A&W celebrates 60 years in Steinbach

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This article was published 05/07/2022 (1033 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was a time of celebration for A&W owners, staff and customers June 23 as they celebrated their 60th anniversary in Steinbach.

The facility was built at its current location in 1962, only six years after the very first A&W came to Canada, a Portage Avenue location in Winnipeg.

For the newest owners, Tamara and Derek Williamson, it was a chance to honour their past, show off renovations that were made during COVID closures, and welcome back a more normal climate for restaurants.

The couple purchased the restaurant from her parents, Ken and Doreen Penner on March 2, 2020. The Penners had owned the restaurant for 26 years.

But buying a restaurant as COVID restrictions began, wasn’t easy.

“Our first two years were nothing close to normal,” Tamara said.

There was a silver lining to the empty restaurant, however. While they continued to feed customers through their drive-thru they had the opportunity to conduct renovations.

Those included major work in the kitchen and dining room upgrades including new paint, new seating (including booths for the first time) and the establishment of a “brew bar” which only came into use this month.

“It’s brighter, it’s lighter, it’s very welcoming, very comfortable,” Tamara said.

The brew bar, something that regular attendees are still discovering, adds 26 drinks to the menu including real fruit smoothies, iced coffees and some hot drinks.

The celebration featured free root beer, a visit from The Great Root Bear, draws, and a chance to look back at the history of the location with photos adorning the wall.

That has provoked discussion and the owners said it’s clear that the restaurant has played a role in creating many memories over the six decades it’s been in the community.

Honouring those roots in the community remain a priority for the Williamsons. Being involved locally also inspired the pair to sponsor the Easter Egg Hunt at the Mennonite Heritage Village earlier this year.

“We’re just doing our small part to keep it going,” Derek said of the restaurant’s longevity.

The couple also loves the product they sell. While Derek’s favourite order is the traditional teen burger, onion rings and root beer combo, Tamara said her favourite selection is the ’56 burger, poutine and a smoothie.