A&W Restaurants, Inc., which pioneered the drive-in restaurant in the United States, continues its expansion into non-traditional venues and recently announced the opening of two restaurants. One will be located in the Roanoke Civic Center in Roanoke, VA and the second in the Model T Casino in Reno, NV.

Lisa Palmer, A&W Restaurants manager of franchise services, made the December 14 announcement concerning the company's growth in non-traditional venues.

A&W Restaurants, which traces its beginnings to a root beer stand in Lodi, California some 80 years ago, will operate "in-line" units at both sites.

"As we continue to pursue our growth plans, restaurant operators in non- traditional sites such as convention centers, casinos, airports, convenience stores and gas stations, recognize the power of a brand such as A&W," explained George Goulson, executive vice president for A&W. "It is a win-win partnership for the operator and our organization."

A&W has about 1,000 domestic restaurants in 47 states and approximately 200 international units in 17 countries "All American Menu" consists of: A&W Root Beer¨, hot dogs, chili dogs, hamburgers, french fries, chicken sandwiches, A&W Root Beer Floats¨ plus regional items.

Formed in 1999, Yorkshire Global Restaurants is the parent company for both A&W Restaurants and Long John Silver's Restaurants.