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How SONIC became one of the most iconic brands in the nation with an even brighter future

SONIC ® is an American success story that continues to flourish with every new chapter. Founded in 1957, SONIC franchises have risen from humble origins to one of the most instantly recognizable brands in the nation, with over 3,600 locations open from coast to coast and millions of fans who make SONIC a part of their daily lives.

The success of SONIC can be attributed to a long legacy of excellent leadership that emphasizes innovation, collaboration, and great food. Beginning with our founder Troy Smith, who opened the very first SONIC location in Oklahoma City, to Clifford J. Hudson, who oversaw SONIC's meteoric rise as a national brand, to our current president Claudia San Pedro, who is ensuring that SONIC remains the most forward-looking brand in the booming QSR industry.

San Pedro joined the company in 2006, quickly rising through the ranks. Today she is an accessible leader often seen, literally, out on the floor mingling with employees at SONIC headquarters. Prior to becoming President in early 2018, she helped guide the company in a variety of capacities, including serving as Vice President of Investor Relations and, most recently, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

SONIC drive-in franchises were built to last

SONIC is the largest chain of drive-in franchises in America, offering menu heaven to young and old customers alike - whether they want a juicy burger, a milkshake made with real ice cream or a refreshing cherry limeade. No QSR can match the diversity of SONIC's menu, which maximizes all five dayparts. SONIC's Two Guys campaign launched in 2003 and has become one of the most popular QSR advertising campaigns in history. Our brand recognition is unprecedented; even in towns where the closest SONIC might be hundreds of miles away, SONIC is a familiar concept.

In order to help make SONIC easier to open in new markets, SONIC drive-in franchises recently launched several new restaurant models, including indoor dining, c-store, counter service, travel plaza and more. As a result, SONIC has expanded far beyond our traditional footprint in the Midwest, as far north as Alaska and as far south as Miami, Florida, and we have given entrepreneurs in all markets the opportunity to bring SONIC to any market coast to coast.

SONIC is an experience shared by generations. Customers hit the red order button and magical things happen. Families celebrate birthdays at SONIC. First dates are held at SONIC. Memories are made at SONIC.

SONIC Helps Franchisees Write Their Own Stories

After more than 62 years in business, the stories that we're the proudest of are the continued success of our franchise owners. Our franchise owners come from all walks of life, and what unites them is their passion for our brand and their drive to succeed.

We're proud that several of our franchisees grew up going to or working in a SONIC restaurant in their community. They know how special our brand is and the fact that they chose a life as a SONIC franchise owner proves that point. This is exactly the case of Luke Flatin, a franchise owner in Kansas. This is his story:

I started working at Ottawa, Kansas Sonic right out of high school. I applied as a carhop to make some money to pay for gas and insurance for my car. I met and started dating my wife Jessica at Sonic two months after I started. I grew into an Assistant Manager when I was 19 and I was offered a General Manager spot in Burlington, Kansas when I turned 20. I worked for the Esch Group for 9 years and decided it was time for me to start my own group. I pitched Beatrice, Nebraska to my uncle for financial help and we opened that store in 2012. Beatrice opened up and did very well for us. Eighteen months later we had the opportunity to buy Hastings and Holdrege, Nebraska Sonics.

In September 2018 I had the opportunity to fulfill my lifelong dream to become the franchisee and buy out my uncle. Jessica and I just had the opportunity to buy our first store as franchisees in Neodesha, Kansas and plan on building three more stores in the next two years! Sonic is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Franchisees have great support from corporate and have a lot of opportunity for growth. Our plan for Sonic is to buy and build over 100 stores over the next 25 years. I can't wait to help make Sonic a bigger and better brand!

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Our Story | SONIC Franchise Opportunity | Drive-In Franchises

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SONIC ® is an American success story that continues to flourish with every new chapter. Founded in 1957, SONIC franchises have risen from humble origins to one of the most instantly recognizable brands in the nation, with over 3,600 locations open from coast to coast and millions of fans who make SONIC a part of their daily lives.

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This website is an outline about how sonic started and how it became a thing

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In this article some information you would get from this website is the history behind the sonic drive through

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- Founded in 1957
- Serving more than 3 million people a day

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Back in the day, drive-in restaurants were a dime a dozen. But they've mostly gone the way of the drive-in movie theater, with one notable exception: Sonic Drive-In. As the biggest chain of drive-in restaurants still in existence, Sonic serves 3 million customers across 45 states every day. Even if you're a loyal consumer of cherry limeades, here are a few facts you probably didn't know about "America's favorite drive-in."

