1851

<a href="https://awrestaurants.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-legacy-franchise-brand-aw-restaurants-keeps-customers-coming-back-2715855" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">A&amp;W</a> is nearly synonymous with Root Beer — and for good reason. After 102 years in business, the restaurant franchise still serves its signature drink the way your grandparents (and great-grandparents) enjoyed it: in a sturdy frosty mug with a trickle of ice melting down the side.&nbsp;It’s true — some things never go out of style.&nbsp;The focus on quality and tradition may explain why A&amp;W has experienced a brand renaissance lately, with customers flocking to this living piece of Americana. Over the past decade, the brand’s sales at its 500-plus U.S. stores have surged and are up 33% over 2011.&nbsp;“People will gravitate to the brands they know. A&amp;W is one of those brands,” <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-bazner-7b4a546/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-legacy-franchise-brand-aw-restaurants-keeps-customers-coming-back-2715855" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Kevin Bazner</a>, CEO of A&amp;W restaurants, said. “We looked at our history of making Root Beer fresh in our restaurants and brought that back. In the day of craft beverages, we’re the original. There’s a lot of demand for what our brand has to offer.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Even a pandemic couldn’t slow its momentum. In fact, it may have accelerated the growth. As Americans look for reassurance in troubling times through great memories of delicious food, this truly iconic American brand has delivered it in all its glory.&nbsp;“We made a commitment to get all of our team members and franchise partners to the other side of this pandemic,” said Bazner. “The good news going forward is consumers will gravitate towards legacy brands, so we’re recommitting ourselves to things that are uniquely A&amp;W. People want something familiar, authentic and positive in their lives more than ever.”The Favorites: Freshly Made Root Beer &amp; Hand-Breaded TendersThis A&amp;W renaissance comes as Americans say they care more about the <a href="https://www.fooddive.com/news/consumers-crave-authentic-ethnic-food-and-will-pay-more/529282/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-legacy-franchise-brand-aw-restaurants-keeps-customers-coming-back-2715855" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">authenticity and quality of their food</a> more than at any point in the last quarter-century. So while A&amp;W harkens back to simpler times of soda jerks and drive-in diners, it also perfectly aligns with the zeitgeist, where customers seek tradition over mass production.&nbsp;That’s why A&amp;W, born as a little roadside stand in Lodi, California, remains a one-of-a-kind American original.A&amp;W hand-crafts its Root Beer at each of its 500-plus U.S. stores. Its signature beverage offers consumers an experience that other restaurants are not providing them. So if you want a frosty mug of A&amp;W Root Beer on draft, there is only one place in the world to get it, and that’s at an A&amp;W restaurant.&nbsp;“The frosty mug is at the core of everything we do,” said Liz Bazner, A&amp;W’s director of digital. “We’re the only place with A&amp;W on tap. We’re the only place making it fresh in the restaurants. We’re offering our guests an experience, and one that goes beyond just the food. It gives a special reason for people to come in, to bring their families.&nbsp; And, let’s be honest, Root Beer just tastes better when you have it in a frosty mug. ”But quality goes beyond the iconic drink, too. A&amp;W has put quality first in its food menu as well, through options such as its fresh Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders and double burgers made with 100% U.S. beef.&nbsp;&nbsp;Speaking of originals, the company doesn’t want you to forget its other achievement: A&amp;W’s current Chairman, <a href="https://www.awfranchising.com/research/meet-the-leadership-team/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-legacy-franchise-brand-aw-restaurants-keeps-customers-coming-back-2715855" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Dale Mulder</a>, invented the Bacon Cheeseburger in 1963. It has remained a classic ever since.&nbsp;An Iconic Sense of Place: How A&amp;W Wins With Nostalgia&nbsp;In 2020, customers re-discovered the original curbside pickup — the drive-in. About a quarter of the A&amp;W stores offer this style of dining, while drive-thru sales also surged since last year.&nbsp;“It’s hard to serve a frosty mug when you’re rushing people through,” said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-palumbo-3373008/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-legacy-franchise-brand-aw-restaurants-keeps-customers-coming-back-2715855" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">John Palumbo</a>, A&amp;W’s senior director of franchise development. “Our customers are here for the experience as well as the food.” he said.&nbsp;A&amp;W has hit that sweet spot for its customers. It’s a place that offers a true one-of-a-kind dining experience coupled with the hand-crafted, quality food Americans are seeking now more than ever.&nbsp;Now, that’s something to raise a frosty mug to.The total investment to franchise with A&amp;W Restaurants ranges from $276,000 to $1,397,000, including a $15,000 to $30,000 franchise fee. For more information on franchising with A&amp;W, please visit <a href="https://franchising.awrestaurants.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-legacy-franchise-brand-aw-restaurants-keeps-customers-coming-back-2715855" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://franchising.awrestaurants.com/</a>

