# OKCpedia > Restaurants & Bars >  Sonic

## Pete

I am seriously considering pursuing a Sonic franchise in Southern California.  Believe it or not, there is only one here and it's an old location in Anaheim.  We don't even have other drive-ins of any sort.

I think one of the big reasons nobody has opened Sonics in this area is due to the size of the market and huge expense in advertising.  But now that Sonic has gone national with their ads (you see them all over ESPN), that issue has been largely addressed.

I've always liked Sonic and prefer it over most other fast food places.  Yes, it's just fast food and lots of things there aren't that great, but when I lived in that area I went there much more often than other fast food places.  If for no other reason, their fantastic variety of drinks.


So....

Would you say (speaking for yourself and others you know well) that people in that area go to Sonic more than any other fast food place?

Meaning, more often to Sonic than any other single chain like McDonalds, Taco Bell, etc.?

And what is your general opinion of the food and drinks at Sonic?

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## traemac

Drinks at sonic are good, but the food cant compare with in and out, id eat there any day over sonic.  personally when i was in anaheim i never ate at sonic but i hardly ever eat at it here too.

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## Misty

People seem to be addicted to Sonic beverages.  I've never been to Cali, I picture the people there drinking more wheat-grass combo beverages than fountain drinks with sugary sweeteners added (yes, very stereotypical I know).  I know a few people that own Sonic's and they have all made fortunes.  Go for it, but good luck finding a manager that doesn't steal for his upper habit!  I worked at a Sonic in Lawton when I was a wee young girl and all our managers worked their butts off because they were flying high all the time.  The till came up short quite a bit though..........AND BRING BACK THE PICKLE-O!

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## CuatrodeMayo

Go for it. I eat at Sonic more than any other fastfood restaurant in my town.

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## Pete

People in California aren't that different than elsewhere, believe it or not.  I think the one major difference is that a small percentage of the population is very fitness and health conscious...  But the huge majority are just like most Americans:  don't really watch what they eat.

I can assure you that we have a plethora of fast food places and they are busier than those in OKC.  There are just so many people out here and people here actually spend far more time in their cars and less at home.

The drive-in concept is better suited to Cali than OK due to the weather.  It's almost always great here and I know Sonics are much busier in that part of the world in the summers when the weather is warm.

Anyway, the idea intrigues me.  The cost of entry is quite high so I'd have to pull in some partners if I wanted to go forward.

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## metro

Malibu, while I personally don't care much for Sonic (cheap food and greasy, at least use real cheese hint hint Cliff Hudson CEO), however I think Sonic would do really well in California, especially Southern California.  I do see it a little bit of a stretch for someone wanting to open one up North in the Bay Area though. Most people are more educated, lifestyle conscious, and part of the slow food movement as you know probably more than I. 

You are correct, it is highly lacking old-fashioned drive in style restaurants, especially ala car hop style. I don't think you'd have to advertise all that much differently than you would here, in fact probably less due to the higher population density. (This is coming from a marketing guy, not a restauranteur so take it what its worth). Weather is always great in SoCal and the car culture there reigns supreme. I've never seen a Sonic that empty. If you do end up opening one, let me know and I'll swing in next time I'm out your way.

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## PennyQuilts

Forget California.  For god's sake, please come to Woodbridge, Virginia and open shop.  We have ONE Sonic within about 500 miles and it is 20 miles away.  I still go whenever I get the chance.

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## u50254082

Sonic obviously doesn't compete with BK and McD, but for what it is, I love it.

I think their fries are the best of any fast food place and the beef they use for their burgers tastes a lot better.

I've talked to a friend in SoCal that said he wishes there was a Sonic nearby because he keeps seeing the funny ads on television.

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## FritterGirl

I go to Sonic much, much more than any other fast food restaurant, for all of the reasons given above, and below:

fun fountain drinks (and in styrofoam cups, so they last all day);
that cruncy, "rabbit" ice;
tater tots, tater tots and tater tots.

Their burgers aren't the greatest, but what fast food burger is?

They also have a nice chicken wrap with light ranch dressing, only about 300 cals, so not bad for a "cheap and dirty" lunch stop.  Plus they're just something inately satisfying about the drive-in concept as opposed to drive-thru.

A close friend's father owned all of the Edmond Sonics until a few months ago, when he sold them all back to corporate.  He still owns the land and they lease from him.  Let's just say, he's not yet sixty, fully retired, and is enjoying life. 

On the flip side of that, it was a VERY hands-on business, and even as the owner he had to deal with a lot of headaches, mostly finding good quality staff (as someone has already addressed). 

When I lived in South Florida about 10 years ago, I always wished for one there.  They hadn't made it that far out of OK at that time, but I understand they're just about everywhere now. 

SoCal sounds like a great place for the concept.  Overall, I think it's a great alternative to some of the other offerings out there, and has a different variety of things.

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## Karried

My favorite all time franchise is In and Out Burger ... If I could open one here, I'd do it in a heartbeat.  I  love their burgers, their fries, everything about that place.  

Personally, I actually haven't eaten much at Sonic.   I rarely go there and when I do, I only order a shake for the kids. 

I've tried a burger ( didn't like it much, but like I said, I'm a true fan of In and Out and nothing compares).   I've tried the breakfast burritos.. they were okay. 

Plus,  I can't just walk in and order or drive through! I'm wondering why I have to add on a dollar or more to someone walking out to my car.   It's not the money, it's the idea. 

But, good luck regardless.  I'm sure the novelty and concept will do well in CA.  I like their commercials!

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## Pete

Yeah, the restaurant business is very tough.  And out here, you have to pay people well to keep them due to the high cost of living.

I just think Sonics would be a homerun out here...  And it's just a matter of time before someone else buys up a franchise and gets crazy rich.

Plus, I miss having them around.   :Smile:   California doesn't even have a good beverage place.

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## dalelakin

Beverages are what makes Sonic IMO.  I have to believe that is the high gross margin item for them as well so it is a big plus for an owner that a majority of people come there specifically for drinks.  I am not overly impressed with the food there outside of the chili cheese dogs.  I could have one every day if my cholesterol could handle it. :Big Grin:  

I would think that with all of the national advertising that is done now for them (corny as it may be it is still advertisement) it would be a minimal budget for advertising.  If I were in a position to take on such an endeavor I would seriously explore it.

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## solitude

It seems made to order for Southern California.

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## dismayed

You know, being so far out on your own I'd look into the distribution costs of your product.  If it costs a fortune to ship your supplies from out here it'll be harder to make a profit unless you go in gangbusters and open multiple locations.

You should check and see if the Anaheim store is corporate owned or franchisee owned.  Try to figure out if it is some corporate experiment that is operating at loss or if it is a franchise and making money.  

I have friends who have owned or managed restaurants and drinks are definitely the highest profit item on the menu, which is great for a business that prides itself on having every flavor imaginable.

But yeah I think it'd do well in California.

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## Blangdon

I went to UCLA and OU and I can guarantee you that college girls and recent college girls will create the same fad of "going to sonic to get a drink" (meaning one of the fabulous non-alcoholic drinks for which sonic is famed) would catch on just as quick in SoCal. Just as In-N-Out has their 2am greasy burger craving cult and fat burger has their afternoon rush...Sonic could have their slice of the pie as well. In fact, if you're looking for a partner I'd love to go in on it with you. haha

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## Oh GAWD the Smell!

Heck of an idea. If I were out there, I'd be all over throwing money at your franchise with you.

I'd do what dismayed said...Check out the Anaheim location and check out the supply chain. I know that the Sonic locations in Oklahoma get supplied by what used to be U.S. Food. I forget what they're called now, they got bought out a year or two ago. But it's the same company that supplies Subway and A&W their meat and produce...So maybe they're national and it won't be an issue.

Heck the owner at the Anaheim location might be willing to go in with you on yours. It would certainly help on your franchise application to have an experienced Sonic owner in there with you.

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## billinvegas

When Sonic's first started appearing in Vegas, a couple of the women from my office went there for lunch one day...
and I swear they ate lunch there for the next 4 days!

they went at least once or twice a week afterwards (versus closer fast food joints)

my reaction was...wtf? it's a Sonic ???

although they couldn't understand my fascination with In and Out Burger
(since we didn't have any in OKC / MWC when I grew up there)

so I guess we're even...

whenever I drive by the Sonic near my house, there's always at least 6-7 cars in the stalls, people driving through, and parked and eating on the benches...

Fri / Sat / Sun night there's always a dozen or so vehicles there

Seems to be popular here...

My guess is the "newness" factor in your area in CA will bring them in initially, 
guess it's up to advertising, and the food to keep them coming back after the new factor wears off...

Best of luck to ya!

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## kmf563

Personally, I think Sonic has gone way downhill. The food is mediocre, overpriced, and you have to wait forever to receive it. I think all of this has to do with franchise owners. I worked as Cliff's assistant for a while and he is actually a pretty decent guy and has funny jokes. He was really easy for me to work for. At that time, the stores taking a loss were the ones that were franchised. A lot of this had to do with poor managers and a lack of caring from the owners. The actual Sonic stores I had seen Cliff himself visit and fire people after reports of poor service or criminal activity occurring within the store. 

So it all boils down to this - could a Sonic be a good investment for you - yes - but you have to be willing to keep your feet in the water so to speak. Make sure your staff is adequate and your management serves you well or else it will be a loss. And you don't want to get a reputation for having the crackhead Sonic in Cali.

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## tuck

I am a HUGE In & Out fan, but Sonic is a great organization.  They do a great job recruiting employees in a segment that had always had trouble finding good help.

Ditribution costs would never be a factor.  All Sonics pay the same price % over cost...no matter what supplier they are using.  US Foods is their current nationwide supplier.

I don't know the details of their franchise agreement, but I doubt you can just have one store.  They usually designate a geograhical area to their franchisees.  Mailibu, you have seen the agreement; I'm sure liquidity is a huge factor.  

One Sonic isn't going to make you a rich man, 20-30 sure would help.

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## CuatrodeMayo

*Will drive-in dining take hold up North?*

NewsOK: Breaking the ice<br/><span class='hl2'>Will drive-in dining take hold up North?</span>


By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer
The newest Sonic drive-ins will be built close to the U.S.-Canadian border  and folks up north are wondering whether they will be seeing carhops trudging through 3-feet of snow to deliver a cherry limeade. 

The bemused include Chris Dettinger, a second-generation restaurant operator in the Minneapolis suburb of Mahtomedi. The spring 2008 expansion for Sonic includes a new restaurant in the nearby Minneapolis suburb of Savage. 

"I'm not familiar with Sonic other than the commercials I see on television, Dettinger said Tuesday. "But my wife saw one in Arizona, and all they had was outdoor carhop service. I really don't think people are going to sit in a car and eat food in the winter. Today our high temperature is 20 degrees. 

Dettinger, owner of 3 Seasons Drive-In, has operated his indoor and outdoor restaurant for 33 years. He's seen how the region's cold weather has hurt sales at a nearby Dairy Queen because they are perceived as only selling ice cream. 