1. SONIC WAS ORIGINALLY JUST A ROOT BEER STAND.

Restaurant founder Troy Smith tried his hand at running a number of restaurants, from diners and steakhouses to a root beer stand in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He outfitted the root beer stand with a car-to-kitchen intercom system after discovering a similar setup at a restaurant along the Texas-Louisiana border. It didn't take him long to realize that the stand was consistently outperforming all of his other restaurants, turning a 20 percent profit on a regular basis. (There's always money in the root beer stand.) So, in 1953, Smith ditched the other places and focused all of his attention on the root beer business.

2. SONIC COULD HAVE BEEN CALLED "TOP HAT" INSTEAD.

" Top Hat" was the name of the root beer stand, which Smith wanted to keep when he decided to expand. Unfortunately, his lawyers discovered that the phrase had already been trademarked and advised him to come up with something else.

3. THE NAME "SONIC" REFERS TO ITS SPEEDINESS.

The alternative name Smith and business partner Charles Pappe came up with was directly related to the Top Hat tagline they developed to promote the quick ordering process made possible by the intercom system. That slogan? "Service with the Speed of Sound." The first drive-in officially dubbed Sonic opened in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1959.

4. THE FIRST FRANCHISE AGREEMENT INCLUDED AN UNUSUAL STIPULATION.

Instead of charging a flat fee, Sonic's first formal franchise agreement gave Smith and Pappe a penny for every logo-stamped paper hamburger bag that was used.

5. SONIC AND DR PEPPER TEAM UP TO HOST AN ANNUAL CARHOP COMPETITION.

The winner receives $1000 and an all-expense-paid trip to the annual Sonic National Convention. They're accepting submissions now, so if you're a Sonic carhop, get on it. Here's what you'll be up against:

6. CHERRY LIMEADES ARE ONE OF SONIC'S BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS.

In one year, Sonic sells enough of the delicious drinks to fill more than 15 Olympic sized swimming pools.

7. FRANKIE AVALON WAS ONCE THE COMPANY SPOKESMAN.

Playing to their nostalgic image, Sonic recruited former teen idol Frankie Avalon as their spokesperson in the late '80s and early '90s.

These days, the company has turned to Oklahoma City Thunder player Kevin Durant for celebrity endorsement-specifically, to push their new line of slushes studded with candy pieces.

8. THE COMPANY SAYS IT OFFERS 168,894 DRINK COMBINATIONS.

If Durant gets tired of adding Jolly Ranchers and Nerds to his drinks, he has plenty of other options available. In fact, even though Sonic advertises 168,894 combos, the Wall Street Journal found even more- 688,133.

9. SOME OF THE BEST FLAVOR COMBOS ARE EMPLOYEE-SUBMITTED.

In 2011, Sonic corporate asked employees to concoct and submit drink combinations and names that weren't officially on the menu. They received more than 600 entries, from Blue Hawaiian (Sprite with blue coconut flavoring and real pineapple) to Strawberry Shortcake (Sprite with vanilla flavoring, sweet cream, and real strawberries).

10. THE SONIC HEADQUARTERS IN OKLAHOMA CITY FEATURES A TEST KITCHEN.

The 10-person test kitchen works to invent new menu items and perfect old ones. The test kitchen staff also runs the employee cafeteria. "We want the employees to try the food and be ambassadors for the food," Chef Claes Petersson has said.

11. YOU CAN GET BEER AT SONIC BEACH.

If you live in Florida, you may have come across Sonic Beach. Intended to "capture the South Florida essence," Sonic Beach has a patio area, 60" LED flat screen TVs, a sand beach area-and alcohol. They're the only Sonic locations that offer beer, wine, and even Dom Perignon.

12. SOME SONIC LOCATIONS OFFER ADULT PLAYGROUNDS.

If you're not near a Sonic Beach, don't worry-there's probably still some fun to be had at your local restaurant. In hopes of providing the adult equivalent of a ball pit, many Sonics offer batting cages, volleyball courts, playgrounds, and more.

13. THE TWO DEADPAN MEN IN THE SONIC COMMERCIALS ARE ACTUALLY IMPROV ACTORS AND WRITERS.

Peter Grosz wrote for The Colbert Report for three years and currently writes for Late Night with Seth Meyers, while T.J. Jagodowski is a Second City alum who has had roles in the movies Stranger Than Fiction, Oz the Great and Powerful, and Get Hard.

