MONTRÉAL, Feb. 1, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. has just been awarded the prestigious Maillon d'Or in the "Franchisor of the Year" category by the Conseil québécois de la franchise.

The Maillon d'Or for "Franchisor of the Year" was given to Mr. Yanick Morin, National Director, Franchise Sales during the Maillon D'Or Awards ceremony held on January 18, 2016 at the Hilton Bonaventure Montréal. Attended by 400 franchise industry representatives, this major ceremony was organized by the Conseil québécois de la franchise.

"We are thrilled to have been named Franchisor of the Year," said Yanick Morin. "It's a great honour to have our success recognized by the franchise industry. 2015 was a great year for A&W, as we opened 11 new restaurants in Québec, reached the milestone of $1 billion in sales across Canada, and launched a unique program enabling young entrepreneurs aged 35 and under to open their own A&W franchise, with a relatively modest investment, thanks to A&W's financial support. Such resounding success wouldn't have been possible without a dedicated head office team and passionate franchisees! Also, the franchisee group composed of Lyne Gratton, Stéphane Gratton and Marko Bianchi won the award given to the most community-driven franchisees during the Maillon d'Or Awards, which they more than earned. 2016 promises to be just as amazing, as we continue to rapidly expand across Canada and keep innovating, all with great menu items made with high-quality ingredients!"

Indeed, the Canadian chain plans to open 300 new restaurants in Canada over the next five years, including 100 in Québec, and is always looking for quality franchisees in many regions to drive its expansion.

About A&W
A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. is a purely Canadian company and one of the most recognized brands within the Canadian food service industry. A&W is the country's second largest hamburger restaurant chains, operating over 850 locations across Canada. Since 2013, A&W has served 100% pure beef, raised without the use of hormones or steroids and free of preservatives and additives. In October 2014, A&W Canada became North America's first national fast-food chain to only serve chicken raised without the use of antibiotics and fed a grain-based, vegetarian diet without any animal by-products. For more information on A&W's guarantees, visit awguarantee.ca. A&W restaurants offer their famous menu, which includes the Burger Family^TM, Chubby Chicken^TM, A&W Root Beer^TM and Buddy Burgers^TM. For more information, visit aw.ca.

The company now boasts over 120 restaurants in Québec and, besides its stand-alone restaurant concept featuring drive-thru service, offers an innovative urban restaurant concept that has been a tremendous success!" www.awfranchise.ca

SOURCE A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.