The Castlegar Sun Wednesday, July 6, 1994 hirley Henderson is a bit of a dreamer. There was a time when she thought her dreams might never come true, but once she dared to dream the impossible dream, it led her to Castlegar as the owner of a bright, shiny and friendly A & W restaurant. Shirley grew up on the rolling plains of Saskatchewan and she has worked in the food service industry all her life. She has worked in many different types of restaurants in her career but could mever seem to find a perfect situa- tion to fit her. So when the call came from Castlegar, there was no turning back. “A & W approached us and asked us if we would like to put a free standing restaurant in Castle- gar,” said Shirley. “I wanted to move out to B.C. and when Castle- gar came up I jumped for it.” Shirley is the co-owner of A & W along with Bob Cartier. Besides being co-owner, Shirley is also manager of A & W which is no small task, but one she certainly enjoys. A & W is unlike any other establishment in which she has ever worked and she knew it from the moment she started. “An A & W franchise is more of a friendly operation,” said Shirley. “They really work with you to be a success. They try to be innovative, “ Celebr Saturday, 1982 Columbia Avenue in Castlegar Come on out and enjoy PRIZES ¢ GIVEAWAYS ¢ FUN ¢ EXCITEMENT PLUS Meet the GREAT A&W ROOT BEAR tion uly 9 that have made them a success.” “I grew up with A & W drive-ins,” reminisces Shirley, “and I always loved their atmosphere and, most of all, their food. We have a great product and we make some of the best burgers in the business.” One special aspect of the A & W chain is its contin- ued commitment to charities and its pos- itive impact on the communities where its franchises are located. Shirley has already begun think- ing about helping sponsor teams and leisure groups with- in Castlegar. She is extremely excited about getting invelved in the com- munity and p - The Casth A&Wk ing A & W's own Jerson has helped bring special brand of appreciative city of Castlegar. She invites everyone down to A & W on Saturday to view some vintage cars, see the Great A & W Root Bear and have a huge amount of fun. The economic impact to Castle- gar is also very positive. A & W currently employs 25 full time and 25 part-time workers from within yet they stick by the old traditi A&W amays strives to present a clean and the pity. The j environment to all its visitors. A crisp and clean interior is a trademark of any A & W franchise. The Castlegar location is no exception. employs many students who are just starting life in the workplace. A & W teaches these first time employees valuable skills that will help them the rest of their lives. “I was looking for a job and I had a few interviews, said Chris Kling, who is a new Castlegar A & W employee, first time worker, and recent grade 12 graduate. “This interview went young adults tend to learn cru- cial life-skills such as responsi- bility, hard work and respect. In order to facilitate their success- ful entrance into the community of Castle- gar, A & W plans to hold a grand opening on Saturday July 9. The great A & W Root Bear will be there and he will be celebrating the 75th anniversary of the cre- ation of A & W Root Beer. Also on hand will Pw well and I’m glad I A & W Owner Shirley be several old hot rods got the job. I really Henderson is just from the Castlegar like the cooperation Nappy to be a part Of Branch of the Vintage here and everybody Castieger. is very friendly.” Chris doesn’t plan to work at A & W his whole life, but says it’s a good experience for him to have before he goes on to higher goals in Selkirk College. When working at a well-run restaurant, Car Club and plenty of Prizes for young and old. Teen Burgers will be on sale all day starting at 11 am., so come on down and have some great food, great fun and great Root Beer in the friendly air-conditioned clean envi- ronment of A & W. ted on Columbia Avenue is a sight for sore eyes in this part of West Kootenay. Shirley Hen- A & W and its prestigious tradition of good food, clean environment and friendly service to the All employees of A & W are always eager to greet you with a courteous welcome and a happy smile. Suzana Chaves of Castie- gar is certainly no exception. Wednesday, July 6, 1994 The Castlegar Sun Page SB A & W never forgot the good ol’ days You can still eruise on n eown in your hot rod for a Whistle Dog, onion rings and a cool Root Beer n the 20th century there have been indelible impressions left by the human race on the planet earth. Most people look to huge rock monuments like Mt. Rushmore and the pyramids of Egypt. Howev- er, there is one human development that has stood the test of time that you can find all across the country and now, right here in Castlegar. It is the the