Quick Facts

  • A Canadian-owned company, A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. opened its first restaurant in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1956.
  • The initials “A&W” stand for A&W's founders: Allen and Wright
  • At January 2, 2022, there were 1,029 A&W restaurants in operation in Canada, of which 1,019 are owned and operated by franchisees and 10 are owned and operated by A&W Food Services. System Sales(1) for all A&W restaurants in Canada in 2021 were $1.6 Billion. A&W Food Services and its franchisees employ approximately 20,000 people on a full or part time basis.
  • A&W serves more than 136 million customers annually.
  • A&W Root Beer is Canada's #1 root beer.
  • A&W is recognized as a Platinum member in Canada's Best Managed Companies program.
  • In 2013, A&W launched new beef which is raised without the use of hormones or steroids.
  • In September 2014, A&W introduced eggs from hens fed a diet without animal by-products.
  • In October 2014, A&W began using chicken raised without the use of antibiotics and fed a grain-based, vegetarian diet without animal by-products.
  • In January 2015, Organic and Fair Trade coffee was introduced.
  • In February 2016, A&W introduced pork raised without the use of antibiotics.
  • In 2017, A&W introduced in its restaurants A&W Root Beer made from natural cane sugar and all-natural flavours.
  • In 2018, A&W began serving in its restaurants the Beyond Meat† Burger made using 100% plant-based protein.
  • Also in 2018, A&W began using real cheese on all burgers and breakfast sandwiches.
  • In 2019, A&W began serving the Beyond Meat† sausage as an option in its breakfast offerings.
  • In 2020, A&W launched its new coffee blend and switched to all grass-fed and grass-finished beef.
  • In 2021 A&W expanded its beverage offerings with the phased rollout of the A&W Brew Bar™. The A&W Brew Bar offers a variety of frozen beverages as well as hot and cold espresso-based beverages. The roll out of the A&W Brew Bar will continue in 2022 and 2023.

™ trademark of the Partnership, used under license.

(1) “System Sales” is a non-IFRS financial measure of A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. and is reported in respect of all A&W restaurants. Refer to the “Selected Information" section of Food Services' Report to Unitholders of A&W Revenue Royalties Income Fund for the year ended January 2, 2022 (the “2021 Report to Unitholders”) for a reconciliation of System Sales to Revenue from Corporate Restaurants, the most comparable IFRS measure, and the “Non-IFRS Measures” section of 2021 Report to Unitholders for further details on how System Sales is calculated and used to assess Food Service's performance. View the 2021 Report to Unitholders.