What Makes Berthoud Colorado’s A&W One of America’s Rarest?

With all the many, many fast food restaurants in Colorado, the A&W that's in Berthoud stands out for not only Northern Colorado, but for the entire nation; it should make us all proud. More than a few generations of Berthoudites and other from around the area (and the state) have enjoyed this one; and it stands out in a great way.

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With just over a dozen A&W's across all of Colorado, it's surprising that you don't see more of them; they have a wide following and great prices. There were two in Loveland; the one on Eisenhower Boulevard was there for nearly 30 years. I'll bet that the ones across America that have closed took with them many fond memories; A&Ws give you the feeling of "easier" times, with their root beer and carhops.

READ MORE: See Inside One of Colorado's Coolest Seafood Restaurants

Berthoud's A&W Has Only Had 2 Owners in Over 70 Years

According to the Berthoud Surveyor, Berthoud's A&W dates back to 1954, after a couple from northcentral Kanas (Beloit) transformed the Drive Inn into a place that served A&W products, like that great root beer. The original owners sold that A&W to Vi Hamann; the Hamann family continues to own it, today (though they put the location up for sale in 2023.) It would be hard on the community to not see that A&W at the corner of Mountain and 8th, that's for certain.

The A&W in Berthoud's Roof is What Makes it So Rare

If ever they were to close the Berthoud A&W it would mean the end of one of rarest A&Ws that America has. The one in Berthoud is one of the few A&Ws that has a "Papa Burger" fiberglass statue on its roof. It was in 1963 that A&W introduced the A&W Burger Family [statues]: Papa Burger, Mama Burger, Baby Burger. It's not clear on when Berthoud got Papa Burger, but he's holding is own, still today.