A&W Restaurants

A&W Restaurants, Inc. (also known as Allen & Wright Restaurants) is an American fast food restaurant chain distinguished by its burgers, draft root beer and root beer floats. The oldest extant restaurant chain in the United States (the oldest being the Harvey House), A&W's origins date back to 1919 when Roy W. Allen set up a roadside drink stand to offer a new thick and creamy drink, root beer, at a parade honoring returning World War I veterans in Lodi, California. Allen's employee Frank Wright partnered with him in 1922 and they founded their first restaurant in Sacramento, California in 1923. The company name was taken from the initials of their last names – Allen and Wright. The company became famous in the United States for its "frosty mugs" – the mugs were kept in a freezer and filled with A&W Root Beer just before being served to customers.

This article is about the American restaurant chain. For the Canadian restaurant chain, see A&W (Canada).

A&W Restaurants, Inc.
Trade name
A&W All American Food
Company typePrivate
IndustryRestaurants
GenreFast food
FoundedJune 1919 (1919-06)
Lodi, California
FounderRoy 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)
ProductsHamburgers, chicken, hot dogs, root beer, Root beer floats, cheese curds, soft serve, french fries, and milkshakes
Revenue $330 million (2020)
OwnerA Great American Brand, LLC
Number of employees
approx. 35,000 (2019)
Websiteawrestaurants.com

Evolving into a franchise in 1926, the company today has locations in the United States and some Southeast Asian countries, serving a fast-food menu of hamburgers, hot dogs and French fries. A number of outlets serve as drive-in restaurants that have carhops. Previously owned by Yum! Brands, the chain was sold in December 2011 to a consortium of A&W franchisees through A Great American Brand, LLC. A&W restaurants in Canada have been part of a separate and unaffiliated chain since 1972.

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