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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy an A&W All American Food Franchise

A&W Restaurants is the United States’ oldest fast-food franchise, founded in 1919 and franchising since 1926, making it one of the earliest franchise systems in American foodservice. Today the brand is 100% franchisee-owned, operating as an independent QSR chain with a growing US presence, with active development concentrated in the Midwest.

The menu is built around classic American fare: burgers, hot dogs, hand-battered onion rings, cheese curds, and fries, anchored by the brand’s signature draft root beer served fresh in frosty mugs. A&W root beer, made in-store daily, is the most popular root beer in its category among US consumers. Three location formats are available: freestanding restaurants with drive-thrus, endcap restaurants, and non-traditional footprints.

A&W operates as a franchisee-owned system, with operators holding 50% voting power on marketing decisions and an active franchise association that shapes brand direction. Multi-generational ownership is common, with many families running A&W restaurants across two or three generations.

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Why buy an A&W All American Food Franchise?

Those looking to buy an A&W franchise are acquiring one of the most recognized names in American QSR, a brand with over a century of consumer loyalty built around its fresh-brewed draft root beer. Multiple location formats give incoming owners flexibility to match the investment to the specific opportunity at hand.

The franchisee-owned governance structure translates into genuine operator leverage: franchisees control 50% of marketing votes, and the franchise association is active enough to influence brand-level decisions. A&W accesses the largest QSR supply chain in the US, giving unit owners competitive ingredient pricing and supply reliability that an independent operator would take years to build. These structural advantages carry through to a resale buyer as inherited system benefits.

A&W All American Food Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1919

    • Franchising Since

      1925

    • New Startup Cost

      $894,130 - $1,640,034

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $15,000 - $30,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $5,000

    • Royalty Fee

      5%

      of Net Sales

    • Marketing Fee

      5%

      of Net Sales

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      210

    • New Units Opened *

      5

    • Units Transferred *

      3

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $1,056,790

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

A&W All American Food – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    A&W provides initial training at the company's headquarters training kitchen, covering food preparation through local store marketing; the programme, called A&W University, includes 24–40 hours of classroom instruction and 24–60 hours of on-the-job training. Ongoing support is delivered through a dedicated Restaurant Support Center and Franchise Growth Leaders available around the clock. A&W hosts national conventions and regular state meetings for franchisees to share best practices and receive operational updates. Resale buyers should confirm with A&W what transfer training and A&W University access are provided to incoming ownership.

  2. Ideal Owner

    An A&W franchisee is typically an operations-focused owner-operator who manages a team of hourly staff, oversees food quality, and maintains service standards. Prior restaurant experience is helpful but not required; A&W University training covers operational fundamentals from food preparation to local store marketing. Comfort with community engagement and the rhythms of a quick-service operation matters. The model suits operators with a long-term, community-anchored outlook; multi-generational ownership is prevalent in the A&W system.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    A&W has been ranked in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 for both 2025 and 2026. The brand received multiple USA Today 10 Best recognitions in 2025, including for its Papa Burger, cheese curds, fries, and overall restaurant experience. A&W root beer is the most popular root beer in its category among US consumers. As America's oldest fast-food franchise, the brand carries widespread multi-generational consumer recognition that resale buyers in established markets can draw on.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US restaurant industry is expected to reach $1.5 trillion in total sales in 2025, according to the National Restaurant Association, with quick-service formats accounting for the largest share. Consumer demand for convenient, affordable, and familiar dining drives sustained QSR traffic, particularly in smaller markets and drive-thru-oriented formats where A&W is most active. For resale buyers, local demographics, nearby competition, and daily drive-thru traffic patterns at the specific location are the most relevant performance indicators.

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