15 Things You Didn't Know About A&W

June 2019 is when A&W Restaurants celebrates its landmark 100th anniversary. To commemorate a century of good food & good times, we compiled a list of 15 things you probably didn't know about A&W. Which famous singer wrote portions of his hit song at an A&W? How long does it take to make our signature Root Beer? Read on to find out! 

1) A&W is the first American chain restaurant to reach the 100 year milestone.

2) Dale Mulder, an A&W franchisee in Lansing, Michigan, created the Bacon Cheeseburger in 1963. Mulder later served as A&W’s president and chairman.

3) In 2018, A&W purchased 679,735 pounds of bacon, serving approximately 13,594,700 slices on its Bacon Cheeseburgers.

4) Roy Allen served the first frosty mug of A&W Root Beer on June 20, 1919 in Lodi, California, during a homecoming parade for WWI veterans. A&W historically has supported veterans since then.

5) On National Root Beer Float Day, August 6, participating A&W Restaurants serve free small Root Beer Floats, requesting donations for veterans’ groups.

6) A&W Root Beer is named for partners Roy Allen and Frank Wright.

7) A&W Root Beer (1919) is older than sliced bread (1928).

8) A&W was the first American quick-service restaurant to open in Malaysia (1963) and Singapore (1966). In 1963, it was the first American hamburger shop to open in Okinawa. Today, there are more than 370 A&Ws in Asia, including Singapore’s new Jewel Changi Airport.

9) Guests at A&W Restaurants in the U.S. and Asia consume more than 1.1 million gallons of Root Beer a year.

10) By serving its Root Beer in reusable glass mugs, A&W Restaurants keep 180 paper cups per mug out of landfills each year. Photo Credit: Ron Holman

11) The Burger Family personified A&W’s burger offerings in the 1960s and beyond: Papa Burger, Mama Burger, Teen Burger and Baby Burger.

12) All associates in A&W’s Lexington, Kentucky headquarters work a shift in a restaurant each quarter. Yes, your burger may have been grilled by the president.

13) A&W Root Beer is made fresh in each restaurant. It takes about 45 minutes to prepare.

14) Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bob Seger wrote portions of “Night Moves” at a Michigan A&W drive-in. The classic hit is among the “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll,” according to the museum. Photo Credit: The Detroit News

15) Marriott International began as an A&W franchise in Washington, D.C. during 1927.