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Is A&W Canadian? (sh.itjust.works)

Just found out this Wikipedia article where it says its american: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%26W_Restaurants

But then in there there is a link to this other article where it says that A&W Canada is actually a separate Canadian company: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%26W_(Canada)

Kind of confusing to be honest but if I understood correctly, it seems like buying in there is not supporting the americans, am I right?

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[-] CanadianCorhen@lemmy.ca 36 points 6 days ago

Yea, I believe A&W Canada is an entierly seperate company, and Canadian owned

[-] SreudianFlip@sh.itjust.works 6 points 6 days ago

Last few times I was in there they were making claims about sourcing Canadian beef. Veggie burger is good. It’s the only fast food place I go to. Proudly Canadian I think.

[-] Canconda@lemmy.ca 1 points 5 days ago

They also use less processed ingredients. Tomatos/lettuce get sliced and prepped daily. Onion rings are battered in house!!

[-] adarza@lemmy.ca 33 points 6 days ago

a&w canada is separate from a&w in the u.s., correct.

unilever (uk) bought the canadian business only of a&w in the 1970s--that's what split the u.s. and canadian parts. some franchisees in canada grouped-together and bought the canadian a&w from unilever in 1995.

[-] HubertManne@piefed.social 3 points 6 days ago

I was kinda wondering when I saw this because I thought it was one of those things yum(pepsi) bought up.

[-] adarza@lemmy.ca 2 points 6 days ago

the american a&w was part of yum brands until it was divested about 15 years ago.. yum itself was originally formed from the merger of pepsi's spun-off restaurant business and the american a&w's parent.

[-] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 6 days ago

oh that funny. I know pepsi spun off yum because it pissed off restaurant customers but did not realize a&w was kind of the parent.

[-] PorkchopDisco@lemmy.ca 24 points 6 days ago

Having eaten at both US and Canadian A&W restaurants, the Canadian chain is much better fyi.

[-] HumanOnEarth@lemmy.ca 21 points 6 days ago

Yes.

My A&W consumption went way up after Trump was re-elected.

Best fast food breakfast (hashbrowns are superior), best beef burgers. Chicken is a bit meh. Onion rings are obviously S tier. Root beer is great.

With coupons they're a no brainer. Regular price I'd rather do A&W twice for every 3 visits of other stuff.

[-] lobut@lemmy.ca 4 points 6 days ago

oh thank goodness ...

I'm so tired of eating at Harvey's ... and Mary Brown's is too far!

[-] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 4 points 6 days ago

I wish there was a Harvey's anywhere near me.

[-] Canconda@lemmy.ca -1 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Local Home Depot tried replacing them with a subway but now its just shopping cards.

[-] GrindingGears@lemmy.ca 2 points 6 days ago

They do have a pretty mean hashbrown. Their coffee isn't half bad either. I'm always down for a teen burger too. I don't get it much, but it's the only fast food joint that doesn't send my blood sugar into a death spiral.

[-] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 1 points 6 days ago

It's very expensive fast food.

[-] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 4 points 6 days ago

Pretty much all fast food has become expensive in the last few years.

[-] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca -1 points 6 days ago

I wouldn't know. I wouldn't eat any of that shit.

[-] HumanOnEarth@lemmy.ca 4 points 6 days ago

6.49 egger combo with a coupon this morning. Regular price is maybe a couple bucks more than a similar McDonalds meal.

Hence, "go twice there instead of three times somewhere else".

Very expensive? What's your definition of that? Any suggestions on where to go instead? Or just a shit and run comment?

[-] BCsven@lemmy.ca 2 points 6 days ago

It's all that price where we are, so A&W is better with real cheese, organic coffee, actual eggs.

[-] Canconda@lemmy.ca 9 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

I worked at one.

  1. A&W Canada is a completely separate entity from A&W USA with no legal ties whatsoever.

  2. They do source their ingredients from Canada. Much less processed than McDonalds or Arbys (I've also worked there).

  3. They make the onion rings by hand. They slice the tomato's/lettuce every morning.

  4. Many have 24 hour drive thrus and open late lobbies.

  5. The immigrants working there aren't TFWs (which Canadian taxes pay for), they're good people who sincerely want to be Canadian.

  6. They have frosted mugs instead of ice. Every single ice machine is contaminated with fecal bacteria.

In the hellscape that is late stage capitalism... they're on my shortlist like Costco

[-] BurgerBaron@quokk.au -3 points 5 days ago
[-] Canconda@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 days ago

133/~20,000 employees according to your link and wikipedia.

Compared to Tim Hortons who has >10x the TFW use with about 5x the employees.

...

For me the thing is that A&W has maintained it's quality. While Tim Hortons has gotten worse in every aspect.

[-] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 19 points 6 days ago

A&W Canada is Canadian, separated from the US chain a while ago

[-] k0e3@lemmy.ca 6 points 6 days ago

What I would also like to know is if the Okinawan A&W is independent from the US one as well. It's the only prefecture in Japan that has it. I haven't gone in years because it's just not as good as the Canadian one and because it might be US-owned.

[-] adarza@lemmy.ca 6 points 6 days ago

pretty sure okinawa a&w locations are franchisees of the american a&w.

[-] k0e3@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 days ago

Yeah, I thought so... Oh well, I'll just stick to my MOS burger I guess.

[-] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Whenever I want 'amburgers and woot beer, I go to the A&W. /s

[-] Kojichan@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago

Homestar Runner detected.

this post was submitted on 26 May 2026
50 points (98.1% liked)

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