Drive-Thru, Not Car Hop at New A&W

An era will come to end this fall when the new A&W opens with a drive thru instead of its car hop service.

A&W is relocating from the west side of I-94 to a spot on Northwestern Avenue just east of the expressway, next to the Pilot station. Construction is under way and is expected to complete in September.

Owner Phil Welch said Thursday the decision to get rid of car-hop service after nearly 40 years wasn't an easy one.

"I know people will miss it, but society seems to like going through a drive-thru or coming inside to eat," he said. "So, we had to choose based on A&W's corporate guidelines."

Plus, he said, the cost of adding the car hop compared to the drive-thru was too prohibitive.

"Not as many customers use it now as they did in years past," Welch added.

What the new restaurant will have is a front patio and a picnic area so the outdoor dining experience isn't completely a thing of the past.

"We don't have a patio now," Welch noted. "This will let people eat outside —  weather permitting."

Long-time patrons posted mixed reactions on Patch's Facebook page about the change.

Some, like Gary Dawley, said the car hop was one of the reasons he visits A&W.

"Bad news for me," he wrote. "(It's) one of the reasons I went there."

John Buzz Avis agreed: "Sad. I like the mugs in car."

But others understand Welch's reasoning.

Susie Lavender wrote: "A drive-thru is better. Not many people want to eat in their car anymore. Times change."

Mindy Baumgartner was concerned about the rumor she heard about the restaurant not making their own root beer after they move. Brittany Welch answered quickly that they will continue to make their signature brew on-site.

"Oh thank God," Baumgartner wrote back. "The root beer floats are ONLY good at Franksville!"