A&W Restaurants is coming to Addison, Illinois, at 1012 N Rohlwing Rd. on June 6. With 12 years of experience in the real estate industry and developing various quick-service restaurant concepts, Anthony Di Mauro, along with his business partner, Karin Akermann Fry, are geared up to open Addison’s first A&W, with plans to expand to additional locations.
Di Mauro entered the food and beverage industry 12 years ago working in New York to develop and launch new restaurant concepts, and in recent years has been heavily involved in commercial real estate development in the region. In 2011, Di Mauro teamed up with the late Lee Fry, and along with Lee’s wife, Karin, decided to invest in a franchise restaurant location of their own in Addison.
When the team learned that the North Aurora location, a staple in the community for 30 years, was for sale due to its owner retiring, they jumped at the opportunity and began planning their expansion across the Chicago suburbs.
“From our first experience at the North Aurora location, we saw the unique experience A&W is able to offer customers and how committed they are to providing the highest quality service. We are confident that we are bringing to Addison an American favorite that everybody in the family can enjoy,” says Karin.
“Being a franchisee-owned company is extremely important to us, and that’s why we chose A&W. The wonderful food, legacy brand reputation and of course the root beer that’s made fresh every day, were all major selling points for us. It’s a pleasure to work with people who are as enthused as we are about the brand. It’s more than just a job, it is a business we’re truly passionate about,” Di Mauro adds.
With the A&W opening in Addison, there will be four A&W locations in Illinois: East Peoria, Springfield, Moline, and Addison. Now, the brand is gearing up to open an additional five to 15 locations in the state.
“We believe Illinois has the capacity to house several more additional successful restaurants. We are excited to see Anthony and Karin continue to grow with A&W, and that we have been able to help them achieve their dream of opening multiple A&W restaurants,” says John Palumbo, A&W’s Senior Director of Franchise Development. “For over 100 years the A&W brand has resonated with so many Americans across this great country and Addison is no different. This is only the tip of the Root Beer Float for A&W in Illinois!”
The new Addison location is part of A&W’s plan to award 26 units to franchisees in 2023 and open 10 new locations. A&W is looking to target both new and existing markets including additional states like Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.
