1918
-
- In Flagstaff, Arizona, Roy Allen meets a travelling chemist who talks of a special formula for draft root beer. After trying it, Allen signs an agreement to produce and market the root beer concentrate. [42.31] [110.5] (1919 [37])
1919
- June 20
- Roy W. Allen opens his first root beer stand, at 13 West Pine Street in Lodi, California. Allen gives away his root beer during a celebration of returning soldiers from the world war. [2.10] [10] [11] [42.31] [79.623] [110.5]
- June 21
- Roy Allen opens his root beer stand in Lodi, California, for business, selling 10-ounce glasses of root beer for 5 cents. [110.8]
- (month unknown)
- Roy Allen begins using stock 10 ounce Indiana Glass Company mugs of the St. Louis type. [29]
1920
-
- Roy Allen opens a second root beer stand, in Stockton, California. [42.31] (Sacramento [11] [37])
- Frank Wright joins Roy Allen's root beer business, at the Lodi location. [42.31]
- Allen and Wright lease out their root beer stands in Lodi and Stockton to other operators. [42.32]
1921
-
- The J. Hungerford Smith Company begins manufacturing Roy Allen's root beer concentrate. [10] [110.62]
1922
-
- Frank Wright, an employee of Allen's root beer stand in Lodi, joins with Roy Allen in a partnership. [10] [11] [37]
- Roy Allen and Frank Wright formally name their beverage A & W Root Beer. [10] [11] [37] [42.32]
- The Indiana Glass Company begins producing 3.5- and 10-ounce glass mugs with the "A & W Root Beer" embossed in raised letters. [29] [42.172]
- The name "A & W Root Beer" is first used as a trade mark. [79.623]
- Three new A & W outlets are established in Houston, Texas. [11]
1923
-
- Two more A & W outlets are started in Sacramento, California. Roy Allen buys a broken-down carnival wagon, and sets it up in Sacramento as a drive-up root beer stand. The first "car hop" restaurant service in the United States is started. [11] [37] [79.623] [110.16]
1924
-
- Roy Allen buys Frank Wright's share of the business. [10] [11] [37] [42.30] [110.20]
- Roy Allen registers the name "A & W Root Beer", and the A & W logo with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office. [10] [11] [37] [110.20]
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1925
-
- Roy Allen begins selling franchises, making A & W one of the first franchise restaurant chains in the United States. [11] [37] [110.22]
- Roy Allen sells all of his California stores, and exclusive rights to build franchises in Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and Arizona to H.C. Wells and Lewis Reed. [110.23]
- Hazel Atlas Glass Company begins supplying A & W with root beer mugs. [29]
1926
- April
- Roy Allen begins using an image of a bull's eye circle, arrow through the middle, A & W on top inside, ROOT BEER below. This is the style used on mugs in the 1960s in orange, brown, and white. [44]
1927
-
- J. Willard Marriott buys the rights to sell A & W Root Beer in the Washington, D.C. area. [42.30]
1929
- September 5
- Roy Allen applies for a trade-mark on an image of a bull's eye circle, arrow through the middle, A & W on top inside, ROOT BEER below. [44]
1930
- February 11
- Roy Allen's image of a bull's eye circle, arrow through the middle, A & W on top inside, ROOT BEER below, is registered as a trade-mark. [44]
1933
-
- Number of A & W Root Beer stands in the US: 171. [79.623] [42.31]
1940
-
- U.S. Glass Company begins supplying A & W with root beer mugs. [29]
1941
- Year
- Number of A & W units operating in the USA: 260. [110.32]
1946
-
- U.S. Glass Company stops supplying A & W with root beer mugs. [29]
1948
-
- A new 10 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#1518) is introduced to A & W restaurants. It has a half-heart shaped handle, and features a red/black/white bull's-eye logo. [29]
1949
-
- The first A & W franchisee convention is held, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, for Wisconsin operators only. [110.34]
1950
-
- Roy Allen sells the A & W Root Beer business to Gene Hurtz of Nebraska. [10] [11] [37] [110.32]
- Roy Allen retires from running the A & W business. [10] [11] (1948 [37])
- Gene Hurtz forms the A & W Root Beer Company. [10] (Roy Allen established company in 1920s [37])
- Year
- Number of 450 A & W Root Beer drive-in restaurants in the United States: over 450. [79.623] [110.32]
1951
-
- A 16-ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#1506) is introduced to A & W restaurants, allowing sales of 10-cent root beer drinks, in addition to 5-cent drinks. It is known as the "Jumbo" mug. Logo used is the red/black bull's-eye design. [29] [110.73]
1953
-
- A & W Root Beer Company sells franchising rights to entire state of Louisiana to Martin Schempf. [110.44]
1954
- Year
- Number of A & W units in the USA: 800. [110.79]
