What Happened to A&W? The Fast Food Giant Canada Took Over

A&W started as a five-cent root beer stand in Lodi, California in 1919 and grew into one of America's first fast food chains, with 2,400 restaurants at its peak. Today it's down to a few hundred in the United States... while in Canada, A&W has more than 1,100 restaurants, almost $2 billion in yearly sales, and is the country's second-largest burger chain. Same name. Same orange sign. Same frosty mug. So how did two companies with one brand end up with completely different fates? In this video: 0:00 A root beer stand at a 1919 homecoming parade 1:50 Allen & Wright and the franchise model 3:27 1956: A&W arrives in Winnipeg 4:27 1972: the split 5:43 America: owner after owner, the Third Pounder and co-branding 8:05 Canada: stability, the Great Root Bear and the 1995 buyout 10:33 2013: the Better Beef gamble 12:42 2025: tariffs and Buy Canadian 13:46 Why A&W won in Canada Have you eaten at an A&W on both sides of the border? Which one won? And Canadians: Teen Burger or Papa Burger? Let me know in the comments. Subscribe to High Street Business for more stories about the companies on your main street: why some become giants in Canada, and why others never make it across the border. This video is an independent documentary and is not affiliated with or endorsed by A&W. A&W, A&W Canada, A&W vs A&W USA, Canadian fast food, Teen Burger, root beer, Canada vs USA, business history, why A&W failed in America, Buy Canadian, fast food history, High Street Business