Fast-food chain A&W wants to open at least 3 KC area restaurants, more later
Fast-food chain A&W has announced plans to expand its presence in the Kansas City area, planning to open three restaurants over the next four years.
In a statement released to the media Tuesday, A&W said it’s looking for franchising opportunities across the metro.
Specific addresses of locations were not shared in the release.
“A&W is a natural fit for the Kansas City metropolitan area because we understand the values that define these communities,” Betsy Schmandt, CEO of A&W, said in a statement. “We are committed to providing franchise partners with the support they need to build successful businesses that contribute to the fabric of their hometowns.”
A&W currently has just five restaurants in the metro, some of which are paired with Long John Silver’s locations.
Its spots include 607 E. Santa Fe St. in Olathe, 9900 W. 63rd St. in Merriam, and 11211 E. 40th St. S. in Independence.
A&W started in 1919 and is known for its signature root beer, which is made fresh in each restaurant. The drink is also sold in bottles across the country.
Its restaurants, meanwhile, sell chicken tenders, bacon and Swiss burgers, Coney cheese dogs and more.
The brand has over 850 locations. Six-hundred are single-brand A&Ws and 230 are combined with KFC or Long John Silver’s.
The company made a similar statement in 2021, declaring its intentions to expand in the KC metro. It’s unclear why those plans did not come into fruition.