A&W Root Beer owns a couple of exciting “firsts” in American heritage. Not only was one particular A&W place a push-in long prior to any other cafe (and before most people even owned vehicles) but A&W was also 1 of, if not THE very first fast foods restaurants to construct their chain by way of franchising.
A&W Beginnings
Some time in the “teenagers”, Roy Allen, a refurbish-er of old resorts (critically), fulfilled a pharmacist (whose identify is misplaced to history) who experienced perfected a recipe for making root beer.
It is known as “beer” due to the fact right up until this time it experienced been brewed –like beer. Real root beer still is. If you at any time get the opportunity to try some, do not go it up.
But this pharmacist experienced developed a recipe to “make” it with out brewing — a practice nevertheless employed by all comfortable drink manufacturers.
It is also intriguing to be aware that nearly all of the early gentle drinks have been designed by pharmacists. Coke, Dr. Pepper and Pepsi were are developed in drug stores.
In any case, Allen bought the root beer recipe and on June twenty, 1919, opened a stand in Lodi, California (“Oh Lord, caught in Lodi yet again.”)
He offered frosty mugs of root beer for a nickel.
His very first stand was a accomplishment and in limited get, he opened stands in Stockton and Sacramento. A single of these might have been a generate-in. In 1919!
Placing the A & W in A&W
In 1920, Frank Wright, grew to become Allen’s partner and they combined their initials to kind A&W Root Beer.
Added A&W stands have been shortly opened all through California, Utah, and Texas. Soon after Allen acquired out Wright he conceived of the thought of franchising to develop the business and thus grew to become one particular of if not the initial quick foodstuff franchise functions.
A&W Today
A&W is owned by YUM Makes of Louisville, KY a division of PepsiCo.
William E. Simmons &W has much more than 1000 restaurants and 120+ joint establishments with Lengthy John Silver’s and KFC, also owned by YUM.