A&W plans comeback

CNY Business Journal (1996+), May 25, 2001 by Allen, Paul

DEWITT - By the end of the summer, there will be an A&W/Long John Silver's combined restaurant on Erie Boulevard East in DeWitt on the site of the former Galveston's restaurant.

And according to Shane Perry, senior associate for the commercial department of Prudential First Properties, the DeWitt location is just the beginning of an aggressive expansion push by A&W throughout Central New York.

"A&W officials say they want at least 10 A&W locations in Central New York within the next two years," says Perry.

This is a huge development because Central New York is a virtually untapped market for A&W. Their plans are to initially expand throughout areas along the Thruway Syracuse, Utica, and Albany." Currently, the only A&W locations in Central New York are in Cortland, Massena, and Watertown.

The DeWitt A&W, however, will be the only location that shares its space with Long John Silver's. Fran Cegnar, director of franchise marketing for Yorkshire Global Restaurants, the parent company of both A&W and Long John Silver's, says the "co-branded" restaurant is the first of its kind in the area.

"There are 41 co-branded A&W and Long John Silver's across the country, and all have performed exceptionally well," Cegnar says. "I have no doubt that the DeWitt site, with its great location on Erie Boulevard, will perform just as good."

The new restaurant is going to look "spectacular," Perry says. "It's going to be a prototype facility with a brand new look and style."

Perry adds that the DeWitt A&W will have its trademark drive-in as well as a drive-thru. The only reason the joint venture with Long John Silver's was possible, Perry says, is because the former Galveston's building is so large. The two restaurants will also share a kitchen, he adds.

Mimi Perry and her husband Michael are the franchisees of the DeWitt A&W/Long John Silver's. Perry says that she and her husband are currently contracted to open two A&W restaurants in the area - the location in DeWitt and another one on the comer of Routes 31 and 57 in Clay. She says she's hoping to begin construction of the Clay location within six months of the opening of the DeWitt restaurant.

"We're definitely opening up at least two A&Ws," she says, "but if all goes well, we're hoping to open up more."

The reason they got involved in owning and operating A&W restaurants, Perry says, is twofold: She wanted to do something on which she and her husband could work together, and she wanted to recreate her childhood experiences of going to the A&W in Cortland.

"My grandfather lived in the Watkins Glen area and whenever we visited him, we always stopped at the A&W. I loved the '50s-style drive-in, but most importantly, I loved the food." Now, as a mother of four, Perry says she sees the high quality and reasonably priced food as a big selling point for other families in the area.

Perry declined to say how much she and her husband were paying Yorkshire Global for the franchise rights.

"Every single person we talked to about opening up an A&W in the area had a great story about visiting one when they were younger," she says. "That's what really sold us on the idea. We figured the nostalgia combined with great food at great prices couldn't be beat."

Perry says ground-breaking for the project will begin within five weeks and adds that the target date for opening the A&W/Long John Silver's restaurant is Sept. 1.