A&W Restaurants, founded in Lodi, California, in 1919, will kick off its 90th anniversary celebration by announcing its plans to open 15 state-of-the-art drive-ins in 2009 during the annual International Franchise Association (IFA) Convention being held here starting Feb. 14, 2009.

The iconic A&W Restaurants brand, which pioneered the drive-in concept with such all-american classics as its famous A&W Original Draft Root Beer, Papa Burger, Coney Dog, and the one-of-a- kind Root Beer Float, is now rolling out new “Drive In Concepts.” This provides customers the ultimate drive-in experience, named “Three-D Drive In: Drive-In, Drive-Through, Dine-In.”

“Literally millions of Americans have an A&W story they can tell, whether it was their first frosty mug of A&W Root Beer or their first experience at a drive-in,” says Ben Butler, president of A&W Restaurants. “We are creating new memories for new generations by bringing back our classic drive-in in a contemporary way.”

“In 2008, our franchisees saw great success with the Three-D Drive Ins we opened,” he says. “We will continue our growth by opening significantly more units mostly in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Oregon.”