14. NO SONIC IN YOUR AREA YET? THERE PROBABLY WILL BE.

In 2014, the company announced plans to add 1000 restaurants in the next 10 years, including an additional 300 in California alone.
This piece was corrected to reflect that Sonic's Oklahoma City headquarters has a test kitchen and employee cafeteria, not a drive-in restaurant.

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14 Things You Didn't Know About Sonic Drive-In

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Back in the day, drive-in restaurants were a dime a dozen. But they've mostly gone the way of the drive-in movie theater, with one notable exception: Sonic Drive-In. As the biggest chain of drive-in restaurants still in existence, Sonic serves 3 million customers across 45 states every day.

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-Sonic was originally just a root beer stand
-The name "sonic" refers to its speediness

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SONIC Drive-In's website says, "Our vision is simple: to become America's most loved restaurant brand."

Whew. Pretty lofty goal right there. But with its fast service, fun menu, constant deals, kitschy drive-in concept, and lovably wacky commercials, Sonic Drive-In is doing what it can.

SONIC-Drive In is an American drive-in fast-food restaurant chain based in Oklahoma. There are over 3,500 SONIC restaurants in 45 states. Its menu consists of standard American fare such as burgers, fries, onion rings, and hot dogs. Its drink selection is extensive, offering enough flavors to create over 1.3 million unique flavor combinations. Still, it's got a way to go if it's going to become America's #1 most loved restaurant brand - in 2017, it was ranked 12th in QSR Magazine's rankings of the top 50 quick-service and fast-casual restaurants in the nation. But it's headed in the right direction, and it's come a long way in over 50 years!

Image source: www.sonicfranchises.com

Why is it called SONIC Drive-In?

SONIC Drive-In started out as a little root beer stand called Top Hat in Shawnee, Oklahoma. SONIC founder Troy N. Smith Sr. bought a 5-acre lot of land that included the root beer stand and a log house. He converted the log house into a steak restaurant, but soon realized that simple root beer stand was making more money off the sales of just root beer, hamburgers and hot dogs alone. He bought out his business partner and focused on the more-profitable root beer stand.

Top Hat customers would park anywhere in the gravel parking lot and walk up to the stand to place their orders. On a trip to Louisiana in 1953, SONIC founder Troy N. Smith Sr. saw a drive-in that used speakers for ordering. When he returned to Oklahoma, he had an intercom system wired into the lot, created set parking spots, had customers order from speakers in their cars, and used carhops to deliver the food straight to their cars. Sales immediately tripled.

As SONIC started to expand and open new locations, Smith learned that the name Top Hat was already trademarked. In 1959, he and first franchise owner Charles Pappe decided to change the name to SONIC Drive-In, stylized with capital letters. The new name fit right in with the existing slogan: "Service at the Speed of Sound." Both the slogan and the new name were inspired by SONIC's newfangled intercom ordering system.

Image Source: en.wikipedia.org

Back in SONIC's hay day, drive-in restaurants were very popular and common. Today, most of those restaurants have long since turned into drive-thrus. SONIC is unique precisely because it hasn't changed much! It's successful, it's beloved, and it's stayed true to its roots all these years - carhops, intercoms, roller skates, hot dogs and all.

Do you think SONIC Drive-In will ever be America's most beloved restaurant brand? What's your favorite restaurant brand? Let us know in the comments!

Emma Roberts is a freelance writer and editor who is passionate about learning, traveling, and language. She received her bachelor's degree in Sociology at Brigham Young University.

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Why is Sonic Drive-In Called Sonic Drive-In?

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SONIC Drive-In's website says, "Our vision is simple: to become America's most loved restaurant brand." Whew. Pretty lofty goal right there. But with its fast service, fun menu, constant deals , kitschy drive-in concept, and lovably wacky commercials , Sonic Drive-In is doing what it can.

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-You can mix over 1.3 million types of flavored drinks
-Over 3,500 Sonic restaurants in 45 states

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Sonic Drive-In may only be in 45 states, but because of its national advertising program, chances are you've heard of it (even if you don't actually have one nearby). This fast food chain is unlike other drive-thrus, as it still has a classic drive-in setup. When you get to the restaurant, you can park under an awning in the shade, order your food through a speaker, then have a carhop bring your food to you - on roller skates, no less. The environment gives you a taste of the past, though their fast food menu is rooted firmly in the future.

