The burger chain’s new initiative lowers the cost of restaurant ownership for young would-be franchisees. Read the full article in Macleans – February Edition
by aw-admin
by aw-admin
The burger chain’s new initiative lowers the cost of restaurant ownership for young would-be franchisees. Read the full article in Macleans – February Edition
by aw-admin
August 25, 2016 was the annual Burgers to Beat MS day across the country. A&W Operators and staff came together to raise funds for the MS Society of Canada. One in 340 Canadian's suffers with MS, which is the highest rate in the world! Over the past 8 years, A&W has helped raise over $8 million for the MS Society of Canada, for research, as well as funding and support for MS sufferers.
You can read more about the event in our press release, as well as on CBC!
Update: The numbers are in, and this year our Burgers to Beat MS campaign raised over $1.75million! That's almost $10million over the past 8 years! Thank you to those of you who came and joined us in any small way. You can read the full press release here.
by aw-admin
Global News reports on "A&W sales rise as focus on food quality, customer service wins over fast food crowd". You can read the full story on the Global News website. The Financial Post says "How burger chain A&W is using a focus on food quality to clobber its Canadian competition". You can read the Financial Post article here.
by aw-admin
A&W Commits $100,000 Research Grant to Farm & Food Care Canada to Help Set Canada at the Forefront of Global Best Practices for Egg Laying Hen Housing.
VANCOUVER, March 10, 2016 /CNW/ - A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. announces today a major commitment to become the first national quick service restaurant in Canada to serve eggs from hens raised in better cage-free housing. It expects to achieve this goal within two years. A&W has already established its leadership role by being the first and only quick service restaurant chain to serve eggs from hens in enriched housing and raised without the use of antibiotics. Currently, there are no open barn housing options available that meet A&W's supply needs and allow for an antibiotic-free environment.
A&W is committing to improving and redesigning housing for egg laying hens, and will source eggs from hens raised without the use of antibiotics while simultaneously advancing the best practices for egg laying hens.
As a part of its commitment to improving egg laying hen housing, a $100,000 A&W grant is being made to Farm & Food Care Canada, a leading Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to building public trust in food and farming. With this investment, the organization will bring together industry experts from many fields to help build on existing work and set better direction for hen housing in Canada.
"At A&W, we are committed to finding better hen housing options within two years that can benefit Canadians, egg farmers and the entire food industry," says Susan Senecal, President and Chief Operating Officer, A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. "We are investing in innovation to accelerate the pace of change because right now there are no viable cage-free egg options that meet our supply standards regarding the use of antibiotics. We are committed to change because we think it is the right thing for the animals, the industry, our business and Canada."
"Right now, cage-free is only being done by a relatively small number of producers in the industry, who cannot fulfill the volume, needs and specifications of A&W," says Dr. John Church, PhD, Natural Resource Science, and Thompson Rivers University. "We need to improve the standards for laying hens overall, particularly when it comes to the health and welfare of the flock, and Canadahas an opportunity to be a world leader in this area."
Funding a Sustainable Egg Future
A&W's initial $100,000 grant to Farm & Food Canada will be used to fund a leadership discussion, potential research and related work with animal welfare scientists, veterinarians, university researchers, non-government organizations, farmers, egg suppliers and food service/restaurant and retail companies.
Background on Building Better Housing First
Innovation is the norm at A&W. As the only national QSR serving eggs from enriched housing, A&W is already at the forefront of egg laying hen health and welfare. This has been achieved against an industry background where more than 90 per cent of Canada's egg supply still comes from battery cages.
"Enriched housing helps farmers to ensure hen safety and minimizes mortality and aggressive behaviours that are difficult to control in open barn settings," says Dr. Church. "Enriched housing is more spacious and the hens also have access to adequate food and water as well as nests, perches and scratching areas, which allows them to engage in many more natural behaviours compared to battery cages."
"We have a long history of innovating. We worked with highly committed Canadian egg farmers to move from conventional cages," says Senecal. "While it costs more, we made the switch because it was the right thing to do. Now we are advancing to the next stage. We have led our industry in the past and we will continue to lead in the future."
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 with 850 locations coast-to-coast. A&W Restaurants feature famous trade-marked menu items such as The Burger Family®, Chubby Chicken®, and A&W Root Beer®. For more information, please visit www.awguarantee.ca.
For further information: or to interview Susan Senecal, President and Chief Operating Officer, A&W; John Church, PHD, Natural Resource Science, Thompson Rivers University; or Crystal Mackay, CEO, Farm & Food Care Canada, please contact: Sara Beckford, Strategic Objectives, T: 416.366.7735 ext. 275, M: 416.262.7241, Email: sara.beckford@strategicobjectives.com.
by aw-admin
A&W Partners with The French's Food Company to Serve Condiments Made From High Quality Canadian Ingredients
VANCOUVER, March 29, 2016 /CNW/ - A&W Food Services of Canada Inc., home of Canada'sbest-tasting burger, is introducing a new partnership with The French's Food Company as part of its continued commitment to providing guests with great-tasting food, farmed with care. After more than six months of collaborating with French's, A&W is proud to announce that it will be the first national restaurant to serve French's Tomato Ketchup and Classic Yellow Mustard in all of its restaurants across Canada. Both the Ketchup and Mustard are made without preservatives or artificial flavours and colours, and contain 100% Canadian tomatoes and 100% Canadian mustard seeds.
