A&W Restaurants, Inc. is a fast-food restaurant chain that is widely known for its root beer, root beer floats and burgers. It’s based in Lexington, Kentucky, United States and has more than 1,000 locations worldwide. About 600 of these locations are found in the U.S.
What time does A&W open?
| Monday | 06:00AM – 11:00PM |
| Tuesday | 06:00AM – 11:00PM |
| Wednesday | 06:00AM – 11:00PM |
| Thursday | 06:00AM – 11:00PM |
| Friday | 06:00AM – 11:00PM |
| Saturday | 06:00AM – 11:00PM |
| Sunday | 06:00AM – 11:00PM |
Is A&W open today? Is A&W open tomorrow?
Is A&W open on Sunday? Yes, it is open
A&W closing time
What time does A&W close? It closes at 11 PM
History of the A&W
A&W traces its roots to 1919. Roy W. Allen had a roadside drink stand that offered participants of a World War I parade a thick creamy drink, and root beer. The parade was held in Lodi California to honor veterans returning from Word War I.
Allen partnered with his employee Frank Wright in 1922 and opened the first restaurant in 1923. The restaurant was based in Sacramento, California and was named using the initials of the two founders’ last names – Allen and Wright.
The restaurant soon became popular in America for its frosty mugs which were first put in a freezer and then filled with root beer. The restaurant also provided curbside services which were availed by tray boys and girls.
Allen purchased Wright’s stake in the business in 1924. He then started to franchise the root beer in 1925. Franchisees were allowed to add menu items to the root beer and operate at their own discretion. Allen later retired and sold the company in 1950.
A&W expanded exponentially in the 1950s and 1960s. Franchisees were signing contracts of between 20 and 25 years under an older model. By 1956, the company had expanded to Canada. It had 2,000 restaurants by 1960. The following years saw it branch into markets outside the U.S. such as Malaysia and the Philippines.
A&W was sold in 1963, and sold again in 1967 to United Fruit Co. It was later purchased by Unilever in 1972. By 1974, the company had 2,400 stores worldwide. Branches started to close after a while due to inconsistencies in operations, discontent by franchisees and lawsuits. This led the company to adopt a modern style franchise agreement that had new standards and royalty payments.
The company would later be sold to A. Alfred Taubman who placed it under Taubman Investment Co. in 1982. Chains dropped to less than 500 locations after most franchisees refused to renew their contracts.
Sidney Feltenstein bought A&W from Taubman in 1995. A&W then merged with Long John to form Kentucky-based Yorkshire Global Restaurants. Yorkshire was bought by Tricon Global in 2002 and changed its name to Yum! Brands. Yum! Brands sold A&W to A Great American Brand in December 2011.
A&W Holiday Hours – Open
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| January 21 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
| February 14 | Valentine’s Day |
| February 18 | President’s Day |
| March 5 | Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday |
| March 17 | St. Patrick’s Day |
| April 19 | Good Friday |
| April 22 | Easter Monday |
| May 5 | Cinco de Mayo |
| May 27 | Memorial Day |
| July 04 | Independence Day |
| September 02 | Labor Day |
| June 16 | Father’s Day |
| May 12 | Mother’s Day |
| October 14 | Columbus Day |
| October 31 | Halloween |
| November 11 | Veterans Day |
| November 29 | Black Friday |
| December 24 | Christmas Eve |
| December 26 | Day after Christmas |
| January 01 | New Year’s Day |
| December 31 | New Year’s Eve |
A&W Holiday Hours – Closed
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| April 21 | Easter Sunday |
| November 28 | Thanksgiving Day |
| December 25 | Christmas Day |
A&W near me
Business Directions
A&W Restaurants, Inc. is distinguished by its root beer floats, burgers and draft root beer. Other menu items sold alongside its beer include chicken, cheeseburgers, fries, hot dogs, soft drinks, tea, and corn dogs.
Key Facts
A&W was the first franchise chain of restaurants to turn 100 in June, 2019. It also made a comeback to Singapore in April of the same year after being away for 16 years. One of its most memorable offerings are four hamburger choices that were introduced in 1963. The hamburgers took a family setup where there was Papa Burger, Mama Burger, Teen Burger, and Baby Burger.
Conclusion
A&W is arguably America’s oldest and first franchised chain of restaurants. It makes its root beer from water, real cane sugar, and a blend of spices, herbs, berries, and bark. This is served alongside delicious and tasty chicken tenders, burgers, and fries.
FAQ
Is A&W American or Canadian?
In 1972, A&W Food Services was acquired by Unilever Canada Limited. Since that time, A&W has always been owned and operated in Canada independently from A&W operations in the United States.
What does A&W stand for?
Allen partnered with former Lodi employee Frank Wright. They leased their first two Root Beer stands to other operators so they could expand into the larger city of Sacramento. This was around the same time the partners coined the new name A&W®, “A” for Allen & “W” for Wright.
Is A and W real Root Beer?
Made fresh in our restaurants. Our signature item since the opening of our first tiny Root Beer stand in 1919. It’s still made fresh on site with real cane sugar and a proprietary blend of herbs, bark, spices and berries.
Who owns the A&W brand?
The rights to the A&W brand (except in Canada) are owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, which in turn licenses the brand to the U.S.-based A&W Restaurant chain. A&W Root Beer products are distributed via various U.S. bottlers.
Does Pepsi own A&W?
Pepsi owns A&W Root Beer? There is no Pepsi root beer owned by A&W. Root beer maker A&W is owned by The Great American Brand LLC, which owns the A&W restaurant franchise as well. Pepsi and Coca Cola sponsor A&W root beer as well as bottle and distribute it.
Why is A&W Root Beer so good?
What the panel loved most about A&W was its mellow, creamy taste—definitely the brand you want to pick up if you’re a fan of smooth root beers. A&W also got high marks for its sweet (but not too sweet) vanilla flavor. Not a surprise since A&W proudly advertises its use of real aged vanilla right on the can (pssst…
What is the oldest fast-food restaurant?
What is this? Since A&W started out as a root beer stand, many people consider White Castle to be the world’s first true fast food restaurant. White Castle was founded in 1921 by Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson in Wichita, Kansas.
Why does A&W not have ice?
We don’t put ice in our drinks b/c it waters down our delicious Root Beer. If you eat in, we serve our drinks in frosty mugs. Well with out ice your drinks are more syrup than anything.
Is A&W root beer made with cane sugar?
A&W Root Beer® is made with natural cane sugar and all-natural flavours.
Is A&W under Coca Cola?
A&W – Brands & Products | The Coca-Cola Company.
Which is better barqs or A&W?
A ranking by Deadspin agreed with the Serious Eats verdict: Barq’s is significantly better than A&W. Out of twelve brands, A&W came in seventh and Barq’s came in fifth. Their number one pick was 365 Everyday Value’s root beer, which is only available at Whole Foods, so it’s not always an option.
Does A&W still use glass mugs?
A&W restaurants have been serving A&W Root Beer in their iconic glass mugs since 1956. Most A&W restaurants offer metal baskets, compostable burger packaging, ceramic plates and metal cutlery for breakfasts.
Does A&W make their own Root Beer?
A&W Root Beer is still made fresh in the restaurants from real cane sugar, water and a proprietary blend of herbs, bark, spices, and berries that are served in a frosty mug alongside burgers, fries, hand-breaded chicken tenders and other All American Food® favorites.
What is A&W known for?
A&W Restaurants is an American chain of fast-food restaurants distinguished by its burgers, draft root beer and root beer floats. The oldest restaurant chain in America, A&W’s origins date back to 1919 when Roy W.
