Tensions remain high between the U.S. and Canada amid tariff threats from President Donald Trump, and fast food preferences are officially entering the chat.
On Tuesday, Trump implemented 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports. However, yesterday Trump slightly walked back on the tariffs, implementing a 30-day pause on Canadian and Mexican goods under the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada) trade agreement.
In response to the trade war, Canadians are changing how they shop and travel as a way to stand with the Canadian economy—including where they buy their burgers and fries.
Online, people are rooting for the Canadian-founded A&W fast food franchise as an alternative to American chain McDonald’s.
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A&W is a Canadian burger franchise founded in 1956 in Winnipeg, M.B., as the country’s first drive-in burger joint.
It’s currently headquartered in North Vancouver, B.C. and its more than 1,000 Canadian locations are separate from its American-owned locations.
Often compared to McDonald’s, which was founded in California in 1940, Canadians have been sharing their love for A&W this week online.
On Threads, one person noticed relevant signage at A&W locations amid the tariff threats from the U.S.
“I notice the A&W restaurants near me have out on their signs; Canadian owned and managed, or a variation,” they wrote.
Another person shared their love for the brand. “Their root beer is the best. Burger and chicken sandwiches are great too!! The fact that they’re Canadian just caps it all off nicely,” the person wrote on Threads.
Meanwhile, other Threads users say it’s A&W over McDonald’s: “…the food is a hundred times better than the poison McDonald’s sells.”
“I’m not a fast food guy but I’d like to see more of a McDonald’s boycott with folks choosing A&W or Timmy’s,” someone else said
And despite their liking for the food, another person isn’t too happy with the pricing: “As much as I love the food, 8.99 for a teen burger is a bit much. When coupon were buy one get one ok, but now it’s like 2 for 15.00 bucks, not great. Even the onion rings are overpriced. It’s onion rings, come on man!?”
