A & W in Calgary

I went for a completion field review for an A & W Restaurant project and I thought that this project did quite well, despite the usual hair pulling and teeth gnashing that go with any construction project.


I faced some comments with the City – there is one whole side that is fire rated. Not that anyone would notice it. A & W updated their look – white exterior metal cladding, a darker aluminum panel, glass tiles on the washrooms, the bright interiors  and nuances on the colors. It looks fresh and I believe it serves the purpose of bringing people in. Aside from the juicy burger I suppose.


I gently asked from the client if there was any more work coming- and the reply I got is that fast food places like these rely on the drive-thru to generate revenue. Apparently it’s difficult to get the drive thru approved. These fast foods places rely heavily on the drive thru for revenue.  If I remember correctly, 60% of the revenue comes from the drive thru.  If the drive thrus do not get approved, then it won’t be built. And of course, in the City, it is not easy to get a drive thru approved.  Anyway, that’s someone else’s battle for now.


So, when you are driving on the south of the City and see a shiny orange beacon with A& W on it, take a second look and hopefully you agree with me that the building looks a little better this time around.


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