On June 20, 1919, Roy Allen opened the first Root Beer stand in Lodi, California to sell a proprietary beverage made from a secret blend of 14 herbs, spices, barks and berries. In 1922 Allen went into partnership with one of his employees, Frank Wright and three new outlets were established in Houston. They gave their Root Beer name by combined their initials – "A" for Allen and "W" for Wright to formally name the beverage "A&W Root Beer.” It was here that Allen first introduced "A&W" as the brand name of his root beer. The one thing that hasn't changed in 80 years is that the People all over the world love the rich, smooth, thick-headed taste of A&W Root Beer.