A&W Restaurants Franchise News

Was Former Sonic Owner But Plans Growth With A&W

September 09, 2009 // Franchising.com // APPLETON, WI. ---Former Sonic Drive-In Restaurants owner Matt Williams opened a state of the art "3-D" A&W Restaurants Drive-In, 421 W. Northland Ave., , Appleton. The new A&W is part of a multi-unit expansion planned for Wisconsin by Williams. Earlier this year he opened a unit in Menasha and he has another in Little Chute, WI.

The new Appleton A&W will be open seven days a week and will offer customers the A&W "3-D" experience: Drive In, Drive Through and Dine In (seating for 44) capabilities. The opening is part of a much broader expansion plan by A&W Restaurants during the brand's 90th anniversary...

August 11, 2009 // Franchising.com // INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MN.--- Patrick Nickleson, a native of Marshall, MN and former corporate chef for a grocery store chain, will open his fourth A&W Restaurant, the original drive-in, at 9061 Buchanan Trail, Inner Grove Heights, MN on August 10, 2009. A&W Restaurants, which is currently celebrating its 90th anniversary, will feature its new 3-D Drive- In Concept at the new site, which offers service for Drive-In, Dine-In and Drive-Thru customers.

According to Nickleson, who is partnering with his wife Patti, a Registered Nurse, the new A&W will offer seating for 38-persons, 19-Drive- In stalls and will feature the A&W Restaurants All-American menu of fresh made Draft Root Beer, Root Beer Floats, Coney Hot Dogs, and Burgers made from 100 percent All American Beef...

June 18, 2009 // Franchising.com // Louisville, KY. ---A&W Restaurants, home of the Original Drive In, Draft A&W Root Beer and Root Beer Floats, is kicking off its 90th Anniversary Weekend with a FREE Float Day, this Friday, June 19 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday, June 21, Father's Day, A&W Restaurants will offer fathers 90-cent Papa Burgers, our famous double patty, 100 percent U.S. Beef burger dressed perfectly with A&W signature Papa sauce.

"We are excited to invite customers to join in our 90th Anniversary Celebration," said Ben Butler, A&W Restaurants President. "Since 1919 we have served All American Favorites such as our creamy A&W Root Beer® Floats. It is only fitting we offer our customers a chance to enjoy this mainstay of our Brand as well as our one-of-a-kind Papa Burger as we celebrate 90 years...

Louisville, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A&W Restaurants, home of the Original Drive In, Draft A&W Root Beer and Root Beer Floats, is kicking off its 90th Anniversary Weekend with a FREE Float Day, this Friday, June 19 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday, June 21, Father's Day, A&W Restaurants will offer fathers 90-cent Papa Burgers, our famous double patty, 100 percent U.S. Beef burger dressed perfectly with A&W signature Papa sauce.

"We are excited to invite customers to join in our 90th Anniversary Celebration," said Ben Butler, A&W Restaurants President. "Since 1919 we have served All American Favorites such as our creamy A&W Root Beer® Floats. It is only fitting we offer our customers a chance to enjoy this mainstay of our Brand as well as our one-of-a-kind Papa Burger as we celebrate 90 years...

May 21, 2009 // Franchising.com // Las Vegas---A&W Restaurants, celebrating its 90th anniversary, continues to celebrate with opportunities for entrepreneurs by announcing their plans for 10 state-of-the-art drive-ins in Minneapolis. The plans were announced at the ReCon___Global Real Estate Convention sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers, today at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Doug Heinrich, A&W director development strategy, laid out expansion plans at the Las Vegas Convention for the iconic A&W Restaurants.

"We are looking for a few good entrepreneurs who want to work with a brand that has a loyal following in Minneapolis," Heinrich said. "We want to meet the growing demand for our brand...

Louisville, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A&W Restaurants, Inc., which is celebrating its 90th anniversary by introducing a new state of the art drive-in concept, has been approved by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) for listing on the SBA Franchise Registry. The action will expedite the process for new and existing A&W franchisees to obtain loans to start or expand their businesses with the iconic A&W Restaurant brand.

The Franchise Registry, operated by Fran Data in partnership with the SBA, is an online national registry of franchise systems whose new and existing franchisees receive streamlined loan processing. Fewer than 30 percent of all franchise systems qualify to be listed on the Registry. Applicants must submit their franchise contracts to ensure compliance with strict SBA criteria...

March 30, 2009 // Franchising.com // MILWAUKEE---A&W Restaurants, founded in Lodi, CA in 1919, continued its 90th anniversary celebration by announcing their plan to open 12 state-of- the- art drive-ins in Milwaukee by the end of 2010.

