For Immediate Release
September 14, 2017
Canada’s fastest-growing quick service burger chain opens its 900th restaurant. Location is also A&W’s 50th Urban concept restaurant.
More Canadians than ever before can enjoy the great taste of A&W. A&W Food Services of Canada Inc., the country’s original and fastest-growing national quick service burger chain with over $1 billion in annual sales, marks the opening of its 900th location in Canada. This is also A&W’s 50th Urban restaurant and a strong indication that the company is on its way to reaching its aggressive growth target of having over 1,100 restaurants in four years. The 900th restaurant, located at 1115 Bloor Street West, near Bloor and Dufferin in Toronto, opens to the public on September 15, 2017.
“We’re on a mission to make it easier for our guests to enjoy the great taste of A&W’s natural food where they live, work and play,” says Patti Parente, Vice President, Real Estate, A&W. “Our progress towards our 1,100 goal is very encouraging and our new locations are exceeding all expectations – proving that Canadians have an appetite for more A&W restaurants. We are always scouting new locations for all of our various concepts in both urban cities and small towns across Canada and look forward to opening even more restaurants to better serve our guests.”
In a highly competitive and rapidly changing industry A&W has stayed ahead of the curve, bringing A&W closer to Canadians everywhere. From reinventing the look and feel of its restaurants and introducing new restaurant concepts, to innovating its ingredient portfolio, A&W is constantly evaluating and improving every aspect of its business to appeal to “fast foodies”. The result has been continued same store sales growth, packed restaurants and, most importantly, satisfied guests.
“A&W is one hundred per cent Canadian-owned and operated,” says Susan Senecal, President and Chief Operating Officer, A&W. “This allows us to control our own strategy, and we’re not afraid to try new things to reach our guests.”
In 2010, A&W went Urban! The Urban restaurant concept provides greater guest access to its natural food. Designed specifically for guests living and working in densely-populated urban areas with high pedestrian traffic, the restaurants are open 24-hours and cater to the busy urban lifestyle. With 50 Urban restaurants in Canada, A&W plans to open even more locations in major city centres across the country specifically targeting Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
Award-Winning Restaurants
A&W has been a Platinum Member of Canada’s Best Managed Companies since 2009. The prestigious Platinum Member level is designated for winners that have maintained their best-managed status for seven years or more. A&W also received Gold in the 2017 Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) Awards of Excellence in Franchising in the 100+ Franchisees category. The award is reserved for franchise systems that have demonstrated the strongest, most mutually rewarding relationships with their franchisees.
About the A&W Ingredients Guarantee: Changing the Face of Quick Service Food
A&W believes that sourcing simple, great-tasting ingredients, farmed with care is the right thing to do, and has been at the forefront of the natural ingredient movement since the launch of its Ingredients Guarantee in 2013.
Through the Ingredients Guarantee, A&W stands behind its high-quality ingredients, which make such great tasting food. It was the first national quick service burger restaurant in Canada to serve beef raised without the use of added hormones or steroids in 2013; chicken raised without the use of antibiotics and eggs from hens fed a diet without animal by-products in 2014; organic, Fair Trade coffee in 2015; pork raised without the use of antibiotics in 2016 – and most recently, all tall frosty mugs of A&W Root Beer® are now made with natural cane sugar and all-natural flavours.
A&W knows that every choice today affects the future, and is committed to reducing its environmental impact in key areas: packaging, waste, food, energy and water, and is proud to work with like-minded partners and suppliers.
About A&W
A&W Food Services of Canada Inc., home of Canada’s best-tasting burger†, is 100 per cent Canadian owned and is one of the strongest brand names in the Canadian foodservice industry. A&W is the nation’s second largest hamburger restaurant company, and opens its 900th restaurant on September 15, 2017. A&W restaurants feature famous trade-marked menu items such as The Burger Family®, Chubby Chicken®, and A&W Root Beer®.
©2016 A&W Trade Marks Limited Partnership
† 2016 BrandSpark International Best Restaurant Awards
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For more information or to interview Susan Senecal, Patti Parente or other A&W representatives, please contact:
Sara Beckford at Strategic Objectives
Cell: 416.262.7241
Office: 416.366.7735 ext. 275;
Email: sara.beckford@strategicobjectives.com.
September 14, 2017