A&W Restaurants plans to open locations in the Gastonia and Kings Mountain areas.
Sites for the restaurants have yet to be determined.
The first restaurant expects to open within 18 months, possibly on East Franklin Boulevard in Gastonia, according to franchise owner Ronald Jennings.
Discussions are being held for three locations, one each in Gastonia, Kings Mountain and the Rock Hill, South Carolina, areas, said Jennings.
Jennings expects to open the Kings Mountain A&W off Interstate 85 near the Catawba Two Kings Casino, which opened on Kings Mountain Boulevard near I-85 in July.
“We wanted the locations to be in Gastonia because we love it here. We love Franklin Boulevard for going to get a quick bite to eat and the new stadium,” said Jennings, who lives near Lake Wylie. “The community has always been very welcoming with open arms especially when we purchased the Scholtzsky’s location.”
A&W has more than 900 locations across the globe, including more than 625 U.S. locations. There have been A&W restaurants operating in North Carolina in the past, but none exist now, said Brad Ritter, a spokesman for A&W Restaurants, which are based in Lexington, Kentucky.
An average A&W restaurant employs about 30 people, Ritter said.
The restaurants serve traditional fast food fare, including hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, fries and more. They may be best known for serving root beer, made on site with sugar cane at each restaurant.
All new A&Ws are single-brand locations that feature drive-thrus, according to the company.
Jennings and his wife, Nadyne, already own four Schlotzky’s restaurants, including the one on Franklin Boulevard in Gastonia and three others in South Carolina, and a Moe’s Southwest Grill restaurant in South Carolina near Carowinds.