1956
-
- The first A & W drive-in restaurant outside of the U.S. opens, operated by Dick Bolle and Orval Helwege on Portage Avenue in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. [4.50] [10] [84] [94.28] [104.32]
- A light weight 8 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#1504) is introduced to A & W restaurants. The logo is a red/black bull's-eye design. [29]
- October 29
- The A & W Root Beer Company begins using an image of a large glass mug with "A & W" and "ROOT BEER", a curved handle, and foam on top of the mug as a trade-mark. [44]
- November
- F.R. "Fran" Loetterle becomes president of A & W Root Beer Company. [110.44]
1957
-
- A heavy duty 8 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#1512 - 3/4) is introduced to A & W restaurants. The logo is the red/black bull's-eye design. [29]
- Number of A & W Root Beer franchises worldwide: about 1400 in 44 of the 48 US states, two in Alaska, six in Canada. [42.152] [79.623]
1958
-
- A 12 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#1518) with a half-heart handle is introduced to A & W restaurants. The handle is a half-heart shape. The logo is the red/black bull's-eye design. [29]
- Sargent Refrigeration, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, begins warehousing A & W root beer mugs from the Indiana Glass company for A & W operators. [29]
1959
-
- A & W Santa Monica begins warehousing A & W root beer mugs from the Indiana Glass company for A & W operators. [29]
- A & W Root Beer Company creates the A& W News Dispenser company newsletter. [110.46]
- Year
- Number of A & W restaurants in the USA and Canada: 1775. [110.44]
1960
-
- The 11th A & W franchisee convention is held in Detroit, Michigan. [110.57]
- February 1
- The A & W Root Beer Company applies for a service mark on an image of a large glass mug with "A & W" and "ROOT BEER", a curved handle, and foam on top of the mug. [44]
- (month unknown)
- The logo on the 3 1/2 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company is changed to a red silk-screen design. [29]
- US Food and Drug Administration bans safrole, used in most root beer, as it is believed to be a potential carcinogen. A process is developed to create safrole-free sassafras. [110.70]
- Hazel Atlas Glass Company stops supplying A & W (in the US) with root beer mugs. [29]
- Year
- Number of A & W drive-ins on the Burger Family Program: 40. [110.58]
1961
-
- The A & W franchisee convention is held in New Orleans, Louisiana. [110.54]
- The logo on the 3 1/2 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company is changed to an orange silk-screen design. [29]
- A & W Root Beer Company begins selling gallon jugs of draft root beer. [110.95]
- The light weight 8 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#1504) is discontinued from use as an A & W mug. [29]
- The logo on the 8 ounce, 10 ounce, 12 ounce, and 16 ounce root beer mugs from the Indiana Glass Company is changed to an orange/brown/white bull's-eye design. [29]
- October 31
- The A & W Root Beer Company's image of a large glass mug with "A & W" and "ROOT BEER", a curved handle, and foam on top of the mug is registered as a service mark. [44]
1962
-
- A thin wall 8 ounce mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#B-36) is introduced to A & W restaurants. [29]
- A light weight 10 ounce mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#B-37) is introduced to A & W restaurants. The handle is standard rectangular shaped. [29]
- A new light weight 12 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#B-38) is introduced to A & W restaurants. [29]
- The heavy 16 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#1506) is discontinued from use as an A & W mug. [29]
- A new light weight 16 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#B-39) is introduced to A & W restaurants. [29]
- The first A & W restaurant outside of North America opens, in Guam, operated by Wilbur and Violet Miller. [11] [110.57] (1963 [10])
- (mid-year) The 10 ounce mug is modified to give it more of a lip bulge and flared base. [29]
- Richard E. Carlson replaces Fran Loetterle as president of A & W Root Beer Company. [110.57]
- The first A & W restaurant in Europe opens, in Mannheim, Germany. [110.57]
1963
-
- The J. Hungerford Smith Company buys the A & W Root Beer Company. [10] [11] [110.63]
- The Burger Family Program adds the Teen Burger to the line-up of burgers, as America's first bacon cheeseburger. [101] [110.58]
- The 8 ounce mug introduced in 1962 is modified to give it more of a lip bulge and flared base (#B-81). [29]
- The first A & W restaurant in Malaysia opens, in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Raham on Batu Road. This is the first American fast-food outlet in Malaysia. [110.60]
