Rooty uprooted: Thais feast on waffles in fond farewell to iconic A&W
A&W fast food restaurants opened for their last day of trading on Sunday before shutting down for good, ending 39 years of operation in Thailand.
The iconic root beer-and-waffle brand, which has been part of Thai’s lives for two generations, bid a fond farewell to its army of loyal followers with a message on its Facebook page.
“Thanks all customers for your continued support and years of good memories at A&W. Rooty [the company’s mascot] will always think about you. It’s been a pleasure,” the post on Sunday said.
Over 1,000 netizens quickly replied with comments lamenting the company’s closure of business in Thailand. Meanwhile customers who visited 26 A&W branches on Sunday grabbed the chance to take one last photo of themselves posing with the Rooty mascot displayed in front of the restaurants.
The American fast food chain has been in Thailand since 1983 but announced the end of its Thai operation earlier this month. It cited financial losses suffered since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic more than two years ago.
In 2021 the company recorded a loss of Bt70 million in Thailand as Covid-19 restrictions took a toll on public life.
As soon as A&W announced it was leaving Thailand, people began flocking to the outlets for their signature waffles and root beer floats.