great service and friendly atmosphere found at the neighbor- hood A & W. From its beginning, A & W has been an innovator. The company was founded in 1919 in Lodi, Cali- fomia by three enterprising gentle- men who opened a sidewalk stand | Bie: offering a creamy, hing bever- age which they called “A & W Root > Beer”. In 1921, capitalizing on the popularity of the bil introduced “drive-in service” and they invited customers to pull off the road, park their cars and enjoy this delicious and unusual drink. Sales soared and the drive-in was bom! The first Canadian store was opened in 1956 by Dick Bolte and Orval Helwege in Winnipeg on the busy Portage Avenue. The success that followed brought numerous franchise enquiries from Canadians who recognized this unique busi- ness opportunity. A & W has never looked back and has grown to over 435 units in Canada. One of the key aspects of the restaurant’s success is its ability to change with the times while still retaining a sense of nostalgia. Inno- vation and product development continue to play a vital role in the success of A & W. The original Teen Burger and unique fresh Onion Rings have now been joined by the All the old gang used to hang out at the ‘A & W Drive-In ‘waiting for the A & W Root Bear or maybe the cute carhops. 5 € 1994 ABW Teen Bur Food Services of Canada Ltd. A aH founders Roy Allen (left) and Frank t loved a good game of golf just as much as a foaming glass of cool Root Beer. }] sumptuous Mozza Burger. A & W is also now open for break- fast, offering menu items such as the Bacon N’ Egger breakfast sandwich, as well as the traditional bacon and eggs The Company pros- pered greatly in the 1960s and early 1970s, and the A & W drive-in was a part of the social life of many young Canadians. In response to changing trends, A & W added restaurant seating to many of its restaurants in the mid-1970s. By the end of the decade, the company adopted an innovative, new growth strategy which saw the replacement of the traditional drive- in with self-servjce restaurants and a focus on shoppiii mall food ser- vice. Today, A & stores in malls alone, making it the operates 275 number one food outlet in shopping centres across the country. The 1970s brought about a political change in the world as well as changes in the business world. The A & W chain of restaurants was swept up in the new economic tide when Unilever Canada Lid., a subsidiary of Unilever PLC, purchased the Canadian Arm of A & W from United Brands in 1972. This ended the common ownership of the company in the U.S and Canada, and it gave the Canadian franchises the freedom and opportunity to put a truly Canadian stamp on the restaurants. By the time the 1980s rolled around, A & W had added another 136 stores to its impressive list of Canadian locations. In 1983, a bot- tling agreement was signed with Coca-Cola Ltd. for national distri- Everybody loves a good 20 gallons of Root Beer in a cold jug. This year marks the 75th Anniversary of great-tasting A & W Root Beer. bution of A & W Root Beer, which quickly became the number one selling root beer in the country. The company also introduced, A & W Cream Soda in the 1980s. Unfortunately, a bit of Canadian history began to die with the phase- out of the drive-in restaurant, but the memories are still being kept alive by many restaurants like Castlegar that feature a “Memories” wall which incorporates nostalgic photographs taken from the drive-in Continued on page 6 development of a new soft drink CORPORATE HISTORY FACT SHEET LOS 2S Ss SY oe Se ee 1977 - A&W developed a new corporate strategy to meet the challenges of Te "80s and ‘90s. The strategy involved exp and centre hamburger food service. rene ernie siesbesnee and ion of drive-in - A&W signed an agreement with Coca-Cola Ltd. by which Coca-Cola agreed to bottle and distribute A&W Root Beer nationally. In two years, A&W Root Beer became the number one root beer in Canada and to that brand state-of-the-art di 1986 - A&W continued converting Its drive-ins and adding drive-thru service across Canada. The renovation program will see the phasing out of all A&W drive-ins by 1991 in an ongoing commitment to replace them with self-serve knead - A&W opened its first airport Airport/Dorval. the rea a in i - A&W opened its 300th restaurant. - The company launched A&W Cream Soda, the only cream soda with full national retail grocery distribution. total number St restautants to 438 OnE Day SPECIAL at the Castlegar location ON cessscssssscsnccsesseseeeee DI 99 | (after 11:00 am) OPEN FOR BREAKFAST AT 7:00 AM Special appearance by the Great A & W Root Bear Saturday, July 9th CKQR 760 Sunshine Radio on location from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm PRIZES - GIVEAWAYS - FUN - EXCITEMENT - VINTAGE CARS 1982 Columbia Avenue - 365-4990