"They have to do a lot of marketing to convince people they serve a lot of different food, Dettinger said. "People perceive a drive-in as a summer business. 

So just how cold does it get in Minneapolis? 

"Just as cold as it wants to, jokes Rick Hiltbrand, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Chanhassen, Minn. Hiltbrand said the high temperature in Minneapolis is at or below freezing 76 days during an average winter, with average snowfall totaling 55.9 inches. 

Drew Ritger, senior vice president of franchise development for Sonic, knows it is cold in Minnesota  but he's not worried. 

"I lived in Minneapolis after I left OSU, Ritger said. "I just don't know that the northern climate has been that big an issue. We've done northern media buys for a few years and that has really opened up a lot of demand. 
He points out the Oklahoma City-based fast food chain is also preparing to expand into Wisconsin and Michigan. 

"We just opened in New Jersey, Ritger said. "It was a phenomenal opening. 

Of course, Sonic is budgeting for snowplows at its new northern restaurants. And Ritger said carhops will be wearing warmer attire. 
"As long as it's normal, it's not a big issue, Ritger said. "Now, if you have a blizzard, it's an issue. But as long as people are going about their normal lives, it's not that big a deal. 

With the opening in New Jersey, Sonic is now in 35 states. Ritger is so confident that the newest drive-ins will be a success that he's looking forward to the company eventually boasting of drive-ins throughout the country. "We don't have plans for Alaska, but someday, I'm sure there will be a store there, Ritger said. "I just don't see any reason for there not to be.

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## dismayed

Also be aware that some franchises allow a first right of refusal to existing franchisees.  So for example if the guy who owns Anaheim got wind of someone else wanting to build a Sonic in SoCal, he might claim the first right to build a store in his region and put the kabash on others from attempting it.  I have no idea if Sonic allows this... you might try to get ahold of their UFOC and give it a read.

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## OKCGRL99

> *Will drive-in dining take hold up North?*
> 
> NewsOK: Breaking the ice<br/><span class='hl2'>Will drive-in dining take hold up North?</span>
> 
> 
> By Steve Lackmeyer
> Business Writer
> The newest Sonic drive-ins will be built close to the U.S.-Canadian border  and folks up north are wondering whether they will be seeing carhops trudging through 3-feet of snow to deliver a cherry limeade. 
> 
> ...



I personally really hope the Sonic in Savage, MN goes thru! My husband and I just moved to Minnesota from OKC in October and Savage is relatively close to us! Although, I'm not sure how Sonic will do, it gets downright cold here, and I don't see too many people wanting to eat in their car....I wonder if Sonic could start building more restaurants like they have in Bricktown, and make it inside??

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## tuck

Isn't Minnesota home to the "Butter-Burger"?  I have never had one, but have seen one made before....about 2 tbsp of real butter on each burger as it comes off of the grill.  I need this!!!

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## Oh GAWD the Smell!

> Isn't Minnesota home to the "Butter-Burger"?  I have never had one, but have seen one made before....about 2 tbsp of real butter on each burger as it comes off of the grill.  I need this!!!


I've put butter on a steak before (had it at a restaurant in Denver and liked it), so that sounds really good.

Time to experiment with burgers again  :Big Grin:

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## Pete

Thanks for all the excellent feedback!

Regarding distribution, there are now NINE Sonics in Bakersfield, which is only about 250,000 population two hours outside of L.A.  All of these have been opened in the last few years, so the franchisee there must be doing very well.  And obviously, they are getting their products and supplies without much problem.

Sonic will franchise by store or area.  In Southern California, you could easily have 10 franchisees, each with dozens of locations.  It's the largest consumer market in the world.  The one location in Anaheim is about two hours from where I'd want o operate, so there wouldn't be anything close to conflict there.

To put things in perspective, in many areas of SoCal you'll find McDonalds less than a mile apart.  I can think of one area in the SF Valley where there are about 10 within a 3-mile radius.  And they all are completely slammed with business, almost around the clock.

The L.A. area could literally accomodate a thousand Sonics.  There are 10 Sonics in the Edmond area, with a populaton of about 75K.  SoCal has 21 MILLION, with 10 million in L.A. County alone!

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## solitude

> There are 10 Sonics in the Edmond area, with a populaton of about 75K.  SoCal has 21 MILLION, with 10 million in L.A. County alone!


That certainly _does_ put it in perspective. Are you leaning towards seeking partners and going forward? I don't see how (barring the financial entry) you could miss. One of my favorite quotes is from playwright Neil Simon:

*"If no one ever took risks,  Michelangelo would have painted the Sistine Floor."*

Good luck!

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## Pete

I would definitely need partners and am already talking to some people.

Love the quote.   :Smile:

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## Rage_Kage

ever thought about a checkers/rallys

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## Pete

Well...

Now Sonic is telling me that all of Southern California is now obligated to 5 different groups.

I have to say I'm very disappointed in how they handled this...  First said on their website that Southern California is available, took forever to respond to my request for information (more than a week to get an email), email says my territory is not available but then lists Southern California as available, flippant guy in their franchise department basically brushes me off and says the entire territory is spoken for -- even though there is a total of one Sonic in an area of 21 million people.

I guess the good news is that we should be getting some Sonics out here in the near future.  But I have the feeling they sold the rights then not much will happen for quite a while.

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## Karried

oh, that's disappointing for you I'm sure... 

I'm sorry to hear it !

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## Kerry

Everyone I work with here in Atlanta loves Sonic.  I go to Sonics about once a week either here in Atlanta or back home in Jacskonville.  My kids LOVE the popcorn chicken.  If you want to get rich MS consider Chico, Red Bluff, Gridley, Yuba City area in Northern California.  Cost of doing business is much lower than SoCal and you would corner the market.  You would probably have to set the extra money on fire just to get rid of it.

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## jacodenn

Pete...I'll trade you one Sonic for one Wienerschnitzel.

My Son has worked for Sonic since his High School days. He now trains new Sonic Managers and workers in North Carolina, currently opening three new stores in the Raleigh/Durham area.

Personally...I prefer the Whopper. But when it comes to refreshments and desserts...Sonic wins hand down!

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## SoonerQueen

I'd love to have a Blake's Lotaburger here in OKC. They are a New Mexico chain, but their hamburgers are great.I love Sonic cokes  and used to like their steak sandwiches, but never eat the rest of the food.I LOVE Blake's cheeseburgers. I'd eat there a lot if they were here.

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## SoonerDave

Well, FWIW, as Sonic has pushed hard to go more national, I think their food quality has diminished. They used to have really good hamburgers, but the patty size has decreased while the buns have gotten fatter. Service is measurably worse than before, with wrong orders, wrong charges, stuff that Sonic used to do really well _before_ they were so successful.

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## Easy180

> Well, FWIW, as Sonic has pushed hard to go more national, I think their food quality has diminished. They used to have really good hamburgers, but the patty size has decreased while the buns have gotten fatter. Service is measurably worse than before, with wrong orders, wrong charges, stuff that Sonic used to do really well _before_ they were so successful.


Have to disagree with ya Dave...Can't say I can remember the last time my order was incorrect or when I received poor service at a Sonic

Can't say the same for every other fast food joint I frequent except for Chik-Fil-A

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## kevinpate

Sadly, expecting any fast food place these days to give a fig on service or correctness of the order is expecting too much.  I no longer leave a parking lot without doing an inspection of each item, in each bag.  

However, as I am right royally perturbed that it's come to this, I very seldom visit fast food establishments now.  I'm happier, healthier andmy blood pressures down.  I canna prove there's a connection, but I'm certainly not willing to bet against it.

But, to give credit where credit is due, Little Ceaser's hasn't fouled up a hot and ready order ina ges, and i still go there.  It ain't special,l it ain't top of the line, but it is adequate for the price, it is hot when I pick it up and I can count on no surprises when I open the box, and there are precious few ready to go places i can say that about anymore.

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## andy157

> People in California aren't that different than elsewhere, believe it or not.  I think the one major difference is that a small percentage of the population is very fitness and health conscious...  But the huge majority are just like most Americans:  don't really watch what they eat.
> 
> I can assure you that we have a plethora of fast food places and they are busier than those in OKC.  There are just so many people out here and people here actually spend far more time in their cars and less at home.
> 
> The drive-in concept is better suited to Cali than OK due to the weather.  It's almost always great here and I know Sonics are much busier in that part of the world in the summers when the weather is warm.
> 
> Anyway, the idea intrigues me.  The cost of entry is quite high so I'd have to pull in some partners if I wanted to go forward.


Pete, why don't you see if the good citizens of Anaheim would vote to increase the City's sales tax by 1 penny for 10 or 12 months. They can be your partners.

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## SoonerDave

> Have to disagree with ya Dave...Can't say I can remember the last time my order was incorrect or when I received poor service at a Sonic
> 
> Can't say the same for every other fast food joint I frequent except for Chik-Fil-A


Surely everyone's experiences are different. We haven't sworn off Sonic, by any means, but compared to when I first started frequenting Sonic, I think the difference is night-and-day.

For me, things started souring about two or three summers ago. I had carhops at a Northside Sonic arguing with me about the flavor of tea they brought to me; a clerk at a different Sonic that couldn't figure out how to operate the cash register without two others (plus a manager) assisting - only to find out they couldn't make it work, either. Then there was a completely _different_ (third) Sonic where we sat in our stall for _a measured thirty minutes_ to get four hamburgers - that were _all_ prepared wrong. The problem was that we were in a rush to get somewhere at a given time, and I didn't have the luxury of getting out and complaining and making them rebuild our order. The irony was we had stopped at Sonic to grab a _quick_ bag of burgers and it was a disaster. 

All these things work together to dampen my enthusiasm for Sonic. Like I said, I haven't sworn them off, but I have come to expect _really good_ service and good food, so when they miss that mark, it used to be an exception...nowadays, not so much. That's all.

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## MikeLucky

> I'd love to have a Blake's Lotaburger here in OKC. They are a New Mexico chain, but their hamburgers are great.I love Sonic cokes  and used to like their steak sandwiches, but never eat the rest of the food.I LOVE Blake's cheeseburgers. I'd eat there a lot if they were here.



There is a Lottaburger in Enid that my Mother swears is just like the old Blake's.... sometimes they drive from Wichita to Enid just to have one.... BTW, my Mom grew up in Santa Fe so Blake's Lottaburger is her all-time favorite.

And as for Sonic.... I can't remember the last time I had a bad service experience at one..... in fact, Sonic is the one place I go to MAKE SURE I have a good and fast experience....

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## jbrown84

> Pete, why don't you see if the good citizens of Anaheim would vote to increase the City's sales tax by 1 penny for 10 or 12 months. They can be your partners.


Hardy har har

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## andy157

> Hardy har har


You like that hey

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## hipsterdoofus

This is probably technically in OKC, but will be used by Edmond Residents.  Its nice for me because not far from my house, but anyone have an idea why they are building this so close to the location on Memorial?  Are they intending on shutting that one down?

