, Teen Burger, and Baby Burger. Each burger wrapper had a cartoon picture of the character.

The chain in the United States also used Dennis the Menace as a special mascot in the 1960s. He appeared in print ads.

Rooty, the Great American Root Bear, started as a mascot for kids' meals in the US. But he became more famous in Canada in 1974. He was a friendly character, like Ronald McDonald for McDonald's. Rooty appeared in the United States and Asia soon after.

Rooty was the face of A&W throughout the 1970s, '80s, and '90s. He appeared in TV and print ads for both the bottled drinks and the restaurants. He disappeared in the late 1990s. But in 2011, under the new ownership, Rooty came back! He has been in print ads, on A&W's website, and on their official Twitter account. A bronze statue of Rooty is in the lobby of the current headquarters. In 2013, Rooty tried to get a LinkedIn profile. But it was quickly taken down because he was not considered "real."

Rooty made headlines on January 24, 2023. A funny tweet was posted on A&W's social media. It showed Rooty wearing pants. The tweet joked that Rooty's lack of pants was "polarizing." Some news outlets thought it was real. But A&W later said it was just a joke. They have no plans to change Rooty's outfit.

In March 1998, characters from the comic strip "Blondie" were used at A&W restaurants. This was part of the "All American Food" campaign.

Images for kids

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  Fried chicken with rice, Jakarta, Indonesia

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  A&W waffles ice cream, Malaysia

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  An A&W drive-in, in New York, 1973

See also

In Spanish: A&W Restaurants para niños