A&W Restaurants is bringing back its National Root Beer Float Day promotion on Thursday, August 6, offering guests a free small Root Beer Float from 2–8 p.m. local time at participating locations—no purchase required. The event doubles as the QSR chain's most visible annual fundraiser for DAV (Disabled American Veterans), which assists more than 1 million veterans and their families each year through no-cost services.
The Fundraising Push
Guests who visit during the promotional window can support DAV through voluntary donations or by purchasing a limited-edition 2026 Collector's Root Beer Mug for $10, with 100% of mug proceeds going directly to DAV. The mug sale window runs from June 29 through August 6 at participating locations, while supplies last. A&W Restaurants has operated this annual fundraising model since 2013, and the cumulative total raised for veterans now exceeds $1 million.
Last year's event set a new benchmark: A&W guests contributed a record $175,000 for DAV in 2025, surpassing the brand's stated $150,000 goal. "For more than a decade, our guests and franchise partners have helped A&W raise more than $1 million in support of American veterans and their families, and this year, we're aiming to make an even greater impact," said Betsy Schmandt, CEO and President of A&W Restaurants.
Operator Implications
For franchise operators—A&W has more than 900 locations across 35 U.S. states and Asia, including over 600 single-brand restaurants and 230 co-branded with KFC or Long John Silver's—the August 6 promotion represents a structured, turnkey traffic driver during a traditionally slower mid-week afternoon daypart. The 2–8 p.m. window targets the post-lunch, pre-dinner stretch where incremental guest counts can have an outsize impact on daily sales averages.
The collector's mug mechanic is particularly notable from a restaurant operations and merchandising standpoint: it converts a charitable message into a tangible, limited-supply product that encourages return visits and upsell opportunities alongside the free float. For multi-unit operators managing both consumer traffic and community relations, cause-marketing programs tied to credentialed nonprofits like DAV can meaningfully support brand perception in local markets.
What's Next
The promotion fits a broader pattern in quick-service restaurant beverage strategy: leveraging a signature product—A&W's root beer is made fresh in each location with real cane sugar and a proprietary spice blend—to anchor a calendar moment that generates earned media and in-restaurant traffic simultaneously. With the chain publicly targeting a donation figure above last year's $175,000 record, franchisees can expect heightened marketing support and consumer awareness heading into the August 6 date. Guests can locate participating restaurants and learn more at rootbeerfloatday.com.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