I had some information that the location on Broadway & 15th in Edmond isn't doing so hot and may go away in time (note that it was never remodeled).

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## OKCitizen

Go next door to 7-11 for your Dark Roast Coffee and then Sonic for your breakfast burrito.  Great combo!

 :Smile:

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## NativeOkie

I live in San Diego and was watching television last night when a sonic drive in ad hit the screen it threw the whole family into a melt down. 
We miss Sonic! and Charcoal oven on NW Expressway, and real Bar BQ.
Does anyone ship to southern California???
Need a Tater Tot and Cherry Limeaid Fast! 
(don't even mention Braums)

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## Oh GAWD the Smell!

> I live in San Diego and was watching television last night when a sonic drive in ad hit the screen it threw the whole family into a melt down. 
> We miss Sonic! and Charcoal oven on NW Expressway, and real Bar BQ.
> Does anyone ship to southern California???
> Need a Tater Tot and Cherry Limeaid Fast! 
> (don't even mention Braums)


Tyler's: The Great Taste of Texas out in El Cajon will give you ribs every bit as good as you'll get here.

That is...If they're still there, I've not been to San Diego for a couple of years, and haven't lived there in a decade.

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## metro

*Sonic plans value menu*
by Kelley Chambers
The Journal Record 
December 16, 2008

OKLAHOMA CITY  Sonic Corp. plans to introduce a value menu at the end of December, with a handful of food items for about $1, citing tough economic times for consumers.

Paul Macaluso, vice president of marketing at Sonic, said the company will offer a value menu with about eight to 10 items for those watching their pocketbooks.An exact menu has not been revealed yet. It is the first time the chain has introduced a value menu.

There will be a variety of products that people can make complete meals out of as well as have as sides or snacks, Macaluso said.

The Oklahoma City-based drive-in chain has more than 3,500 locations across the country.

Mike Donohue, spokesman for the National Restaurant Association, said more restaurants across the board are beginning to expand value menus, or offer them for the first time to help customers and themselves.

Restaurants are operating under a weak economy and nearly unprecedented food price inflation, he said. Its a very difficult time for restaurants.
Donohue cited U.S. Department of Labor numbers that showed food price inflation in 2007 ran at 7.5 percent, the steepest increase since 1981. For 2008 that number is expected to climb to 8 percent.

Donohue said restaurants are eyeing their bottom line, while trying to offer value to their customers and keep them coming in the door. This can be difficult, he said, since food costs amount to 33 cents on the sales dollar for most restaurants.

This kind of economy lends itself to going the extra step to try to provide value, Donohue said. Restaurants have always done this, but in this kind of economic situation youre seeing more of it.

Macaluso said one step Sonic took in the last year to offer lower-priced drinks was the implementation of its happy hour program from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., when all drinks are half-price.

On Monday, Sonic also reported systemwide same-store sales were expected to be below expectations for the first fiscal quarter of 2009, which ended Nov. 30. 

Same-store sales for November are expected to be more positive. The company said that increase reflected a more aggressive, price-sensitive promotion versus September and October.

Partner drive-ins, where the company owns a majority interest, are reported to have lagged franchisee sales by about 4 percent, which is expected to have an adverse impact on operating margins and net income for the quarter.
Sonic plans to report its first-quarter results on Jan. 8.

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## BailJumper

I find it telling that Sonic introduces a value menu because of the economic times, yet there has been reports McDonald's may be eliminating parts or all of their $1 menu because of the economic times.

I personally love Sonic and have never figured out how a burger with so little meat tastes so good!

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## JakeZula

This is great news! I like Sonic, and I'd rather support them than McDonald's anyway. I've eaten both in the last week. I got food for me and my girlfriend off McDonald's value menu, and it cost about $6 for two large teas, two burgers, fries, and two pies. I ate at Sonic by myself the other night; I got a bacon cheeseburger and some cheddar bites, and it was $7.50. I can get an Irma's no name burger for that price!

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## BailJumper

Ohhhhhh, think there is any chance they will bring back Pickle-O's for the value menu? I love me some fried pickles!

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## kevinpate

Kewl, this offsets having lost a little community value card for Sonic.  Lots of little BOGO stickers, most of which were never collected, even when offered.  That little card, bought off a youth shucking them for a fundraiser, combined with two Sonics within 1.5 miles of home and another 0.5 from work, sure got a lot of use before I dropped it somewhere.  I hope it found its way to a nice wallet or purse and isn't shivering in some drainage ditch.

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## masonsmomma

> Ohhhhhh, think there is any chance they will bring back Pickle-O's for the value menu? I love me some fried pickles!


Amen to that! I love pickle-o's! As far as the items they probably will put on there, I'm thinking stuff like corn dogs, jr. burgers, small fries. Any other thoughts?

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## metro

> Ohhhhhh, think there is any chance they will bring back Pickle-O's for the value menu? I love me some fried pickles!


I'd support that too. I wish they would quick taking them off the menu and then bringing them back like every 3 years. Keep them on the menu please, at least here locally.

----------


## NativeOkie

We just opened our first San Diego area Sonic.
You can not imagine the lines. It takes 30 minute wait for drive thru only.
They have hired a traffic team for the cars and you have a staging area wait of 45 minutes and up to enter the parking lot.

The menu seems light not all of the stuff I remembered. a sonic burger, the footlong hot dog, chicken sandwich frito wrap, chick strips and that is it. all the other stuff tots and limeaid.

want to make a fortune? open a Custard store here or real Bar BQ.

----------


## Oh GAWD the Smell!

Only ONE Sonic?

Oh...Wait...I seem to recall an interesting thread here on Sonic in Southern California...Pete had some interesting things to say about somebody owning the rights to them or something.


And San Diego had real BBQ when I lived there.

----------


## AFCM

> It takes 30 minute wait for drive thru only.
> They have hired a traffic team for the cars and you have a staging area wait of 45 minutes and up to enter the parking lot.


How is that any different from normal California traffic?   :Wink:

----------


## John1744

Hmm. I'm sorry I love Sonic for being good to Oklahoma and it has a ton of variety but they're food is so bland...

----------


## kevinpate

> ... have a staging area wait of 45 minutes and up to enter the parking lot.

I like Sonic, stop in regularly.  But it is what it is, fast fuel.  
Waiting 45 minutes to order?  Then it's simply fuel, and not for me at that point.
Luck with that.

----------


## LakeEffect

> We just opened our first San Diego area Sonic.
> You can not imagine the lines. It takes 30 minute wait for drive thru only.
> They have hired a traffic team for the cars and you have a staging area wait of 45 minutes and up to enter the parking lot.


I heard the same type of story about Sonic's new location in Grand Rapids, Michigan as well.  I recall their national ad campaign in West Michigan when I still lived there 4 years ago (and they ran quite a while before I moved).  Many people who saw the ads were upset when searching for the closest Sonic.  I think it was brilliant to go national with advertising and then slowly expand - the pent up demand is perfect.  Plus, the comedy of the their ads is great.

----------


## amylynn5656

Wow. I can't believe this! It's great!

When I lived in Boulder, CO - I'd drive 30 minutes to the nearest Sonic in Longmont. I missed it so much and have completely over-indulged in it since I've been back!

----------


## tburn

I was a carhop at the one in Stillwater years ago -- I think it is the first in Okla?

and the 45 minute wait doesn't suprise me, okies have been known to wait for an hour or more for a Krispy Kreme doughnut!

----------


## Drake

First Sonic was in Shawnee.

I  never saw lines for KK like they had in Denver. Well over an hour.

----------


## Bunty

> First Sonic was in Shawnee.
> 
> I  never saw lines for KK like they had in Denver. Well over an hour.


Wrong. The first one named Sonic was in Stillwater.  The concept for Sonic was originated in Shawnee, though.

----------


## USG '60

> Wrong. The first one named Sonic was in Stillwater.  The concept for Sonic was originated in Shawnee, though.


Yep, it was Shawnee.  It was the only one while I was at OBU from '60-'64.  We thought it was way cool to use drive-in movie speaker to order.  Their sign said Faster Than The Speed Of Sound.

----------


## bluedogok

I was working out in Sacramento and the Valley area and the guys that I was doing site surveys with kept talking about this "new burger place" in Modesto, then we pulled into Sonic...I just laughed and told them about how they are as common as Subway stores in OKC.

----------


## Bunty

> Yep, it was Shawnee.  It was the only one while I was at OBU from '60-'64.  We thought it was way cool to use drive-in movie speaker to order.  Their sign said Faster Than The Speed Of Sound.


Nevertheless, you are definitely wrong. Stillwater, no doubt, had the first Sonic.  You won't find any Sonic in Shawnee boasting on a sign that it was the first Sonic.  Don't believe me, still?  Then look up "first sonic Stillwater" on Google.

----------


## PennyQuilts

I still recall spotting a Sonic in Fredericksburg, VA a couple of years ago without warning.  I was so excited, I nearly wrecked the car.  They have a second one, now.

----------


## ddavidson8

Sonic bacon rocks. Perfectly thick and super crispy.

----------


## RedDirt717

When I was living in DC the closest sonic was in Baltimore, MD. I would have traded the rights to my first born for a coney, tots and cherry limeade slush. I have family from Australia that has been living in the DC area for several months now and when they came out to visit OKc they were nearly in tears with excitement at how many sonics they had here. In fact, they enjoyed OKC so much they're planning on looking for work here to stay permanently.

----------


## USG '60

> Nevertheless, you are definitely wrong. Stillwater, no doubt, had the first Sonic.  You won't find any Sonic in Shawnee boasting on a sign that it was the first Sonic.  Don't believe me, still?  Then look up "first sonic Stillwater" on Google.


Bunt, I'm sorry but that brings up 3 forum references.  If you want to see what the truth is go to Sonic Corp. -- Company History where you will read 

Oklahoma Origins 

The Sonic concept originated in Shawnee, Oklahoma in the early 1950s. Troy Smith, a World War II veteran, operated a small diner called the Cottage Cafe ...............

----------


## kevinpate

And, from the same article ...

... and in 1959 the Stillwater restaurant became the first to adopt the Sonic name. 


Y'all both be be right.  Sonic arose from the Top hat guys but the first one they called Sonic was in Pokeville.

----------


## USG '60

> And, from the same article ...
> 
> ... and in 1959 the Stillwater restaurant became the first to adopt the Sonic name. 
> 
> 
> Y'all both be be right.  Sonic arose from the Top hat guys but the first one they called Sonic was in Pokeville.


Well, OK, then.   :Redface:   I was hoping no one would keep reading and get to that part.  I'd rather look right than be right.  :Smiley112:

----------


## mugofbeer

> First Sonic was in Shawnee.
> 
> I  never saw lines for KK like they had in Denver. Well over an hour.


