A&W Canada — Restaurant in Ontario

I live close to this restaurant so I often opt to go here instead of McDonalds, but after tonight's experience I'm hard pressed to ever go back to this establishment. I was surprisingly told by an employee that I would be refused service from now on unless I was in a car. I made an online order, and had already paid for my food when I was told that they wouldn't give me my food unless I was in a car. I've done online ordering a few times before since covid has started, and never had this experience. And this isn't even where my experience originally turned bad. When I first walked up to the building, I was ignored for a few min, until I very politely smiled and waved at the girl behind the counter, and she realized she was going to have to come out and serve me. But when she did, she didnt give me a second to tell her I was there for an online order, she immediately, and very rudely, started telling me they were closed and began posting their hours of service. I actually had to cut her off after a few minutes as she was just so rude about it. I said I was here for a pick up for myself, and she asked if it was an online order, I said yes. And she went into the store to retrieve my food, which btw has been sitting out this entire time (about 3-4min). The manager then took the time to tell this girl that she was to refuse me service from now on unless I have a car. So this is taking a few additional minutes.. I'm a little annoyed that this convo couldn't have been done when I left. Until this girl comes outside and tells me I cant order unless I'm in a car. Its online ordering, how can you tell if I'm in a car or on foot? Lol Although I had told this girl that I have been here quite a few times before and have never had this happen, she was firm in repeating what her manager had told her. So I finally I get my food, I look in the bag. I realize that throughout this whole thing, they've been so worried about refusing me service, that they forgot the chipotle mayo for the sweet potatoe fries. So I wait, and I waved a couple times, and I get ignored. So I waited almost 5min outside, and I'm really frustrated at this point, so I called the store, just to say "hey, can I have my dip?" Suddenly their sorry they forgot... well... I can see why you guys did... apparently turning people away, who have already paid, is more important than giving people good food and service. Absolutely worse customer service I have ever witnessed, and I work in a grocery store! I've seen some things! Lol Oh, and the food was horrible, asked for extra pickles, got 4.the person who made our burgers literally wiped the stale bun with ketchup. Tasted horrible. Fries were cold, burgers were cold. So during stage 2 I could pick up an order no problem, but now that restaurants are opening up durning stage 3, A&W is closed for people on foot after 7pm. And of course I was wearing my mask the whole time, even though I was waiting outside, so that certainly...

I regret to say that my recent experiences at this A&W restaurant have been less than satisfactory. The root of the problem seems to be poor management and understaffing, which has a ripple effect on the entire customer experience.

First and foremost, the management at this establishment appears to be severely lacking. During my visits, I noticed that the managers spend most of their time in the back office, seemingly disengaged from the operations on the floor. It's disappointing to see little involvement from them, especially when it's clear that the restaurant is struggling with staffing issues.

This brings me to the staffing problem. It's evident that this location is seriously understaffed. Even during busy times, only a couple of employees are handling the entire store. This leads to long wait times and orders that are often incorrect due to the overwhelming workload placed on the limited staff.

Furthermore, the work environment appears to be unfavorable. There's a lack of recognition and promotions for hardworking employees, and it seems that they are overworked without proper compensation. This is not only unfair to the staff but also detrimental to the overall quality of service.

In conclusion, I would advise potential employees to think twice before considering a job here, and customers should be prepared for a frustrating experience, especially during peak hours. I hope the management takes these concerns seriously and makes the necessary improvements to provide a better dining experience for all.

It's unfortunate to leave such a negative review, but I believe it's important to highlight these issues for the benefit of both customers...

I do everything I can to leave a fair and balanced review as much as I can, because circumstances rarely call for major negativity. However, in the case of this A&W I have to make an exception.

As a Kingstonian who frequents A&W locations all over town, and as a former employee of another location, I have to declare this as the absolute worst A&W I have ever dined at. No exaggeration or hyperbole, this is absolutely the worst.

They've higher prices than every other A&W in the city. The constant staff turnover means that it's rare to see a fully trained team member. The quality is simply NOT THERE. My burgers and breakfast from this location are consistently lazily tossed together. On a number of occasions, I've gotten cold or stale food. When asking for a replacement I'm often met with hostility and exasperation. One time, they literally handed the same burger back to me after going into the kitchen and coming back out. The management is often rude and abrasive, far from the welcoming management I've encountered at other stores. They FREQUENTLY reject currently dated coupons. This one isn't a deal breaker, but I find that there's a 50% chance when I dine here that they will just deny my coupons, stating that this location doesn't accept coupons. (I've even been sent out with coupons in my bag after having them reject my coupon)

I apologize for the wall of text, but after numerous awful experiences here, I'm simply not willing to dine here again, and I work right next door.

A&W, please find a way to make this better, this singular location is horrifically tarnishing your high standing...