A&W Remains Open, Move to Caledonia Postponed

The move across I-94 into Caledonia is going to take a few weeks longer than originally planned for the A&W Restaurant at Highway K and the expressway.

Instead of opening their new doors this fall, restaurant owners Frank and Sharon Welch hope to start serving their signature homemade root beer in their new digs by the end of the year, according to a story in The Journal Times.

Construction on I-94 from downtown Milwaukee down to the state line is prompting the move; four lanes in each direction, a new frontage road and a new Highway K exit meant the Welches had to find a new location for their iconic eatery.

Located on the east side of I-94 on Highway K, the new building will not have the car hop, but it will have a drive-thru, a patio and an outdoor picnic area.

Most importantly, the Welches will still brew their own root beer.

“We hope to have an updated nostalgic feel,” Sharon Welch is quoted as saying. “We will have a retro roofline that will be different than the other A&Ws, but we’ll still be making our homemade root beer.”