Iconic American Brand Plans on Wisconsin Expansion

One iconic American brand is planning on growing its footprint in Wisconsin by adding several new locations over the next 5 years.

Over 80 years ago this brand opened its first store in Wisconsin, and today they have more than 55 locations around the state, but that number looks to climb over the next several years.

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An Iconic American Brand

A&W Restaurants has been serving up classic American food since 1919, making it one of the oldest fast-food chains in the U.S. It all started when Roy Allen opened a root beer stand in Lodi, California, serving a unique blend of root beer that quickly gained popularity.

He teamed up with Frank Wright, and together they expanded the brand, with "A&W" taking on their initials. A&W was one of the first to offer the drive-in experience, complete with carhops bringing root beer floats and burgers to customers’ cars.

Where Is A&W Expanding in Wisconsin?

A&W Restaurants announced today that before 2030 they have plans to open 3-5 new locations in Milwaukee and 2-4 in Madison. They say they'll use existing and new franchisees to reach the goal.

The iconic restaurant brand is looking for people interested in opening an A&W location, in a press release about the expansion, they say that the initial franchise fee to start a new A&W Restaurant franchise is $30,000.

A&W Invented This Classic American Burger

The brand, that is literally older than sliced bread, currently has 850 locations throughout the United States and Asia, and is the birthplace of the bacon cheeseburger, that's right, A&W franchisee Dale Mulder introduced the now iconic pairing back in 1963.