(Vancouver, BC) February 12th, 2024 — If you’re looking to spice things up, A&W has got you
covered with the launch of their new limited-time offer (LTO), the Spicy Piri-Piri Buddy Burgers.
The new Buddy Burger brings the heat with a distinctive Piri Piri sauce (hot chili pepper flavor),
topped with crisp whole-leaf lettuce, sliced tomato, and red onion, and comes with your choice
of a crispy hash brown potato patty, seasoned 100% breaded chicken breast, or a 1.6 oz
grass-fed beef patty – each served on a freshly toasted bun.
The Potato Buddy Burger: Powered by a Popular Menu Hack!
The Potato Buddy Burger is A&W’s first Buddy Burger that highlights a crispy hash brown as the
star. The new LTO is a result of community-driven innovation. For years, A&W employees have
been quietly building a menu hack for themselves as well as guests, predominantly from the
South-Asian community. With this hack, a crispy hash brown replaces the usual beef patty and
is garnished with red onion, lettuce, tomato, and the spiciest sauce available, and recreates
familiar flavours from home.
“For years A&W employees and guests (predominantly from the South-Asian community) have
been quietly making this menu hack for themselves. Its popularity was clear to me during a
meeting with Ontario operators, where every one of them knew the exact same menu hack
recipe because of how many guests were ordering it,” said Priya Dhillon, a franchisee of over 40
A&W Restaurant locations in Canada.
“This hack was happening organically at A&Ws all across Canada. It was a no-brainer for us to
develop a recipe that complements our guests’ love for a potato patty substitute and adds a nice
flavour kick to it,” said Karan Suri, Director of Menu Development at A&W Canada. “This is an
exciting opportunity to introduce a new menu item that reflects the diversity of our guests. Our
take on a spicy piri piri sauce that is zesty, spicy and addictive is designed to satisfy more of our
guests’ cravings for spice and to suit their dietary preferences. I can’t wait for Canadians to try
it.”
A&W is a Canadian company with strong roots in every corner of the country, and we are very
fortunate to connect with and learn from the teams in our restaurants and from our guests every
day. Embracing New Canadians and bringing diversity to our menu is part of being Canadian,
and this idea has us all very excited,” said Susan Senecal, CEO at A&W Canada.
In Prayag Mishra’s recent TikTok, a viral Canadian content creator, he shared his experience
trying the new Potato Buddy Burger at his local A&W. “It’s crazy to see the power of the internet
and what happens when a brand listens to their community leading to this menu hack becoming
an actual offering for non-meat eaters like myself. So when they proposed collaborating on this
Potato Buddy Burger, it was an immediate yes. Proof that even Pookies’ dreams can come
true.”
Gather your spiciest buddies and treat them to the new Spicy Piri-Piri Buddy Burgers, now
available for just $3.99 at all A&W locations across Canada, for a limited time only.
About A&W Canada:
A&W is proud to be 100% Canadian owned and operated, recognized as one of Canada’s
original and fastest-growing burger chains. Home of Canada’s Best-Tasting Burger, we are
known for delicious classics like the Teen Burger
®, hand-battered onion rings and A&W Root Beer®. You can enjoy our crave worthy burgers, breakfasts, beverages and more at one of our 1,000+ restaurants across the country. For more information, please visit aw.ca.