The transition to French's Tomato Ketchup and Classic Yellow Mustard is already underway and A&W guests across Canada will be able to enjoy the new toppings on all their favourite menu items starting in April.
As a 100 per cent Canadian-owned and operated company, A&W is proud to use locally-sourced tomatoes from Leamington, ON and mustard seeds from Saskatchewan, SK in all of its ketchup and mustard—including in its kitchens, dining areas and take-out orders. The tomatoes and mustard seeds are grown by second and third generation farmers with the expertise to produce the finest crops that are perfect for ketchup and mustard. What's more, all of A&W's Ketchup is produced and packaged in Ontario.
A Perfect Partnership
"At A&W, we're always looking to partner with Canadian suppliers and farmers who are producing natural ingredients," says Susan Senecal, President and Chief Operating Officer, A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. "The tomato farmers in Leamington and mustard seed farmers inSaskatchewan work hard to produce the best quality ingredients for French's, and we are proud to add these locally-sourced products to the menu at all of our Canadian restaurants, including our restaurant in Leamington."
"French's and A&W are committed to the same values, including great taste, real ingredients and added social responsibility. This is a natural relationship for us," says Elliott Penner, president, The French's Food Company. "We have been working with A&W for more than six months to bring this partnership to life, and are excited for such an iconic Canadian company to become the first national restaurant to serve French's Ketchup and Mustard."
A&W Ingredients Guarantee
A&W has been changing the face of fast food since launching its Ingredients Guarantee in 2013. The A&W Ingredients Guarantee is rooted in the simple philosophy that good food makes good food. Since introducing the Ingredients Guarantee, A&W has become the first and only national quick service restaurant to serve beef raised without the use of hormones or steroids, chicken raised without the use of antibiotics, eggs from hens fed a diet without animal by-products and antibiotics and bacon from pork raised without the use of antibiotics. A&W is also the only national QSR to exclusively offer its guests organic, Fair Trade coffee.
To learn more about the A&W Ingredients Guarantee, visit www.awguarantee.ca.
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 with 850 locations coast-to-coast. A&W Restaurants feature famous trade-marked menu items such as The Burger Family®, Chubby Chicken®, and A&W Root Beer®.
Editor's Note: We are always happy to co-ordinate a special tasting so you can experience the A&W Ingredients Guarantee first-hand. Please let us know if you are interested in trying one of A&W's great-tasting burgers with the new Ketchup, and we'll be in touch to facilitate all the details.
SOURCE A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.
Image with caption: "A&W will be the first national restaurant to serve French’s Tomato Ketchup and Classic Yellow Mustard in all of its restaurants across Canada. A&W’s Ketchup will be made with locally-sourced tomatoes from Leamington and will be produced and packaged in Ontario. (CNW Group/A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.)". Image available at:http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160329_C4866_PHOTO_EN_652015.jpg
by aw-admin
Montréal, February 1, 2016 – A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. has just been awarded the prestigious Maillon d’Or in the “Franchisor of the Year” category by the Conseil québécois de la franchise.
The Maillon d’Or for “Franchisor of the Year” was given to Mr. Yanick Morin, National Director, Franchise Sales during the Maillon D’Or Awards ceremony held on January 18, 2016 at the Hilton Bonaventure Montréal. Attended by 400 franchise industry representatives, this major ceremony was organized by the Conseil québécois de la franchise.
“We are thrilled to have been named Franchisor of the Year,” said Yanick Morin. “It’s a great honour to have our success recognized by the franchise industry. 2015 was a great year for A&W, as we opened 11 new restaurants in Québec, reached the milestone of $1 billion in sales across Canada, and launched a unique program enabling young entrepreneurs aged 35 and under to open their own A&W franchise, with a relatively modest investment, thanks to A&W’s financial support. Such resounding success wouldn’t have been possible without a dedicated head office team and passionate franchisees! Also, the franchisee group composed of Lyne Gratton, Stéphane Gratton and Marko Bianchi won the award given to the most community-driven franchisees during the Maillon d’Or Awards, which they more than earned. 2016 promises to be just as amazing, as we continue to rapidly expand across Canada and keep innovating, all with great menu items made with high-quality ingredients!”
Indeed, the Canadian chain plans to open 300 new restaurants in Canada over the next five years, including 100 in Québec, and is always looking for quality franchisees in many regions to drive its expansion.
About A&W
A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. is a purely Canadian company and one of the most recognized brands within the Canadian food service industry. A&W is the country’s second largest hamburger restaurant chains, operating over 850 locations across Canada. Since 2013, A&W has served 100% pure beef, raised without the use of hormones or steroids and free of preservatives and additives. In October 2014, A&W Canada became North America’s first national fast-food chain to only serve chicken raised without the use of antibiotics and fed a grain-based, vegetarian diet without any animal by-products. For more information on A&W’s guarantees, visit awguarantee.ca. A&W restaurants offer their famous menu, which includes the Burger FamilyTM, Chubby ChickenTM, A&W Root BeerTM and Buddy BurgersTM. For more information, visit aw.ca.
The company now boasts over 120 restaurants in Québec and, besides its stand-alone restaurant concept featuring drive-thru service, offers an innovative urban restaurant concept that has been a tremendous success!” www.awfranchise.ca