Even if you are lucky enough to live near a Sonic, there's still a lot about the chain you might not know. Read on to discover more about the true history of this fast food joint. It'll give you something to chew on the next time you're waiting for a carhop to deliver your food.

It started out as a root beer stand

Today Sonic Drive-In is known for its insane selection of beverages, but back in the day it kept things simple with one soft drink that's fallen a bit by the wayside: root beer.

The first Sonic was actually a root beer stand. Founder Troy Smith had just returned to Oklahoma from the WWII battle field and was looking for a new way to make a living. He purchased a root beer, hot dog, and hamburger stand at the outskirts of town, driving a bread delivery truck in the mornings and returning to the drive-in in the afternoon to work through the evening.

Root beer was the drink of the moment during the turn of the 20th century and remained hugely popular for the first half of it. The first A&W root beer stand was opened just after World War One, with similar stands (including the first Sonic) opening up through the 50s, when cola became more popular, and stands started focusing on their food as the main draw instead of their soda.

It used to have a different name

When Troy Smith first opened his root beer stand, it was called Top Hat. His next four franchises bore the same name, but soon his lawyers informed him that the name Top Hat was already copyrighted.

This left Smith's restaurants without a name. Luckily, he found inspiration in his own innovation. Unlike other drive-ins of the era, at which people would park their cars and then walk up to a window and order, Smith had added a speaker system at his stands. Customers could park their car beneath a canopy, order through the speaker, and have their food delivered by a carhop.

Their slogan? "Service With the Speed of Sound." When Smith heard the word "sonic," which means "speed of sound," he put two and two together, renaming the business Sonic Drive-In. The first Sonic Drive-In, a former Top Hat in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is still open for business today.

The carhops get a chance to prove their skills

Many of us can barely make it across a parking lot on foot without nearly getting hit by a car or tripping over a curb. That makes the carhops at Sonic even more impressive. They roller-skate from the kitchen right to your car, avoiding all sorts of obstacles along the way, all the while balancing a tray of burgers, snacks, and slushies.

It makes sense, then, that things can get competitive among the carhops. In fact, Sonic hosts a yearly skate-off for its employees at the company's headquarters in Oklahoma City. There, they compete in a 12-part obstacle course and have a chance to wow judges with a freestyle set, all for a grand prize of $1,500, a new pair of skates, and, of course, glory.

The obstacle course isn't your traditional stay inside the lines, swerve around the cones deal, either. Instead, competitors have to avoid things they'd face on the job, like skating under a rail, making their way through closed doors, and navigating sets of stairs all while holding a full tray of food and drinks. Pretty impressive, right?

The onion rings are fresh - and they have a strange ingredient

"Fast food" and "fresh" aren't exactly synonymous, but there are a few exceptions. Just as In-N-Out Burger cuts their potatoes fresh in store every day, so too does Sonic make their onion rings by hand.

The rings have a crunchy cornmeal coating, and most stores have a dedicated employee whose job it is to slice onions, batter them, and fry them. Sonic's rings have a distinctive sweet flavor, mingling with the salt to make you want to order a second batch before you're even done with your first.

According to one former employee, the secret to their sweetness is vanilla ice cream. Instead of a traditional egg mix, the onions are dipped into liquid vanilla soft serve mix, dipped in flour, dipped back in the soft serve mix, dipped into cornmeal, and then fried. It's a strange combination, but if you've ever tasted their onion rings, you have to admit that it works.

The amount of drink combinations is mind-blowing

Drinks are usually an afterthought when you hit up the drive through. You need something to wash down that spicy chicken sandwich and double bacon cheeseburger, right?

But at Sonic, the drinks are more than just an add-on; they're an art form. Rather than just offering the usual fountain drinks, they've created a massive menu of slushies, soft drinks, and milkshakes, all of which can be customized to make your perfect summer sip.

In fact, because of all of the custom options, Sonic technically serves more than 1.5 million different drinks. Add real fruit to your limeade, frozen lemonade, or slushy, try a slushy full of candy, or create an iced coffee concoction that doubles as dessert.

They've also got thousands of milkshake combos when you're craving something sweet, with everything from fresh bananas to Oreo cheesecake thrown in as an extra treat. It's reason enough to swing by.

They only use humane meat and eggs

"Humanely-sourced ingredients" isn't usually one of the first phrases that come to mind when we think about fast food, but Sonic has actually had an animal welfare policy in place since 2010, long before chains like McDonald's and Panera started making the change. They began to phase in cage-free eggs and sourcing pork from facilities that don't keep pigs in gestation crates. They also made it a goal to encourage their poultry suppliers to a more humane method of slaughtering chickens.

In 2016, they doubled down, setting specific goals for the full implementation of their animal welfare policy in all 3,500 Sonic restaurants in the US. They've committed to using 100 percent cage-free eggs by the years 2025, and to eliminating pork from suppliers that use gestation crates entirely by 2022.

When large chains like this make a change to their supply demands, it can actually have a big impact on the farming industry. Sonic buys about 155 million eggs a year, meaning their egg farmers will need to make significant changes in order to get them the product they need. With other chains doing the same, we could soon see the day when cage-free eggs are the new norm.

There was a beach-side Sonic that served beer

Sonic is known for its innovative menu and funny commercial spots, but it outdid its own fun factor in 2011 by opening a three-story beachside restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

With views of the sandy beach and ocean, diners at Sonic Beach could enjoy traditional drive-through favorites along with a wider menu that included additions like beer and wine. An icy cold beer with a footlong chili cheese Coney at the end of a long day of swimming and sunbathing sounds like paradise on earth, right?

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and Sonic's beachside oasis closed in 2015 after just four years in operation. There are other Sonic locations throughout southern Florida, but unfortunately, if you want alcohol with your meal, you'll have to brown bag it. Not that we recommend that... though if you bring your strawberry limeade slushy home and spike it with tequila, it makes for a pretty tasty margarita!

You need to be rich to open your own Sonic franchise

Have you ever dreamed of, say, owning a pizza restaurant so you could have as much cheesy pie as your heart desires, or a shoe store so you'd have first dibs on the hottest new kicks as they rolled in?

Well, we've had the same lofty dreams about owning a Sonic franchise, but after looking into it, it turns out you have to be a total baller in order to get in the fast food game.

For starters, you need to pay a $45,000 franchise fee before you even begin. This secures your location for 20 years. But that doesn't include any of the start-up costs, such as purchasing land, constructing your restaurant, hiring people, or sourcing ingredients. The low estimate for total start up costs is $865,000, while in pricier markets that number goes up to well over $3 million.

That's why Sonic requires that all franchise owners have a net worth of $1 million, with $500,000 in liquid assets per store, if they want to open 1-2 units. There goes our dream of all-you-can-drink slushies!

Carhops have to buy their own skates (and they're not cheap)

When a job requires you to wear something, you'd think that means they'd pay for it. Sadly, that's not the case for Sonic carhops, who have to buy their own skates.

They're allowed to buy any kind of skates they want, but since carhops are on their feet constantly, they get used heavily and are worth investing in. Sonic's recommended, branded skates cost $100, but the price rises when you factor in things like wheel and toe-stop replacements.

Once you have your skates, you're ready to go! While some locations have skater training (usually when a store is first opening), new hires are generally assumed to have some sort of skating skills on their own (or are at least expected to be able to stay on their feet), learning the ins and outs of carhop life through experience.

Another thing to know about your carhops? While in some locations they're paid a regular wage, in others they're considered tipped employees and paid below minimum wage. The next time you get your shake and burger delivered extra-fast, don't forget to give a tip.

People love them for their... ice?

For a fast food restaurant that's more known for its drinks than its food, the magic is all in the details. While the endless flavor combinations are a huge selling point, another thing that keeps customers coming back for more is their ice.

Instead of large cubes, Sonic uses crunchy-yet-soft nugget ice to cool its drinks. Because of its small size, it has more surface area, which cools your drink down faster. Nugget ice also supposedly absorbs flavors, so even when you're left with a cup of ice, it will taste lightly of whatever it was you were drinking.

The good news? You can buy a 10-pound bag of nugget ice at Sonic. At locations where this is available, they'll usually put a sign on the ordering screen, but if you don't see one just ask. You'll be able to take home your ice for between $2-$5, depending on location.

Once you have the delicious ice in your own home, you can use it for anything. It's particularly tasty in fruity cocktails, and even a simple glass of water tastes special when it's poured over a tall glass of nugget ice.

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Even if you are lucky enough to live near a Sonic Drive-In, there's still a lot about the chain you might not know. Read on to discover more about the true history of this fast food joint. It'll give you something to chew on the next time you're waiting for a carhop to deliver your food.