VANCOUVER, Dec. 14 /CNW/ - A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. is pleased to announce that they have been awarded the Pinnacle Award for Franchise Excellence for 2010.  The company was presented with the award at a luncheon at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto on December 3rd.  Paul Hollands, A&W's President and CEO and Graham Cooke, the company's Vice-President of New Restaurant Expansion, were on hand to accept the award on behalf of the company.

"A&W has been a franchise business in Canada for over 50 years and we have worked very hard to establish outstanding, win-win relationships with our franchisees," said Hollands upon receiving the award.  "We are so very proud to have our work validated in this way. The Pinnacle Award is highly prestigious and we are thrilled to be named as one of Canada's top foodservice franchise chains."

Graham Cooke, who currently serves as Chair of the Board of the Canadian Franchise Association, said the company has recently introduced a multi-site franchise model that has been enormously successful in attracting a new group of franchise customers.  "We currently have paid deposits for well over 100 franchises, all of which will become A&W restaurants over the next 3-5 years."  Cooke went on to say the company will continue to target Ontario and Quebec as key growth markets in the next few years.

The Pinnacle Awards are sponsored by Kostuch Publications Ltd. who publish Foodservice and Hospitality magazine.  A&W is featured in the December issue along with other Pinnacle Award winning companies for 2010.

A&W is Canada's second largest hamburger chain.  Operating coast-to-coast, A&W restaurants feature famous trade-marked menu items such as The Burger Family®, Chubby Chicken® and A&W Root Beer®.