<Ul> <Li> Drink portal </Li> </Ul> <P> A&W Root Beer is a root beer brand primarily available in the United States and Canada, started in 1919 by Roy W. Allen . In 1922, Allen partnered with Frank Wright . They combined their initials to create the brand "A&W" and inspired a restaurant chain, founded in 1922 . Originally, A&W root beer drinks sold for five cents . </P> <P> Outside Canada, the rights to the A&W brand are owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group, which in turn licenses the brand to the similarly named U.S. - based restaurant chain; A&W products are distributed via various U.S. bottlers . A&W Food Services of Canada, which is independent of both DPSG and the U.S. chain, is responsible for the restaurants and the marketing of root beer products in that country, with retail products bottled and distributed by The Coca - Cola Company . The U.S. variant is also sold as an import drink in Southeast Asia and Italy (where A&W has restaurants), as well as Australia, the United Kingdom, and Chile, among other countries . </P> <P> On June 20, 1919, Roy W. Allen opened a roadside root beer stand in Lodi, California, using a formula he had purchased from a pharmacist . He soon opened stands in Stockton, California, and five stands in nearby Sacramento, home of the country's first drive - in featuring "tray - boys" for curbside service . In 1920, Allen became partners with Frank Wright and the two combined their initials and called their product A&W Root Beer . A mistaken notion is that the initials were derived from Alice and Willard Marriott . This mistake arose owing to Marriott's first business, an A&W franchise </P>

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