In 1963, the company was sold again, followed by another sale in 1967 to United Fruit Co. Thus A&W is credited with inventing the bacon cheeseburger. Mulder added to his menu in 1963 the bacon cheeseburger after a customer made repeated orders for bacon to be added to his cheeseburger. ĭale Mulder opened up a Lansing, Michigan, A&W franchise in 1961. Already at the time of setup, kids were starting to favor chicken, burgers and hot dogs rather than rice and curry, and within the next five years, would also see a rise in new locations, to an up to 22 within five years. Setting up the chain seemed to be complicated, as they were unable to find a proper site, and in the recruitment process, Malayans had no consent in adorning Western "cabaret girl" style clothes. The first restaurant in Malaysia (Malaya at the time) was opened by Al and Geri Lieboff, a couple from Las Vegas, who got the franchising rights for Malaya and Singapore. In the following years, the chain branched into other foreign markets, including the Philippines and Malaysia. In 1963, the chain opened its first store on Okinawa. The chain expanded into Canada in 1956, opening restaurants in Winnipeg and Montreal. In the expansion years of the 1950s and 1960s, franchisees were signing 20- or 25-year contracts under the older model. Expansion Ī 1950s A&W Burger Family display in Hillsboro, Oregon Allen sold the company in 1950 and retired. This may have arguably been the first successful food-franchising operation. In 1925, Allen began franchising the root beer, while the franchisee added the other menu items and operated at their discretion. In 1924, Allen purchased Frank Wright's stake in the business. Curbside service was provided by tray boys and tray girls. Four years later, A&W began when Allen and Frank Wright opened their drive-in restaurant in Sacramento, California, combining both of their initials for the name, and selling the root beer from Allen's stand. Allen opened his first root beer stand in Lodi, California.
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A number of outlets serve as drive-in restaurants that have carhops.
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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.Įvolving into a franchise in 1926, the company today has locations in the United States and some Southeast Asian countries, serving a typical fast-food menu of hamburgers, French fries, and hot dogs. The company name was taken from the initials of their last names – Allen and Wright. Allen's employee Frank Wright partnered with him in 1922 and they founded their first restaurant in Sacramento, California in 1923. 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. The oldest restaurant chain in America, A&W's origins date back to 1919 when Roy W. A&W Restaurants is an American chain of fast-food restaurants distinguished by its burgers, draft root beer and root beer floats.