The story begins in 1919 in Lodi, California.

The city of Lodi honored its local heroes returning home from World War I, then known as “The Great War.”

During these celebrations, Roy W. Allen decided to open his first root beer stand.

The first day of business was dedicated to veterans who had served in the military. The next day, June 21^m, The stand at 13 West Pine Street was opened to the public.

Allen took on a partner in his young company, Frank Wright, and thus the name that made history was born: A & W.

Allen and Wright were not local owners. They leased the first two stands to focus on expanding the business north of Lodi to Stockton and Sacramento.

They actively sold franchises to new operators, becoming the first fast-food franchise chain in the United States. The business model was for boys and girls to provide curbside service on trays.

In 1924, Allen bought out Frank Wright’s share of the business. The following year, he began selling root beer as a franchise. The future looked bright.

In the early years, most of the stands were located on busy streets and highways in California’s Central Valley. In addition to root beer, the stands also sold peanuts, popcorn and sandwiches.

Success usually means expansion. In 1933 there were 171 A&Ws, and by 1941 there were 240. In 1956 and 1960 they expanded to Canada and had 2,000 locations worldwide.

Over the years, A&W has changed hands several times and faced some financial challenges. Most of the drive-thru versions are now history, with most of their stands now being walk-in restaurants with seating.

At one point in time, there were three A&W schools in Redwood City, including one that employed Lydia Pense, the great lead singer of Cold Blood. Lydia attended Sequoia High.

There are currently 900 A&W stores worldwide.

Everything else is just history