Monday, February 10, 2025
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A&W Restaurant holds ribbon cutting, opens in Merrill

New business gets warm welcome from community on a frigid day

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Merrill hasn’t had an A&W Restaurant for more than 60 years since the iconic-shaped drive-in location at 809 N. Center Ave. in Merrill closed. But this week, Merrill got a new A&W Restaurant with both dine-in and drive-through options, located at 207 N. Center Ave., just six blocks south of the old location, when Dee and Jerry Wells of Withee opened their new A&W franchise at the coner of E. Third St. and N. Center Ave.
The staff held a practice run at the restaurant on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, inviting family and friends to come in so management and staff could ensure everything was running smoothly. Then on Monday, Jan. 13, at 9:30 a.m., the Merrill Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting at the new business, with staff and ambassadors from the Chamber, Merrill Mayor Steve Hass, Merrill City Administrator Rod Akey, and other representatives gathering to welcome the new owners to the community. Owner Dee Wells was there with her daughter and three grandchildren, and she cut the ceremonial blue ribbon. Betsy Schmandt, CEO & President of A&W Restaurants, traveled from the corporate office in Lexington, Kentucky, to help celebrate the opening of the new Merrill location.
Mayor Hass welcomed Wells to the community, and Wells thanked everyone for coming. “This has been amazing,” she said. “I haven’t been to one [a ribbon cutting/opening ceremony] with such a big Chamber because we’re from such a small town, so thank you guys all so much.”
“I’m so excited,” Wells said. “We’ve got a great staff and management here, and you guys have a wonderful town, so I’m so glad to be a part of this community.”
“And we do have root beer floats for everybody,” she said. “Then we’re gonna get this place rockin!”
Staff distributed complimentary floats to attendees, and then staff were ready to officially open Merrill’s A&W Restaurant for business at 10 a.m.
Customers were already in the building lining up, excited to be among the first to try the area’s newest restaurant featuring their infamous “All American Food.”
Despite the frigid temperatures, area residents came out in droves and the restaurant was busy all day, with drive-through traffic backed up onto Center Ave. at times.

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