A&W Canada — Restaurant in Hamilton

UPDATE: I went through the drive-thru tonight (September 24,2020) and Tom is BY FAR the most amazing fast food worker I have EVER experienced in my whole life. I was honestly so amazed by his service and I have been in the service industry for over half my life. Anyone would be SO lucky to have him working for them. Wow!

I am so extremely proud of the staff that was working last night (April 27, 2017). My little brother is one of the many people downtown who struggle with addiction. Last night, we went to A&W on King St for dinner. We were joined by a bunch of his friends. They greeted us with smiles, they served us promptly and we sat down to eat. We then left our stuff inside the restaurant and loitered outside. I am not one for that but I wanted to hang out with my brother so I did it. The staff continued to smile and treat us with the same respect they would treat anyone which is rare unfortunately. We were there for quite some time, I had to use the washroom a couple times and they let me use the washroom without any hassle. Didn't complain once about us hanging around outside. They refilled their drinks without attitude and one of the guys in there had the most contagious smile I have ever seen. Every time he smiled, I smiled. It was the best customer service experience I have had in a long time, especially with my brother and his friends. Before we left, I went in to purchase a couple pops to go, and I told the boys working how lovely they were to deal with and thanked them for being so kind and accepting to the troubled boys outside. The guy I was speaking to responded "They are people too" I honestly felt like I was going to cry it was so nice to hear. I woke up this morning, thinking of the boys at A&W and how lovely they are. Keep up the good work. You are the difference makers in this world and I appreciate your...

The security guard started to watch my daughter and I as if we were the most hated people on earth. We ordered drinks and asked the manager if we could sit for a few hours and he said no problem as I needed to charge my cell phone and they have a outlet for this. My daughter is taking a online course and needed to also charge her laptop and the manager said no problem as we ordered spent money. About 15 minutes sitting in the booth the security guard got a phone call and it started he was looking directly at us and said something in a different language and wouldn't stop looking at us making us both UNCOMFORTABLE. He went over to the manager and spoke with him within 1 minute The security guard walked over and asked us to leave. What could that phone call have been about? Why would he ask us to leave immediately after the manager said no problem. Definitely whoever called the security guard had known that we were sitting in the restaurant and using the outlet. We were forced out and watched as they let everyone else in. Looks like we were being forced out because I told the truth about a man who attempted to hurt my children years prior I believe a Sikh community and he had given me a bible to study and read to my children that I couldn't understand it was not in English and I showed a friend who is Muslim and I was told it was a Taliban bible verses or something like that and throw it away. So I did. Very SCARY how this is controlled like this is crazy and I'll never step foot in anything that has the same people who work for them. And the looks and attitude is like I bombed the Taj Mahal palace something like that UNBELIEVABLE as I only...

Absolutely Disappointed – Denied Basic Human Dignity! ⭐ 1 Star (would give zero if I could) 📍 A&W, Hamilton, Ontario 🕘 July 17, 2025 – 9:49 PM 👤 Employee Name: “Veetpreet” or something similar

I am beyond frustrated and disappointed with the A&W location I visited tonight in Hamilton. I came in around 9:49 PM just needing to use the washroom, and to my shock, the staff refused to let me use it unless I purchased something first. The employee, who gave her name as Veetpreet (or something similar), bluntly told me that “only paying customers can use the washroom.”

This is completely unacceptable and goes against Ontario regulations, which clearly state that restaurants are required to provide access to public washrooms during business hours, even if they’re primarily for takeout. A&W is not a private club—it’s a public restaurant, and by law, basic facilities like restrooms must be accessible to everyone.

Denying someone the use of a washroom—especially when they’re open and operational—is not only rude and dehumanizing, it’s illegal under the Ontario Building Code and health regulations. What if it had been a child, an elderly person, or someone with a medical condition? This kind of gatekeeping for a basic human need is shameful.

I’ve had decent experiences at A&W in the past, but this has left such a bad taste that I’ll be thinking twice before ever stepping foot into one again. If you can’t treat the public with basic dignity and follow the law, you don’t deserve people’s business.

A&W corporate: please educate your staff and franchisees. This is not just bad service—it’s a violation of...