The Krispy Kreme opening in Denver was just lunacy.  I lived about a mile from the one on the south side and saw how people piled into it after waiting for 45 minutes to an hour for a pretty mediocre donut!  Its like people who complain about global warming and Republicans and eating meat, but then sit in an Apple store for 3 days before they release the newest iPhone.  Get some priorities folks!  Sonic's good but it will be there a month from now.

----------


## metro

Then you should have seen the Krispy Kreme opening here in OKC on the southside when they first came to town, way more than 45min-1hr. By the way, Krispy Kreme isn't near as good as they were years ago. I remember in college in Athens, GA. people would wait in line forever to get some and that is after they were open there for years.

----------


## kevinpate

> I'd rather look right than be right.

Then you're more than qualified to run for just about any elective office
8^)

----------


## RealJimbo

> Then you should have seen the Krispy Kreme opening here in OKC on the southside when they first came to town, way more than 45min-1hr. By the way, Krispy Kreme isn't near as good as they were years ago. I remember in college in Athens, GA. people would wait in line forever to get some and that is after they were open there for years.


Met the sales manager for Waste Management in OKC, back around the time that Krispy Kreme opened in south OKC.  They had to have police escort to pick up the garbage.  True story.

My sister works for the largest franchiser of Sonics - Mason Harrision and Ratliff - and they say that their business shot up big time when they stopped using Frankie Avalon in their commercials and started using the Second City comedy troup.

----------


## kevinpate

the newest Sonic couple, el cheapo and his missus, ought to be sent back to the minors.
They are horrid.  I like the two guys, and I miss baldy geek and his spouse.  

I don't know what pit at Draper they use to dump the bodies in, but the current couple need to be tossed in right on top of that terrible female duo they tried to use a while back.

----------


## Platemaker

> Hmm. I'm sorry I love Sonic for being good to Oklahoma and it has a ton of variety but they're food is so bland...



Maybe... but is the food really what Sonic is for???  I've been going to Sonic all my life and I've only gotten more than a drink maybe 5% of those times...  and if I did it was only tater tots, pickle-o's, or cheddar bites.  Most people I know go for drinks.

Mmmmmm... I wish they still had pickle-o's!!!   Remember how if you didn't let them cool enough you'd bite into one and the pickle (which was approximately the temperature of the Sun) would come out and burn the hell out of your lip !!!

It was a risk worth taking.

----------


## metro

I agree, Sonic, has mediocre food. I mean really, do you have to put cheap processed fake American cheese on everything? Why can't we get real shredded cheddar on a chili cheese coney or tots? Why can't you put real cheese on a burger? And pickle o's, yes I wish they would bring them back!

----------


## dmoor82

Maybe Sonic should open up shop in Seattle!! LOL,too early?

----------


## OKCMallen

> I agree, Sonic, has mediocre food. I mean really, do you have to put cheap processed fake American cheese on everything? Why can't we get real shredded cheddar on a chili cheese coney or tots? Why can't you put real cheese on a burger? And pickle o's, yes I wish they would bring them back!


Jesus people, it's cheap, fast food.  If you want real shredded cheddar on a chili cheese coney, go get a frankfurter from Johnnie's.

----------


## PennyQuilts

Snobs...

----------


## Matt

Last time I was at Sonic, I ordered a footlong coney, and I told them I wanted to substitute out the cheese for caviar.  They told me they didn't have caviar there.  "What, you expect me to put *my own* caviar on the coney dog?!  Well you can forget it!"  I was so pissed, you guys.  Just unbelievable.  You'll get no more of my business, Sonic.

Except for the 99-cent Rt. 44 Diet Cherry Limeades during Happy Hour.

----------


## metro

Pot, this is kettle, you're black...........

----------


## PennyQuilts

I've got a hankering for fried spam.  Ymmmm.

----------


## dmoor82

[QUOTE=dmoor82;258477]Maybe Sonic should open up shop in Seattle!! LOL,too early?or do they already have some?

----------


## Matt

> Pot, this is kettle, you're black...........


Seriously, though, uh, "metro," if you haven't yet tried a Chili Cheese Caviar Coney, my boy, you are in for a treat.  Sure, you'll have to provide your own caviar (and cheese), but once you do, you'll never want it any other way.  Simply deelish.

I prefer mine with a nice single malt Scotch.

----------


## rondvu

I loved pickle-o's too. Remember the plastic, elephant, giraffe and mermaid they would put on your drinks?  We used to line them up on my visors. Better than that dried up ol mint they give now. Click below

http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.5515870.jpg

----------


## gen70

Wow!!..I haven't seen those plastic animals since the 60's. They had them at several different drive-ins back then. How did you find them?

----------


## fromdust

dont mean to get off track, but kk has already been mentioned. ive been wondering what happened to all the locations. theres only 1 or 2 and i could swear a few years ago there were more.

----------


## bluedogok

There were only three that I remember, 240 & Penn, Memorial & Penn and I-35 in Norman. The one in Norman closed a few years back.

----------


## Pete

I looked into a Sonic franchise for Southern Cal (in the entire area of 20 million, the only existing site was an oldie in Ahaheim) and was told they had recently sold all the rights for the region.

So, glad to see some are finally starting to open.

Don't care much for the food, but love the drinks.  I've thought for a long time this concept would be a slam-dunk in California.

----------


## Pete

Sonic Boom Goes off in Santee
By ERIC S. PAGE
Updated 5:30 PM PDT, Mon, Apr 6, 2009

One man told the Union-Tribune he took a vacation day on Monday to eat at Sonic.
Mickey Torres

Traffic was heavy Monday at San Diego's newest favorite dining spot.

A VIP and ribbon-cutting event with the Santee Mayor Randy Voepel was held Saturday, and on Sunday, friends and family were invited to a training day to help new Sonic crew members sharpen their skills.  The public finally got their bite at the burger on Monday, and they had plenty of competition for food at the location in the 10500 block of Mission Gorge Road in Santee.

Customers reportedly began lining up at 6 a.m., waiting four hours to order. When the eatery opened at 10, there were 125 lined up, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

At Sonic, customers park in their own drive-in stall and push a red button on the menu board to place orders from their car. (How cool is that?) Carhops then deliver orders to customers in their cars or sitting on the patio.

Does that make you hungry? The drive-in is open from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., April 6-12. Starting next Monday, the drive-in will be open from 5:30 a.m. to midnight.

Customers who order a bacon cheeseburger with onion rings and a cherry limeade get a surprising "side" that may go unnoticed:  According to the Sonic nutritional chart , a large combo of those three items would set you back 1,760 calories.

There is a wide range of factors in determining how many calories one should consume on a daily basis, but in England, the government suggests the following figures for people maintaining their weight:  2,500 calories a day for men and 2,000 calories a day for women.

If you're truly counting the calories, you may want to avoid Sonic's 20-ounce Peanut Butter Shake, which at 1010 calories, takes the Sonic prize for most caloric item on the menu.

While, everyone deserves to splurge now and again, health experts recommend against frequent fast-food visits. Researchers increasingly point a finger at fast food chains in general for their role in America's obesity epidemic.

Sonic enthusiasts looking for healthier alternatives might try a grilled chicken salad (310 calories) or a Sonic burrito (370 calories).

----------


## metro

Good, send some of that California money our way.

----------


## gen70

All this fuss about a drive-in burger joint in a state that is iconic with drive-in burger joints.

----------


## PennyQuilts

That's just crazy to wait hours to order.  Those Californias be nutty.

----------


## Pete

> All this fuss about a drive-in burger joint in a state that is iconic with drive-in burger joints.


Like everywhere, there are plenty of drive-thrus but precious few drive-ins.  IN fact, I can't think of any that are anywhere near me.

Also, Sonic has been doing national advertising for a few years now, so there is pretty good brand awareness.

----------


## Midtowner

This is why you are fat.

----------


## PennyQuilts

Okay, now I'm starving.

----------


## Jesseda

my sister lives in san diego and told me all about it, she grew up here, so she lovoes it, she said itsa big hit out there as well

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## rondvu

Gen, I went to YAHOO images and typed in plastic mermaids.

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## kevinpate

> This is why you are fat.


No, Braum's Strawberry shakes are why some of us are Fat.  If the above, and other fast food was more tasty, the shakes wouldn't be necessary to wash away the taste.  

Braum's be why I'm fat, but I does admit I prefer that method to that of Ron White's dawg.

----------


## gen70

> Gen, I went to YAHOO images and typed in plastic mermaids.


 I can't imagine what must have come up along with that.

----------


## Bunty

> Sonic Boom Goes off in Santee
> By ERIC S. PAGE
> Updated 5:30 PM PDT, Mon, Apr 6, 2009
> 
> One man told the Union-Tribune he took a vacation day on Monday to eat at Sonic.
> Mickey Torres
> 
> Traffic was heavy Monday at San Diego's newest favorite dining spot.
> 
> ...


Weren't drive ins just like Sonic a hot and popular thing in California decades ago?

----------


## Pete

That was about 50 years ago.  Since then, they've all pretty much died out.

I literally have never seen one out here.  Pretty amazing!  And a great opportunity for Sonic.

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## AAC2005

> When I was living in DC the closest sonic was in Baltimore, MD.


Rumour has it from a semi-reliable source that a Sonic is blooming on the Eastern Shore of Maryland (just outside of Annapolis, but on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge).

Where was the one in Balto-more?

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## Bunty

> That was about 50 years ago.  Since then, they've all pretty much died out.
> 
> I literally have never seen one out here.  Pretty amazing!  And a great opportunity for Sonic.


With such great year round weather in the most populated areas of Oklahoma, I would think that Sonic would do pretty dang great.

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## MikeOKC

Does anybody know what's going on at the Sonic location on Northwest Expressway just west of May? The last 3 or 4 times we've been there (within the past month) it has been understaffed, out of certain ingredients, unbelievably s-l-o-w, unfriendly and it's managed chaos at best. Is this location under new management? A new franchise? We've been going to this Sonic for years and it's always been a great location. The way it's been lately though -- something is obviously going on. Anybody in the know?

----------


## Thunder

Is this the one next to a car wash on south side of the street?  I was there yesterday for butterfinger shake, but when I pushed the button for someone to come out....nothing.  There was this guy standing in front of the big window just talking to someone thru his headphone.  Seriously, this guy sat there talking and laughing while I was pressing the button and honking the horn very angrily.  He did not even notice it!  Another worker inside was playing around.  I saw one black car left in an angry rage and a few others waited then left so fast.  Before I left, I honked so long and flipped them off.

----------


## onthestrip

Sonics are very hit and miss, which is why I hardly ever go to them. 23rd and Penn is definitely one of the misses.

----------


## ljbab728

> Is this the one next to a car wash on south side of the street?  I was there yesterday for butterfinger shake, but when I pushed the button for someone to come out....nothing.  There was this guy standing in front of the big window just talking to someone thru his headphone.  Seriously, this guy sat there talking and laughing while I was pressing the button and honking the horn very angrily.  He did not even notice it!  Another worker inside was playing around.  I saw one black car left in an angry rage and a few others waited then left so fast.  Before I left, I honked so long and flipped them off.