- The first A & W restaurant in Japan opens, in Yagibaru, Okinawa. [110.140]
- Singer Vic Damone is named "Mr. A&W" as part of a promotion campaign. [110.65]
- The first A & W restuarant in Mexico opens. [110.62]
- A heavier 10 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#0292/B-82) is introduced to A & W restaurants. [29]
- A new taller 12 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#0293/B-82) is introduced to A & W restaurants. It is thin walled, and has a lip bulge and flared base. [29]
- The 16 ounce mug introduced in 1962 is modified to give it more of a lip bulge and flared base (#0294). [29]
- The heavy 16 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#1506) is reintroduced for use as an A & W mug. [29]
1964
-
- The 3 1/2 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company is changed from having 8 short "flutes" on the lower part of the mug, to having 16 long flutes. [29]
- The 8 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company is changed from having 8 short "flutes" on the lower part of the mug, to having 16 long flutes, and straight sides (#1698). [29]
- The 10 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company is changed from having 8 short "flutes" on the lower part of the mug, to having 16 long flutes, and straight sides with heavy walls (#1699). [29]
- The 12 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company is changed from having 8 short "flutes" on the lower part of the mug, to having 16 long flutes, and straight sides with heavy walls (#1700). [29]
- The 16 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company is changed from having 8 short "flutes" on the lower part of the mug, to having 16 long flutes, and straight sides with heavy walls (#1701). [29]
1965
- February 16
- The A & W Root Beer Company is granted a registered trademark of a bull's-eye image with letters "A & W" at top for restaurant services. [44]
- May
- A & W applies for a trade-mark on the bull's-eye logo. [29]
- December
- United Fruit Company announces plans to acquire the J. Hungerford Smith Company (and A & W Root Beer). [110.77]
1966
-
- (spring) The 16-ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#1506) is discontinued. [29]
- The logo on the 3 1/2 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company is changed to a orange/brown/white bull's-eye design. [29]
- United Fruit Company buys the J. Hungerford Smith Company, including the A & W Root Beer Company. [10] [28.78] [110.77] (1967 [27.229])
1967
-
- (fall) The 16 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#1701) is discontinued. [29]
- A & W phases out the 10-ounce and 12-ounce mugs. [29]
- Year
- Number of A & W units in the USA: 2400. [110.79]
1968
- January
- A & W International first uses an image of an oval double-boomerang with letters "A & W" as a trademark logo. [44]
- (month unknown)
- A heavy 14 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#1702) is introduced. It has the brown/orange/white bull's-eye logo. 6000 cases are produced before A & W changes its logo. [29]
- March 26
- Roy Allen, A & W company founder, dies. [11] [37] [110.32]
- A & W adopts a new logo in the US. It is changed to an orange/brown/white oval design. "A" and "W" are in brown and the "&" is in orange, on a white field. Outside of the white is a half orange, half brown oval ring. [29]
- June
- A heavy 14 ounce root beer mug from the Indiana Glass Company (#1614) is introduced. It has the new brown/orange/white oval logo. [29]
- (month unknown)
- The logo on the 3 1/2 ounce and 8 ounce root beer mugs from the Indiana Glass Company is changed to the new orange/brown/white oval design. [29]
- (late) The Indiana Glass Company begins shipping A & W mugs with the new logo to distributors. [29]
- The name of the A & W Root Beer Company is changed to A & W International. [10] [11] [110.82]
1969
- May
- Fran Loetterle resigns as President of A & W International, replaced by Edwin S. Weber Junior. [110.87]
- June 16
- A & W launches its first national television commercials, during Monday Night at the Movies, to promote take-home gallons of root beer. [110.85]
- (month unknown)
- A & W releases a gold-on-white souvenir mug to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the company. [110.84]
- A & W opens first Crandall House restaurant in Santa Monica, California, as a test of a new full-service coffee shop. [110.81]
- (mid-year) Logo decal used on root beer mugs from the Indiana Glass Company is modified to remove most of white color from behind the orange/brown colors, allowing them to bond to the glass, giving the product a longer life. [29]
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