Coming home from Breckenridge this weekend, I stopped in at the A&W in Frisco, conveniently located near the entrance ramp to I-70. Though I was sure the ride back to Denver would not be as hellish as the ride up -- through a blitzkrieg of Fourth of July traffic -- I thought a root-beer float would make the jaunt back to the city much more tolerable. I would sip my frothy drink, avoid the creepy glares of lonely truckers and hit D-town just in time for happy hour. Yes, a root-beer float would be fine.
But according to this A&W, a root-beer float would not only be fine, it’d be divine. Check out the signage proudly weathering the mountain wind: “God so loved the world he gave us Jesus! Isaiah 53/John 3. Ice Cream Chili Fish Curds.”
I knew that god loved the world enough to give us Jesus, but I didn’t have any idea that part of that love included a gift-basket full of ice cream, chili, fish and curds! He truly is an all-loving god! A gracious, benevolent god! I dipped into the A&W and tried to order a root-beer float with a side of Jesus, but the surly teen working the register failed to grasp my wit. I also fought the urge to order curds -- I had no idea what they were, but figured that at some point, I should sample all of god’s gifts. Instead, I just sipped my float as I contemplated the huge sacrifice the son of god had made so that I could enjoy this moment.
Later, I learned that this particular A&W is franchised by Messianic Jews – Jews for Jesus, essentially – and these owners had butted heads with corporate several years back over the religious messages broadcast thirty feet above their fast-food joint with lawsuits threatened, the whole nine. Apparently cooler heads have prevailed, though, because the religion messages are back and can’t miss up in Frisco.
During this same extensive research, I also discovered that curds apparently involve cheese. Which god may or may not have given us. I’ll defer to the good folks at the Frisco A&W on that one. -- Adam Cayton-Holland
