About us

The evolution of Canada's original burger chain

In 1956, the first A&W drive-in opened in Winnipeg. The concept took off, with restaurants multiplying across the nation through the late '50s and '60s. Marketplace shifts in the following decades saw our focus shift to food courts and the freestanding restaurants with drive-thru service of today. By consistently observing and reacting to the ever-changing landscape, we’ve grown to more than 700 restaurants and counting. We are now Canada's second-largest burger chain.

Strategic focus

A&W regularly re-evaluates the strategic focus of our business. Our current major strategic thrusts include:

• Rapid new restaurant expansion, nationally
• Building on our already dominant—and fiercely loyal—following from Canada's baby boomer population
• Extending and strengthening our skills in strategy and ‘Climate’ (our organizational culture)
• Keeping the A&W brand current

Mission statement

Our well-defined strategic focus will help us build off our history to achieve our mission:

"Together, to make A&W Canada’s only authentic better burger restaurants for time-crunched adults, delighting them on every single visit."