How Legacy Franchise Brand A&W Restaurants Keeps Customers Coming Back

1851 Franchise

There’s something about a frosty mug of Root Beer — and authentic American food — that never goes out of style.

how-legacy-franchise-brand-aw-restaurants-keeps-customers-coming-back

Layne's Chicken Fingers

Photo of exterior of Layne's Chicken Fingers restaurant

Layne’s Chicken Fingers Signs Landmark 44-Restaurant Deal, Shatters Records in Monumental Third Quarter

laynes-chicken-franchise-growth-records

Children's Lighthouse

Why Children’s Lighthouse Is a Great Opportunity for Swim School Franchisees

why-childrens-lighthouse-is-a-great-opportunity-for-swim-school-franchisees

Children’s Lighthouse Closes the Third Quarter with Record Franchise Signings and New School Opening

childrenslighthouse-q3-2025-growth

Pet Wants

How Pet Wants Is Redefining the Customer Experience in the Pet Industry

pet-wants-redefining-customer-experience

Jollibee

How Much Can You Really Make With a Jollibee Franchise? Inside the Numbers of Item 19

how-much-can-you-really-make-with-a-jollibee-franchise-inside-the-numbers-of-item-19

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Thursday 1851 Franchise Agg - NASAA’s Noncompete Push

NASAA’s Noncompete Push Puts Franchise Growth on Uncertain Ground

franchise-noncompete-nasaa-advisory-reasonableness-standard

How a Steady Economy Could Help Franchisors Plan Their Next Move

how-a-steady-economy-could-help-franchisors-plan-their-next-move

Bed Bath & Beyond - Franchise Expansion - Retail Strategy - 1851 Franchise

Bed Bath & Beyond Launches Franchise Model as Part of Comeback Strategy

bed-bath-beyond-franchise-expansion-retail-strategy

Senior Entrepreneurship - Franchising - 1851 Franchise

Senior Entrepreneurship Is Rising — And Franchising Is a Key Outlet

senior-entrepreneurship-franchising-silver-startups

U.S. Government Shutdown - Impact on Franchises - 1851 Franchise

Government Shutdown Stalls SBA Loans: How the Shutdown Could Impact Franchises

government-shutdown-impacts-sba-loans-tourism-franchises

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

DoodyCalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

doodycalls-franchise-deep-dive

image of mellow mushroom deep dive into financials article from 1851 franchise

Mellow Mushroom Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

mellow-mushroom-franchise-deep-dive

How goGLOW Turned Clean Beauty Into a Scalable Franchise and Why It’s Accelerating Now

goglow-clean-beauty-tanning-franchise

Shoot 360 Aims for the Topgolf Model, Using Elite Basketball Tech to Appeal to Players '7 to 70'

shoot-360-franchise-growth-tech-basketball-brad-butterworth

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

graphic image of an 1851 franchisee spotlight brayden and johnny steven of teriyaki madness

Father-and-Daughter Team Bring Teriyaki Madness to Wichita, Kansas, With Big Expansion Plans

johnny-brayden-steven-teriyaki-madness-wichita

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Barb Volk and KidStrong logo

Why This Orangetheory Fitness Franchise Owner Is Developing KidStrong Franchises

kidstrong-franchise-owner-barb-volk-2025

How Legacy Franchise Brand A&W Restaurants Keeps Customers Coming Back

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS