(FOX40.COM) — An iconic soft drink brand and America’s oldest franchised restaurant chain is celebrating more than a century in business after starting as a street-side stand in Lodi, California following WWI.
On June 20, 1919, Roy Allen set up his roadside stand serving root beers as a city-wide summertime party celebrating the return of American soldiers who had fought in France during the First World War.
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The stand was successful enough for Allen and his former employee Frank Wright to go into business and form A&W.
While enjoying a growing business in northern San Joaquin County, the two men wanted to expand into Sacramento and decided to lease their root beer stands to other operators.
As the roaring 20s was in full swing, Allen began franchising A&W locations in 1925, making the young company the first restaurant chain to do so in the United States.