Does John's use the A&W root beer recipe?

John's Root Beer, an institution on the city's southwest side, has for decades served its famous root beer, hotdogs, shakes and more to Waukesha residents.

John's used to be an A&W stand - it still bears that familiar orange hue - and while the root beer recipe used by John's is very, very similar to the A&W recipe, it's not identical, said current owner John Meehean.

John's Root Beer was first opened as an A&W Root Beer stand in 1937, and was originally located kitty-corner to the Waukesha County Courthouse, on a spot that now houses a large condo complex. In 1947, the owner had the building moved to a location on Delafield Street, kind of across from City Hall.

In 1962, the building was moved again, to its current location on Arcadian Avenue. In 1973 or '74, A&W asked then-owner John Nelson to add a grill onto the building. When he declined, A&W pulled his franchise and Nelson decided to go independent, Meehean said.

A&W wasn't done with Nelson, however; the company sued him because he kept the building orange, Meehean said. A&W lost the suit.

Meehean, whose first job ever was at the root beer stand, bought the business 21 years ago. The stand, which was once only open during the warmer months, has been open year-round for the past 12 years.

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