Doug Heinrich, A&W director development strategy, will announce expansion plans for Milwaukee at the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Wisconsin Idea Exchange & Alliance Program, held here March 31/April 1 at the Midwest Airlines Center, here.

"We have been steadily growing in Wisconsin starting around Green Bay, and will continue our expansion south," Heinrich said. "We have loyal following of A&W consumers and fans. We want to meet that growing demand for our brand...

March 24, 2009 // Franchising.com // MANITOWOC, WIS. - You might say A&W Draft Root Beer runs in the veins of Jimmy Brajdic, a Wisconsin native and A&W Restaurants Franchisee. As the second generation franchisee to own and operate an A&W Drive-In for the last 25-years, it is only fitting that Brajdic will celebrate the 90th Anniversary of A&W Restaurants by opening a state of the art "A&W Restaurant 3-D Drive-In" here in early April at 4141 Harbor Town Lane.

And just like Brajdic's parents Ron and Julie who partnered with another couple to open their A&W Drive-In in Fond du Lac, WI 25 years ago, Brajdic is partnering with Barb Gretzinger, a former Hardee's franchisee, who also has owns an A&W Restaurant in Stiles, WI, to open their new A&W Drive -In in Manitowoc...

Opens State-Of-Art Drive-In Menasha, Wi, Feb. 18th; More Planned February 20, 2009 // Franchising.com // Menasha, WI. ---Matt Williams, an Oklahoma native, who spent a decade with Sonic Drive-In Restaurants opened a state of the art "3-D" A&W Restaurants Drive-In, yesterday, at 1462 Appleton Road, here. The new A&W is part of a multi-unit expansion planned for Wisconsin by Williams, who opened a unit in Little Chute, WI also near Green Bay last Nov., and plans as many as five more in 2009.

The new Menasha A&W will be open seven days a week and will offer customers the A&W "3-D" experience: Drive In, Drive Through and Dine In (seating for 44) capabilities. The opening is part of a much broader expansion plan by A&W Restaurants during the brand's 90th anniversary...

San Diego--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A&W Restaurants, founded in Lodi, CA in 1919, will kick off its 90th anniversary celebration by announcing its plans to open 15 state-of- the- art drive-ins in 2009 during the annual International Franchise Association (IFA) Convention being held here starting Feb. 14, 2009.

The iconic A&W Restaurants brand, which pioneered the drive-in concept with such All American Classics as its famous A&W Original Draft Root Beer, Papa Burger, Coney Dog and the one-of-a- kind Root Beer Float, is now rolling out new "Drive In Concepts." This provides customers the ultimate drive-in experience named "Three-D Drive In: Drive- In, Drive-Through, Dine- In."

"Literally millions of Americans have an A&W story they can tell whether it was their first frosty mug of A&W Root Beer or their first experience at a drive-in," explained Ben Butler, president of A&W Restaurants...

A&W Restaurant has teamed up with experiential advertising company GoMobile Advertising to use innovative mobile billboards and a moving 1950s dinner to deliver free samples of new A&W slushees to Yakima area.

Yakima, WA, July 23, 2008 --(PR.com)-- To combat the expected sweltering summer heat in the months ahead, A&W began touring a mobile ice-cold smoothee and slushee machine around the Yakima area for consumers just in time for Independence Day, beginning July 3rd.

A&W is utilizing a special mobile advertising truck for their "Sweets & Treats" campaign, which features 10 scrolling mobile billboards showcasing the new A&W Cherry Lemonade slushee and BananaBerry Dream smoothee. In a 3D mobile showroom, the truck features a replica of a 1950's A&W diner, serving samples of the sweet treats to event crowds...

Michigan Department of Corrections Inspector Wows Team with Smoky Cheddar and Ranch Burger

October 31, 2007 // Franchising.com // LOUISVILLE, KY, - Sharing a burger recipe passed down from his mother resulted in a V.I.P. trip to A&W® Restaurants headquarters for a Michigan man. Kevin Lindsey, 39, entered a national A&W contest asking customers to create their own A&W burger recipes, and his "Smoky Cheddar and Ranch Burger" was the winning entry.

"I was really surprised. I never expected to hear back from them after I submitted the recipe this summer," said Lindsey, who works as an Inspector for the Michigan Department of Corrections. "It's all pretty cool."

Lindsey sent in his recipe during a summertime promotion celebrating A&W Restaurants' 100 percent U...