Thunder, a much better solution would have been to contact Sonic headquarters with your complaint.  They always want to know about problems and don't want unhappy customers.  I just had an issue with a chain restaurant where I ate on Monday.  Instead of throwing a tantrum in the restaurant and causing a scene, I contacted the corporate headquarters by email when I got home.  Today I received a phone call from the local restaurant manager apologizing for the problem and offering me some compensation to show me that he valued me as a customer and wanted me to return.

----------


## MsDarkstar

I hope for your sake you left BEFORE getting food cause that kind of behavior is what will get your food spit in - or worse.

----------


## Thunder

> I hope for your sake you left BEFORE getting food cause that kind of behavior is what will get your food spit in - or worse.


How can I get my shake?  They never took my order in the first place.  They ignored the honk signaling a deaf customer needing assistance.  They ignored the push button.  They did nothing.  Talking on the phone, throwing things around in there.  You should've seen the black lab dog inside!

----------


## ljbab728

> How can I get my shake?  They never took my order in the first place.  They ignored the honk signaling a deaf customer needing assistance.  They ignored the push button.  They did nothing.  Talking on the phone, throwing things around in there.  You should've seen the black lab dog inside!


Thunder, as I said previously, if they have problems dealing with orders from a deaf person, that is something that the company headquarters definitely needs to know about and I hope you will let them know.  Getting angry while you're at the location probably won't solve anything but the headquarters can and will get the problem addressed.

----------


## Thunder

I will inform them.  it was not just for me.  There was other cars speeding away fast cuz of those jerks.

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## MikeOKC

Back to the topic........

(Though I agree with ljbab, that's not the way to deal with problems.)

Does anybody know of changes at NWX and May? That Sonic has been solid for years and it's taken a nosedive in my last few visits.

----------


## Thunder

It has always been on topic, Mike. 

Its managed by kids now.

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## old okie

> Sonics are very hit and miss, which is why I hardly ever go to them. 23rd and Penn is definitely one of the misses.


Could not agree more about Sonics being "very hit and miss"; we visit them all the time around the metro.  

The BEST one is at SW 89th & May.  If we want to order food, that's the only place we'll go.  However, drink orders properly done can be found at several locations.  When we strike out and get a "bad" Sonic, of which there are plenty!, we just don't go back to them.

And yes, the one on the Northwest Expressway is TERRIBLE!  We won't go back to it!

----------


## AAC2005

*Number One* on my "Worst Sonic" list has to be the one at Will Rogers World Airport. Horrible management in terms of ordering enough supplies to get the crew through the weekend - no cheese, no onion rings, no onions (which didn't hurt my feelings) no bunch-of-other-stuff that should have been a no-brainer to keep in plentiful supply...all on a Sunday afternoon! I could only imagine what the Monday morning breakfast crowd would have to deal with.

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## MikeOKC

> It has always been on topic, Mike. 
> 
> Its managed by kids now.


Thunder, The Sonic you are talking about is NW 39th. I'm talking about NWX and May.

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## foodiefan

> Thunder, The Sonic you are talking about is NW 39th. I'm talking about NWX and May.


hmmm. . . .that's "my"  Sonic (NW 39th between Meridian and Portland(. . .never had a problem.  Don't go every day, but a couple times a month maybe.

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## SoonerQueen

We have found that the best Sonic to buy food at is the Sonic on MLK Blvd by the Tinseltown Theater. The food is always fresh there and the people nice to do business with. The Sonic by my house at 78th and N  May must have the worst food. You can use the burger meat for a frisbee it's so hard and way over cooked. We go there for drinks and ice cream, but that's about it.

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## MikeOKC

Makes you wonder about standards from the Sonic corporate office. As far as the quality of food is concerned, there shouldn't be a difference at all. We can all find differences in the way certain McDonald's are managed, etc. but the food tastes the same whether you're in Oklahoma City or Bangor, ME.

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## mugofbeer

It was alluded to earlier in the thread but people who see situations such as this need to make an effort to learn how to complain to the corporate office.  Most companies of any size have customer feedback emails or similar processes that are often quite effective.  I recently complained to Brinker about a Macaroni Grill here in Denver that has been chronically understaffed.  The people there were great but 20% of the tables were empty because they didn't have enough wait staff.

I wrote a complaint to Brinker and made it clear I wasn't wanting anything back - just that in the current economy with 10% of the workforce unemployed, it was immoral to have insufficient staff for the amount of business walking in their door.  I received a personal phone call from the western region senior VP and assurance they would have more staff in place within a couple of weeks.

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## Dustin

God I love sonic.. The one on May ave near memorial is always consistently good.

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## corwin1968

I don't know anything about the particular Sonic in the initial post but I eat at quite a few Sonics and they are very hit and miss with many more experiences being in the "miss" category.  Having said that, the Sonic at Portland (or Hwy 77) and NW 178th is consistently excellent.  Every burger I've eaten there is the equal of places like Ron's Hamburgers in quality. I finally quit eating at the Sonic on SW 29th and May.  I either get horrible food or they screw my order up or both!!   Fortunately, there are several other fast-food joints in that area.

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## RealJimbo

My sis has worked for the largest owner of Sonic drive-ins for many years.  You can be sure the local owner (sometimes called a "partner") is very interested in making you happy.  Find out who owns that particular drive in and let them know what it will take to make you happy.  Poorly run restaurants, no matter the sign out front, are not profitable restaurants and profit is why they own them.

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## Bunty

> How can I get my shake?  They never took my order in the first place.  They ignored the honk signaling a deaf customer needing assistance.  They ignored the push button.  They did nothing.  Talking on the phone, throwing things around in there.  You should've seen the black lab dog inside!


I've heard of people throwing up after eating at the Sonic, so the situation could have been worse.

----------


## Ginkasa

You'll hear about people throwing up after eating anywhere.  Very rarely is it 1) honestly because of the food and 2) is indicative of some larger issue rather than just a simple mishap somewhere along the very long line of people handling that product.

I once threw up after eating Taco Bueno.  I was, and still kind of am, certain that the food was the cause.  However, I had been eating their for years prior and have eaten there in the years since.  No further issues.

----------


## SoonerDustin

Sponsoring the shirts for the Grizzlies?  
http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/gr...ame-3-saturday

----------


## Doug Loudenback

This was discussed on the Sports Animal this morning. It is apparently a collection of local Memphis area franchisees, if I understood correctly. Nothing wrong with that.

----------


## OKCisOK4me

They're most likely franchised Sonic's.  There's no way on earth a company headquartered in OKC would sponsor the opponent.

----------


## Doug Loudenback

That's what I was trying to say.

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## swilki

> They're most likely franchised Sonics.  There's no way on earth a company headquartered in OKC would sponsor the opponent.


Probably is, but it would be nice if there could have been a clause in the contracts not allowing this sort of thing. Maybe something that would prohibit francise owners from sponsoring a team or organization that is in direct competition with OKC.....just a thought. But I can't blame the franchisee for wanting to get their name out there......in the end it still supports OKC I suppose (just not the Thunder).

----------


## Midtowner

^Why on Earth would Sonic do that?

----------


## Spartan

Just think of all of those extra tater tots sold in Memphis that support jobs in OKC. Should make it extra satisfying when we close out the series and advance.

----------


## swilki

> Why on Earth would Sonic do that?


I have no idea.....was just thinking out loud.

----------


## OKCisOK4me

> That's what I was trying to say.


Doug, I was in the process of typing my response, obviously, at the same time you were.  When I chose to reply to the original poster, there were no other posts, lol.

----------


## MikeOKC

Come on guys, this is small town thinking. It shouldn't matter even if it was done right out of Sonic headquarters here in Oklahoma City. Should FedEx sponsor teams based only in Memphis? McDonald's for teams based only in Chicago? Coca-Cola only for teams in Atlanta? It's no different for Sonic. Frito-Lay is another example - should they also market and promote teams only from Dallas? Sonic is a national corporation just like the others mentioned, it's pretty small thinking to believe they should only market sports teams in Oklahoma City. At some point, the teams playing out of the headquarters of these cities will be playing teams also sponsored by these same companies. It's not an act of betrayal or disloyalty - it means they're a major player in their respective business and don't think about the possibilities their "hometown teams" might play a team they have marketing and promotional programs with. It's no big deal. It shows only that Sonic is now a major corporation.

----------


## OKCisOK4me

> Come on guys, this is small town thinking. It shouldn't matter even if it was done right out of Sonic headquarters here in Oklahoma City. Should FedEx sponsor teams based only in Memphis? McDonald's for teams based only in Chicago? Coca-Cola only for teams in Atlanta? It's no different for Sonic. Frito-Lay is another example - should they also market and promote teams only from Dallas? Sonic is a national corporation just like the others mentioned, it's pretty small thinking to believe they should only market sports teams in Oklahoma City. At some point, the teams playing out of the headquarters of these cities will be playing teams also sponsored by these same companies. It's not an act of betrayal or disloyalty - it means they're a major player in their respective business and don't think about the possibilities their "hometown teams" might play a team they have marketing and promotional programs with. It's no big deal. It shows only that Sonic is now a major corporation.


Yessa Master...

----------


## BBatesokc

> Yessa Master...


I personally think MikeOKC is spot on and have no idea what your reply was even trying to say.

----------


## mikesimpsons82

> Probably is, but it would be nice if there could have been a clause in the contracts not allowing this sort of thing. Maybe something that would prohibit francise owners from sponsoring a team or organization that is in direct competition with OKC.....just a thought. But I can't blame the franchisee for wanting to get their name out there......in the end it still supports OKC I suppose (just not the Thunder).


When you think people couldn't possibly get any dumber, you read stuff like this to confirm that they definitely can.

----------


## windowphobe

Now if there were any Sonic locations in Seattle to promote the NBA, then we'd see some fireworks.  Or something.

----------


## ljbab728

> Now if there were any Sonic locations in Seattle to promote the NBA, then we'd see some fireworks.  Or something.


Maybe we could get the local Starbucks locations to start promoting the Thunder?  That would be fun.  LOL

----------


## dmoor82

Who cares!Let's just have FedEx sponser our next Home game!

----------


## Spartan

> Maybe we could get the local Starbucks locations to start promoting the Thunder?  That would be fun.  LOL


What, all 4 of them that are left? lol

----------


## OKCisOK4me

> I personally think MikeOKC is spot on and have no idea what your reply was even trying to say.


It's called sarcasm.  It was me being facetious.  Don't take it so seriously.

----------


## Joe Kimball

Common sense prevails with my view of the situationwhich is to say, this is very much a non-issue, or should be anyway (though I'd be lying if I didn't admit that deep down I feel the slightest bit "amusingly irritated" that the Sonic logo is on the shirts, despite who exactly put it there).  People are acting as if the mere presence of the logo will give the Grizzlies a competitive advantage.

