Source: Franchise Times
A&W’s new restaurant prototype ranges from nearly 2,200 to 2,800 square feet with seating for 40 to 70 guests.
Leadership at A&W Restaurants over the last year have been hard at work to give the legacy brand a refresh.
Those efforts have ranged from improving the menu to revamped marketing. On August 18, the concept unveiled the next piece of the puzzle, with an updated look to the restaurants. It’s the first redesign for A&W since 2019, with brand leadership describing it as “modern heritage.”
“We wanted to lean on things like the nostalgia of the mid-century diner and our roadside stands, but do it with a modern twist that accommodates a customer’s expectations of today’s QSR,” President and CEO Betsy Schmandt said. “We’ve gone in on quality for a long time with our food and beverage programs, and we built on that with our new hometown hospitality service platform that we started rolling out in January. This redesign the third leg of that stool.”
The new prototype has a larger square footage range than the units detailed in the most recent franchise disclosure document. Freestanding locations are currently set between 2,082 and 2,176, while the new design ranges from nearly 2,200 to 2,800. Depending on the size, the new prototypes include seating for 40 to 70 guests.
“Flexible formatting is really key,” said Meredeth Jones, vice president of franchise development and design. “When you look at a bigger footprint for our freestanding, we’re trying to achieve a bigger engine in the kitchen, if you will, with more throughput to accommodate both drive-thru and dine-in customers.”
Jones added the square footage will be determined by what the franchisee is looking for, and overall market size. In its 2026 FDD, the initial investment range for a free-standing site is between $894,130 and $1.6 million. Jones said the goal with the new prototype is to have that investment remain nearly the same.
“We’re working toward having a similar range,” Jones said. “There’s always going to be variations, and given that we’re going to have larger buildings in some cases, the costs may be over what you see in our current FDD. But we’re really trying to hold those costs in line and keep our franchisees and their money top of mind.”
Schmandt projects new prototypes will begin development in early 2027, and several existing franchisees have already expressed interest in opening them once available. Along with new builds, Jones said the new design is applicable to second and third generation buildings, too, as long as the site and visibility fits brand standards.
New restaurants developed in the future will join a system of more than 850 locations in 35 states and Asia, with roughly half of those in the United States. Of those, 600 are single-brand locations, while 230 are co-branded with KFC or Long John Silver’s. Along with freestanding units, franchisees have the option to open endcap and non-traditional locations.
There are also A&W restaurants in Canada. However, those are completely separate from those in the U.S. In the American market, 2026 marks the 15th year under the current ownership, with a group of franchisees acquiring A&W Restaurants from Yum Brands in 2011. At that time, the brand had 1,066 locations.
While its unit count has declined since then, the concept is in growth mode, as Jones said A&W is on track to open 10 to 12 units by the end of the year. When it comes to existing stores, in 2025, of 59 standalone restaurants reporting in the FDD, average net sales were $1.29 million.
For those restaurants, and new ones in the development pipeline, Jones added that the brand has also been rolling out a new tech stack, with updated POS and inventory management software. As the brand adds those digital elements, leadership remains committed to maintaining the classic feel the brand is known for. Jones said it’s why the concept is comfortable having restaurants with up to 70 seats in the new design.
“When we think about A&W at its core, it’s an experience for our customers who still enjoy coming in and getting that frosty mug,” Jones said. “Then, through technology, we have to meet our customers where they want to be met, whether that’s kiosks, counter service, drive-thru or third-party delivery. But we want to also remember those that want to come in, be served and have that A&W experience.”