Unfortunately, it does seem to be an issue that has taken hold.  A look at Sonic's Facebook page shows reply after reply of indignant patrons, many absolving themselves of any further interest in Sonic And So Forth, with one post reporting that a location that is usually busy had but one car last evening.  Definitely, without regard to the fact that this should be a non-issue, this is a messy PR cleanup at best.

----------


## kevinpate

> ...  Definitely, without regard to the fact that this should be a non-issue, this is a messy PR cleanup at best.


Nah, you can't fix stupid.  

Fortunately for the company though, stupid often has a short attention span.  It probably won't take more than another day or two for the masses to find something new and equally irrelevant to obsess over.  At that point, the silliness of some local folk being outraged because some Memphis area fast food franchisee folk support their local team will be forgotten.

----------


## bluedogok

> Common sense prevails with my view of the situation—which is to say, this is very much a non-issue, or should be anyway (though I'd be lying if I didn't admit that deep down I feel the slightest bit "amusingly irritated" that the Sonic logo is on the shirts, despite who exactly put it there).  People are acting as if the mere presence of the logo will give the Grizzlies a competitive advantage.
> 
> Unfortunately, it does seem to be an issue that has taken hold.  A look at Sonic's Facebook page shows reply after reply of indignant patrons, many absolving themselves of any further interest in Sonic And So Forth, with one post reporting that a location that is usually busy had but one car last evening.  Definitely, without regard to the fact that this should be a non-issue, this is a messy PR cleanup at best.


It's because most people are idiots who know nothing about how business operates......the concept of separately owned franchises is something beyond their comprehension.

----------


## BBatesokc

> It's called sarcasm.  It was me being facetious.  Don't take it so seriously.


"Yessa Master..." doesn't even make sense in any context as a response to the post.

----------


## Architect2010

Why do you care so much? I thought it was funny. Move on.

----------


## Swake2

Um, what about the center formerly known as Ford? Where is AT&T/SBC based? What about Cox?

Morons

----------


## Spartan

> "Yessa Master..." doesn't even make sense in any context as a response to the post.


I agree, in fact, I sense a little racism too. I think we got a racist on our hands...

(Well, that should get this thread to at least 4-5 pages)




> Um, what about the center formerly known as Ford? Where is AT&T/SBC based? What about Cox?
> 
> Morons


I has OKCTalk Bingo!

----------


## bluedogok

> Um, what about the center formerly known as Ford? Where is AT&T/SBC based? What about Cox?


The Ford Center was actually named that from the Oklahoma Ford Dealers group and not Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, Michigan although I am sure they had some level of approval for the deal.
AT&T is based out of Dallas having moved the HQ from San Antonio a few years back, when they put their name on the AT&T Center (formerly SBC Center) they were based in San Antonio.
Cox Communications is based out of Atlanta.

I understand what you are saying, after all American Airlines has naming rights in Dallas (their HQ) and Miami (a major hub). The Delta Center in Salt Lake City is named after the airline based in Atlanta. I think it is an overblown thing that some Sonic franchisees put their name on a t-shirt for the Grizzlies, corporations do that stuff all the time and those built on franchising have the potential for it to happen maybe more often.

----------


## OKCTalker

For those of you who havent read a franchise agreement before, theyre unbelievably lengthy and complex. They require dozens of pages to simply address immediate operational and administrative matters. Theres no way that you could expand the marketing & advertising section to include a list of hypothetical prohibitions such as T-shirts at a home NBA playoff game in which a team from the franchisees ADI (look it up) is playing a team from the franchisors ADI. What about ball caps? What about a team in the lingerie football league? What about a separately-incorporated Memphis suburb? What about?

----------


## Barry Luxton

Which do you want first? XD I was at a Sonic just now and they just put up new menu boards in the drive-in stalls. I got to looking at it and noticed some changes. First of all, Pickle-O's are back on the menu! I have to admit, I've never had their pickles but I know people who love them so I guess this is good news for those people who've missed them. I will make a point of trying them sometime.

The bad news for me is that they no longer have the Jr. Fritos Chili Cheese Wrap.  :Cuss2:  This seriously sucks for me because the JFCCW is one of the few things I like on their menu. And it was really cheap, too. I guess not enough people were ordering them or something, which is too bad, because they were delicious.  :Smiley099:   Oh well. Maybe someday they can bring that back the way they brought back Pickle-O's!

----------


## Thunder

Sonic has limited spaces, so they rotate the specials.

----------


## onthestrip

They might still make them for you. Just ask

----------


## Dustin

> which do you want first? Xd i was at a sonic just now and they just put up new menu boards in the drive-in stalls. I got to looking at it and noticed some changes. First of all, pickle-o's are back on the menu! I have to admit, i've never had their pickles but i know people who love them so i guess this is good news for those people who've missed them. I will make a point of trying them sometime.
> 
> The bad news for me is that they no longer have the jr. Fritos chili cheese wrap.  This seriously sucks for me because the jfccw is one of the few things i like on their menu. And it was really cheap, too. I guess not enough people were ordering them or something, which is too bad, because they were delicious. :smiley099  oh well. Maybe someday they can bring that back the way they brought back pickle-o's!


pickle o's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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## bandnerd

> They might still make them for you. Just ask


Yeah, they have all the ingredients to make that happen, most likely. If you ask nicely, the worst they can say is no.

----------


## Snowman

A lot of places do continue making items if they have all the ingredients. 

http://consumerist.com/2007/02/the-r...enu-items.html

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## BBatesokc

Wife loves Pickle-O's. Though she has now become a fan of the fried pickle spears at Mutt's.

----------


## Phoenix59

The best pickle-Os were always at the Classic 50s drive-in in Norman.

----------


## Barry Luxton

Oh jeez I guess I'm not the only one who misses some classic menu items because I'm reading Sonic's FB page and it sounds like they took a bunch more stuff off the menu.

http://www.facebook.com/sonicdrivein

Someone even set up a Facebook hate page for the missing stuff, too

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sonic-...18774751478702

----------


## ljbab728

Sonic has always had one of the most diverse menus of any fast food place and like all of them adds and subtracts menu items all of the time.  It would be impossible to make everyone happy with their decisions about menu changes.

----------


## Corndog1

Sonic got a new president or head person whatever they want to call them.  JFCCW was a value menu item.  If you notice they are dumping the value menu idea.  He wants to go away from the cheap eat and back to the higher quality and good food that made them famous years ago.  Said they dont want to compete with the McDonalds and other places, they want to have a better level of food than that and to do it means you got to ax the value menu and improve the food which also raises the cost.  Hopefully folks will buy into it and not stop going to the stores, only time will tell.

----------


## Thunder

lolololol  Extremely horrible time to be dumping value menus with these ongoing economy. Sonic executives will be reading this and realize before choking on what they had done.  Yup, they screwed up.

----------


## HOT ROD

interesting number of fans that sonic facebook has (first three numbers). ....

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## Larry OKC

Value items were smaller serving sizes so I don't know how quality of the item would be a factor, just the quantity. Being in between jobs myself, I am looking at the $1 menu more often than not. If it isn't even an option, then that establishment isn't an option either.

As others have pointed out, just because it isn't on the menu anymore doesn't mean they don't have it. Taco Bell had the Frito Burrito for several years after they took it off the menu board. And the current trend is not listing every time they have. Many places have gone over to picture menus and only combo meals and the like.

----------


## Barry Luxton

> Sonic got a new president or head person whatever they want to call them.  JFCCW was a value menu item.  If you notice they are dumping the value menu idea.  He wants to go away from the cheap eat and back to the higher quality and good food that made them famous years ago.  Said they dont want to compete with the McDonalds and other places, they want to have a better level of food than that and to do it means you got to ax the value menu and improve the food which also raises the cost.  Hopefully folks will buy into it and not stop going to the stores, only time will tell.


I don't think they're ditching the value menu concept.  After all, they're still featuring their Everyday Deals on their new menus and on their website.  It's just that the JFCCW isn't part of it anymore.  And that's what's so terrible about all of this.




> As others have pointed out, just because it isn't on the menu anymore doesn't mean they don't have it. Taco Bell had the Frito Burrito for several years after they took it off the menu board. And the current trend is not listing every time they have. Many places have gone over to picture menus and only combo meals and the like.


If the only thing they need Fritos for is the JFCCW, and they're not offering that anymore, then they don't need to order Fritos anymore, either.  And if they don't have Fritos anymore, then they wouldn't be able to make an "off-the-menu" Jr. Fritos Chili Cheese Wrap anymore, even by special request.  Just a Jr. Chili Cheese Wrap.  And who wants that?

----------


## Larry OKC

That is what I am saying. As far as I know, Taco Bell only used Fritos in the Frito Burrito yet they kept ordering Fritos and making them even after being taken off the menu board (which doesn't make a lot of sense to me). Doesn't Sonic still have Fritos for the Frito Chili Pie (or did they get rid of that too)? If they don't have the full size, smaller may be better than nothing at all and can always get multiples. I agree the ratio of wrap to ingredients goes up (more end pieces) than with the larger version, but when the craving hits....

on edit, maybe it is the smaller size wrap used that is taking the hit on this (they don't use it for anything else) and the full sized is still available if they have the fritos (chili pie) and large wraps (breakfast burritos) etc??? Know Taco Bueno used to have Taco Burgers but since they only used buns for that one item not enough would get ordered leading to higher food waste/costs. So that may play into it too.

----------


## JayhawkTransplant

Sonic used to have the best peanut butter shake.  I haven't been able to find one in years, despite some Sonic employees (teenagers leading me on!) telling me that other locations make them. If any of you know of a location that will make me a peanut butter shake, you'd better tell me.

----------


## bandnerd

I looked at the menu while getting a drink the other day, and I didn't see the frito chili pie on the menu anywhere. You could always ask. Some locations do things others don't.

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## Barry Luxton

You know what, I don't even care about this anymore.  The JFCCW is one of the few foodstuffs I actually like at Sonic, but I'm trying to watch my figure, and I've decided that maybe their removal from the menu is actually a blessing in disguise.  It's just one less thing for me to gorge on while I'm ordering my Route 44 drink during Happy Hour, which is just about the only reason I ever go to Sonic in the first place.

This is Sonic's loss, not mine.  I'll keep ordering my drinks there and just go somewhere else to eat, somewhere where the food's a lot better and healthier than Sonic's, anyway.  Shouldn't be that hard.

----------


## ljbab728

> You know what, I don't even care about this anymore.  The JFCCW is one of the few foodstuffs I actually like at Sonic, but I'm trying to watch my figure, and I've decided that maybe their removal from the menu is actually a blessing in disguise.  It's just one less thing for me to gorge on while I'm ordering my Route 44 drink during Happy Hour, which is just about the only reason I ever go to Sonic in the first place.
> 
> This is Sonic's loss, not mine.  I'll keep ordering my drinks there and just go somewhere else to eat, somewhere where the food's a lot better and healthier than Sonic's, anyway.  Shouldn't be that hard.


 It doesn't sound like healthy food has been a big concern to you until now.  And Sonic has healthy choices available if that's what you're really interested in.  I assume that you know that healthy food is not a forte for fast food places anyway and most people know that before they go there.
I suspect that if the only reason you really ever went to Sonic was for a loss leader Happy Hour drink they won't miss your business too much.

----------


## rcjunkie

> You know what, I don't even care about this anymore.  The JFCCW is one of the few foodstuffs I actually like at Sonic, but I'm trying to watch my figure, and I've decided that maybe their removal from the menu is actually a blessing in disguise.  It's just one less thing for me to gorge on while I'm ordering my Route 44 drink during Happy Hour, which is just about the only reason I ever go to Sonic in the first place.
> 
> This is Sonic's loss, not mine.  *I'll keep ordering my drinks there and just go somewhere else to eat*, somewhere where the food's a lot better and healthier than Sonic's, anyway.  Shouldn't be that hard.


The drinks your still planning on buying are more unhealthy than the food Sonic serves.

----------


## BBatesokc

> It doesn't sound like healthy food has been a big concern to you until now.  And Sonic has healthy choices available if that's what you're really interested in.  I assume that you know that healthy food is not a forte for fast food places anyway and most people know that before they go there.
> I suspect that if the only reason you really ever went to Sonic was for a loss leader Happy Hour drink they won't miss your business too much.


The 44oz Happy Hour drink is no 'loss leader.' They make good money on those. That's one reason virtually every restaurant gives free refills - perceived value.

I'm a sucker for the happy hour there too. I tend to get the Route 44 at least once a week (vanilla Diet Dr. Pepper, easy, easy ice). Even the Happy Hour price is crazy though considering its still higher than most c-stores and I can often buy a liter for $1.25 or even on sale for $.99 at the grocery store. There normal price is just ludicrous at over $2.

----------


## bandnerd

> The drinks your still planning on buying are more unhealthy than the food Sonic serves.


He could be getting an unsweet iced tea for all you know. Not that bad for you.

----------


## kevinpate

> ... I tend to get the Route 44 at least once a week (vanilla Diet Dr. Pepper, easy, easy ice).


In my opinion, you're short one easy, at least. 
 :Dizzy:

----------


## BBatesokc

> In my opinion, you're short one easy, at least.


Yeah, at $1-$2+ a drink, I'm not paying for ice! That said, my wife won't even let us use our refrigerator's ice maker. She makes me buy ice from Sonic every week and fill the ice bucket in the freezer because she way more prefers their tiny cubes to the chunks ours makes. FYI - Sonic ice makes for a terrible Maker's on the rocks though.

----------


## kevinpate

Had to laugh.  Your missus is definitely not the only lady I've heard of who prefers keeping a regular supply of Sonic ice.

----------


## Barry Luxton

> It doesn't sound like healthy food has been a big concern to you until now.  And Sonic has healthy choices available if that's what you're really interested in.  I assume that you know that healthy food is not a forte for fast food places anyway and most people know that before they go there.
> I suspect that if the only reason you really ever went to Sonic was for a loss leader Happy Hour drink they won't miss your business too much.


I'm in a situation where I have to eat out a lot (PM me for more info, ladies XD) but I'm a big believer in Eat This, Not That and it's helped me to understand that there are, if not healthy, then at least healthIER choices that can be made at most restaurants.  Sonic, however, is not one of these restaurants.  Have you ever looked at their nutritional info?  Not a lot of healthy options there, and the ones that are, like the wraps and the salads, they've been doing away with in a lot of markets.  Their grilled chicken sandwich isn't too bad but they serve it with mayo and I can go to the Chickfila in the same parking lot and get a much better one without mayo for less money.  I liked the JFCCW because it actually wasn't too horrible for me, and because it was cheap and, most of all, DELICIOUS.  But now that that's gone, there's not too much else I'll order from their menu, besides maybe their awesome new Chicago Dog every once in a while.

----------


## Barry Luxton

> The drinks your still planning on buying are more unhealthy than the food Sonic serves.


Have YOU ever looked at their nutritional info?  XD  There are actually quite a few low- or even no-calorie drinks they serve, even in the Route 44 size.  The diet sodas, or the some of the teas, like bandnerd mentioned.  I actually get the same thing that BBatesokc gets pretty often, a Route 44 Diet Dr Pepper with vanilla.  Only 80 calories in that, and that's all from the vanilla flavoring.  And I'm all about the diet cherry limeade.  25 calories of goodness in that thing, compared with 460 in the non-diet version.  But I promise the regular doesn't taste 18.4x better!  Don't drink your calories, people! 

And I knew someone would try to call me out on that drink thing, too.  Sorry it didn't work out better for you.  LOL

----------


## bandnerd

I like a good unsweet cranberry iced tea. Just a hint of fruit and all the caffeine :P

----------


## kevinpate

Sonic will happily keep their mayo in the jar if you ask them too, as will most places for that matter.

----------


## Barry Luxton

> Sonic will happily keep their mayo in the jar if you ask them too, as will most places for that matter.


Be that as it may, Chickfila's grilled chicken sandwich tastes better to me, and I believe it's cheaper (but I'll have to double-check that the next time I go to both places).  Also, I can get buffalo sauce for it there, which they don't have at Sonic.  One of many things they don't have at Sonic.

So no, the mayo issue alone doesn't change things any.

----------


## BBatesokc

Speaking of Chick-Fil-a we drove through there the other night on our way to a baseball game. Stopped at the one in MWC. We hadn't eaten all day so we each got our own sandwich and shared some fries and a soda. It was $13 and mediocre at best. Which is surprising because I remember them as having the best chicken sandwiches. We soon wished we'd gone in to Cheddars and split and entree for about $10.

----------


## bandnerd

I've never been impressed with Chick-Fil-A. I ate it in college because it was in the student union, but burned out on it before the end of my fall freshman semester. I don't see what the big hype is about it. But, that's probably for another thread!

I don't see why we should compare every place, though. Every place has its special deals. So what if Sonic doesn't have buffalo sauce? If that's what you want, then go to a place that does. If I want some chili cheese fries fast, then I'll go to Sonic. If I want buffalo chicken, then I'll go to BWW's.

----------


## jmarkross

*El Pollo Loco* would be a nice addition for this area...

----------


## Larry OKC

> Speaking of Chick-Fil-a we drove through there the other night on our way to a baseball game. Stopped at the one in MWC. We hadn't eaten all day so we each got our own sandwich and shared some fries and a soda. *It was $13 and mediocre at best.* Which is surprising because I remember them as having the best chicken sandwiches. We soon wished we'd gone in to Cheddars and split and entree for about $10.


I can relate. My mother LOVES Chick-Fil-A (would probably eat there daily if she had her way). I have tried them a few times but, like you, seemed mediocre (not a good value for the money). Their spicy one is an improvement, but again, overpriced. One of the best chicken sandwiches in the biz is still Wendy's (their spicy chicken is even better), but approaching $5 for a chicken sandwich, can't make it a daily thing. I like Braum's chicken biscuits but $2 for this tiny piece of chicken just doesnt cut it (add cheese and egg and it gets pricey). For the price, the chicken needs to be full sized or cut the price to a buck. 

Wish KFC would do breakfast, they have some of the best biscuits around and they _should_ do the chicken part right.

----------


## ljbab728

> The 44oz Happy Hour drink is no 'loss leader.' They make good money on those. That's one reason virtually every restaurant gives free refills - perceived value.
> 
> I'm a sucker for the happy hour there too. I tend to get the Route 44 at least once a week (vanilla Diet Dr. Pepper, easy, easy ice). Even the Happy Hour price is crazy though considering its still higher than most c-stores and I can often buy a liter for $1.25 or even on sale for $.99 at the grocery store. There normal price is just ludicrous at over $2.


I hope you understand that when I said "loss leader" I didn't necessarily mean that I thought they were losing money on every drink.  I just meant that it was a greatly reduced price offered to draw people in who would hopefully buy other higher profit items.

----------


## ljbab728

> I'm in a situation where I have to eat out a lot (PM me for more info, ladies XD) but I'm a big believer in Eat This, Not That and it's helped me to understand that there are, if not healthy, then at least healthIER choices that can be made at most restaurants.  Sonic, however, is not one of these restaurants.  Have you ever looked at their nutritional info?  Not a lot of healthy options there, and the ones that are, like the wraps and the salads, they've been doing away with in a lot of markets.  Their grilled chicken sandwich isn't too bad but they serve it with mayo and I can go to the Chickfila in the same parking lot and get a much better one without mayo for less money.  I liked the JFCCW because it actually wasn't too horrible for me, and because it was cheap and, most of all, DELICIOUS.  But now that that's gone, there's not too much else I'll order from their menu, besides maybe their awesome new Chicago Dog every once in a while.


Everyone has their preferences and that's why there are numerous types of fast food places.  A new Chick-Fil-A opened up not far from me a few months ago.  I went once and thought it was overpriced and too bland for me.  I haven't been back.  For me, choosing a healthy option means it has to taste good too.  I"m not going to order something just because it has zero calories.  I only have fast food once or twice a week though so I can splurge a little when I do.

----------


## BBatesokc

> I hope you understand that when I said "loss leader" I didn't necessarily mean that I thought they were losing money on every drink.  I just meant that it was a greatly reduced price offered to draw people in who would hopefully buy other higher profit items.


I get ya - but it doesn't work with me. I don't get an urge for a Vanilla Diet Dr. Pepper and then spontaneously decided to add cheeseburger and tots.

----------


## ljbab728

> I get ya - but it doesn't work with me. I don't get an urge for a Vanilla Diet Dr. Pepper and then spontaneously decided to add cheeseburger and tots.


Congrats on your power of self control.

----------


## Brett

Speaking of Sonic drinks. Check out Limeades for Learning. I participated last year and its cool to see money go to a good cause.

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## Barry Luxton

Just wondering what everybody else does at Sonic.  And if you do tip, how much, usually?  I will occasionally tip, but it all depends on the carhop.  If she's cute, I'll tip her a dollar bill.  If she's just okay-looking, I'll let her keep the change.  And if it's a guy, I don't tip at all.

What about you guys?

----------


## Dustin

I tip every carhop at Sonic.  I give about a .50 to a dollar every time..  Especially in the summer.

----------


## jmarkross

If life has treated you well...tip car hops an amount that will bring *a light to their eyes.* Won't break you and the smile they give you will be worth it. *Lay a five-spot on them--or better if you're in the mood...*

----------


## rcjunkie

I treat them like any waiter/waitress, based on quality of service, 10--20%

----------


## Pete

I always tip, usually around a dollar but it's usually just me ordering, so that represents a good percentage of the bill.

If the weather is particularly bad, I'll tip more.

----------


## Easy180

Always tip a buck

----------


## bucktalk

Yep! I find it hard to believe there are some who are willing to work at Sonic even if the weather is crappy and the hourly pay is not good. Sure...the carhops are appreciative for the tips...

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## BBatesokc

I use the drive thru so I don't tip. I also primarily only get an overpriced drink. Occasionally we get their hot dogs and if we do use the stalls I only tip if the weather is bad. Our son worked for Sonic for awhile. He actually made more than I thought hourly (like $7-something). He cooked so he didn't get tips, but he said the car hops were tipped less than 50% of the time.

----------


## MikeOKC

I always tip at Sonic - usually a dollar bill, no matter what I get.

To the thread starter: Are you being serious about your criteria for tipping people who are working at Sonic? I can't believe there's people who could go through life with those values and live with themselves.

----------


## Stew

Sonic carhops these days are classified as servers so they get paid less than minimum wage. I think something like three bucks and hour. I always tip them which at times means scraping for change since you can't tip on your credit/debit card.

----------


## Pete

Oklahoma follows the federal guidelines for minimum wage, including those that receive tips (see statute below).  However, employers can pay more if they choose -- just can't pay less than the federal law.  Not sure what Sonic does.




> The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires payment of at least the federal minimum wage to covered, nonexempt employees.  An employer of a tipped employee is only required to pay $2.13 an hour in direct wages if that amount plus the tips received equals at least the federal minimum wage, the employee retains all tips and the employee customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips. If an employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 an hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference

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## BBatesokc

> Sonic carhops these days are classified as servers so they get paid less than minimum wage. I think something like three bucks and hour. I always tip them which at times means scraping for change since you can't tip on your credit/debit card.


Not unless that has changed VERY recently. Sonic employees get paid a buck or so over minimum. They had a couple of carhops on some morning radio show awhile back too that said tips are not expected, and as such they are paid as well or better than other comparable fast food joints. Which jives with what I know my son was paid.

----------


## kevinpate

Long long ago in what seems another life time, I used to be in the casual food industry, back of house, jack of all trades, then mgmt.  
I tip servers, in house and car hops alike.  Even at buffet places.  I do not tend to tip counter only or drive through window servers, but I do at times.  No, I don't really have a strong explanation for that.  It just is.

----------


## BBatesokc

A bit off topic, but NPR did a feature the other day on the psychology of tipping and how studies show that there is very little significance between the quality of service and the % tipped. They found most people tipped out of guilt.

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## Stew

> Not unless that has changed VERY recently. Sonic employees get paid a buck or so over minimum. They had a couple of carhops on some morning radio show awhile back too that said tips are not expected, and as such they are paid as well or better than other comparable fast food joints. Which jives with what I know my son was paid.


I'm told that's the case in the OKC metro area but I don't work there so I don't know. I do remember though at the time it came up as news for Sonic at Yahoo.

http://www.cattlenetwork.com/templat...=cn&cid=562455

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## Pete

Remember most Sonics are owned by independent franchisees so the pay could be left up to the franchise owner.

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## PennyQuilts

You betcha.  I also love to see the their eyes light up and a karma tip never goes unnoticed by the universe.  I figure they can use the cash more than I can.

----------


## Stew

> You betcha.  I also love to see the their eyes light up and a karma tip never goes unnoticed by the universe.  I figure they can use the cash more than I can.


I never gave 'karma tip' much mind until I read it on Okctalk. Now I routinely do it. Sonic for example if my total is two bucks its not unusual for me to hand out a five and say keep it.  At sit down restaurants I started doing the min 5 dollar tip as somebody on Okctalk suggested. I've been beyond fortunate in my life. I certainly don't miss the money and it has far more value to me as a 'Karma Tip' than as a ledger balance I wouldn't notice the difference one way or the other.

----------


## MadMonk

I usually tip the change and an extra buck.  There have been occasions where I didn't have the cash on me and was paying by check card though.  I feel bad when that happens, but I try to make it up next time.

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## JayhawkTransplant

I have a friend whose son currently works at a Sonic in Edmond. I don't know if they all have the same policy, but he gets $2.13 an hour plus tips. If, for some reason, he does not make enough tips to make minimum wage during his entire shift, Sonic picks up the difference between the $2.13 and minimum wage.

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## jmarkross

> You betcha.  I also love to see the their *eyes light up* and a *karma* tip never goes unnoticed by the universe.  I figure they can use the cash more than I can.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^that^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

nice kickstart to an ambition in an unsure young person who needs some recognition--cash--IS recognition

----------


## progressiveboy

> I always tip at Sonic - usually a dollar bill, no matter what I get.
> 
> To the thread starter: Are you being serious about your criteria for tipping people who are working at Sonic? I can't believe there's people who could go through life with those values and live with themselves.


 LOL! Talk about a "cheap" shot (pardon the pun).

----------


## BBatesokc

> Remember most Sonics are owned by independent franchisees so the pay could be left up to the franchise owner.


Didn't think about that. All this talk about Sonic and I made a Pickle-O's run last night. Asked the car hop and she said there they car hops start at five something and the inside staff start higher since they don't share tips.

----------


## okcisok

I always tip at Sonic.  No guilt, just good will.  I appreciate the fact that some people are actually working!  Young ones and sometimes not so young ones.

----------


## capt_john_97

Anymore it seems the carhops are in a hurry to get away from the car.  If I paid with a card they pretty much drop the food/drink(s) and leave. If I blink I dont have time to offer a tip.

----------


## kevinpate

Hasn't been my experience.  Friendly car hops each time I stop.  Occasional drive-thru grump here and there, but still rather rare

----------


## lasomeday

I do during happy hour.

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## Jim Kyle

Two of my granddaughters worked their way through college (in Tennessee) car hopping at Sonic. Both brought in $85 to $100 per week, mostly from tips. Knowing that got me in the habit of tipping a buck every time -- mostly on $2.06 orders of Route 44 Diet Cokes during happy hour!

----------


## earlywinegareth

Always a buck...tips are the best thing about being a carhop and why wouldn't you tip someone who works in all weather conditions?  For same reason I also tip the pizza delivery driver.

----------


## Debzkidz

I usually tip at Sonic, although I didn't until a few years ago, when my dad said something about it. Honestly, it had just never crossed my mind to tip at a fast food place. I still do not tip at the drive through or just counter help. 

I have a friend whose daughter works at a pizza place as a waitress/counter help.  She said something about people tipping her daughter when they come in to pick up a phone in order. I'm not doing that.  I'm sorry, taking my money and handing me a box is just not something I'm going to tip for.  My biggest gripe has been with the last couple of pizza delivery people we've had. The last 2 times we've ordered a pizza, I've had the driver round up on my change. I always tip the drivers well, but the last couple of times we ordered pizzas our order came to something like $23.20. When the kid came to the door, I was trying to hold the dog back, take the pizza and hand him the money for the food. I had the tip sitting by the door.  He looks at the ticket and says "$24.00" I didn't really pay much attention, handed him $30 and took the pizza. While he was getting my change, I got the tip and handed it to him, as he handed me my change, $6.00 and was off.  After he left, it dawned on me what had just happened. I looked at the ticket and where I had written down the amount when I placed the order, and realized, that he had just rounded the amount up and had given himself an additional tip. That makes me furious.  I understand they need tips, and we try to always be generous, but in my mind, what the kid did was the same as stealing.  A tip is mine to give, not his to take.

----------


## Martin

has sonic changed their card machines?  i usually pay by card and the only reason i don't tip there is because the machine doesn't have an option to do so.  -M

----------


## MikeOKC

> has sonic changed their card machines?  i usually pay by card and the only reason i don't tip there is because the machine doesn't have an option to do so.  -M


It depends on the franchise. I always put my tip on the debit card at the Sonic I usually go to in Plano, but I can't in OKC on NWX west of May. We have a "Sonic Tip Tray" instead of a cigarette tray in our car. We keep it stuffed with stray one dollar bills just for Sonic tips.

----------


## PennyQuilts

> has sonic changed their card machines?  i usually pay by card and the only reason i don't tip there is because the machine doesn't have an option to do so.  -M


If I pay by card, I give them a cash tip.

----------


## Lord Helmet

> has sonic changed their card machines?  i usually pay by card and the only reason i don't tip there is because the machine doesn't have an option to do so.  -M


I'm in the same boat. I never carry cash, so if the card machine doesn't let me add a tip, the carhop gets no tip.

----------


## SoonerQueen

If I use my card for payment I don't tip. If I pay cash, I always leave a small tip.

----------


## Bigrayok

I usually tip a car hop a dollar or let them keep the change depending on the cost of the order. The car hops always seem appreciative when I tip them. 

Bigray in Ok

----------


## Double Edge

I tip like I tip any other waitress, + - 15%.  I'd like to use my credit card and add the tip on so I don't have to fumble with money. They should fix that.

----------


## metro

> Didn't think about that. All this talk about Sonic and I made a Pickle-O's run last night. Asked the car hop and she said there they car hops start at five something and the inside staff start higher since they don't share tips.


How could they startat 5 something if they don't share tips, minimum wage is like $7.25 I believe

----------


## MikeOKC

> How could they startat 5 something if they don't share tips, minimum wage is like $7.25 I believe


Brian wrote: "...she said  the car hops start at five something _and the inside staff start higher since they don't share tips_.

----------


## Thunder

Yes, I tip every time.  I learned how important tips are as soon I started working at Crest.  





> Just wondering what everybody else does at Sonic.  And if you do tip, how much, usually?  I will occasionally tip, but it all depends on the carhop.  If she's cute, I'll tip her a dollar bill.  If she's just okay-looking, I'll let her keep the change.  *And if it's a guy, I don't tip at all.*
> 
> What about you guys?


I just want to say to everyone... Please do not tip a person base on gender and appearance.  Not now, not ever!  Tip them for whatever reasons appropriate to their job, but not personal preference.

I've had thousands of straight guys generously tipping me.  I've tipped both, males and females.  Seriously, gender is not important.  Appearance is not important.  Boobs definitely are not important.

----------


## Barry Luxton

Those girls are lucky I tip them anything at all considering all they're doing is carrying a drink from the building to the car and then I never see them again.  Just barely tipworthy, and not at all like what a server does at a sit-down restaurant.

----------


## PennyQuilts

> Yes, I tip every time.  I learned how important tips are as soon I started working at Crest.  
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I just want to say to everyone... Please do not tip a person base on gender and appearance.  Not now, not ever!  Tip them for whatever reasons appropriate to their job, but not personal preference.
> 
> I've had thousands of straight guys generously tipping me.  I've tipped both, males and females.  Seriously, gender is not important.  Appearance is not important.  Boobs definitely are not important.


Straight guys are known for being better tippers than women.  I don't know how they stack up against gay people. And old people of any orientation are the WORST.

----------


## rcjunkie

> Those girls are lucky I tip them anything at all considering all they're doing is carrying a drink from the building to the car and then I never see them again.  Just barely tipworthy, and not at all like what a server does at a sit-down restaurant.


Do you enjoy being single!!!

----------


## Brett

Twice, I've had carhops walk away with my change without counting it back to me. It is my decision whether to tip or not. I have tipped carhops in the past but after this experience, I won't make that mistake again. This is the reason why I never go to Sonic.

----------


## bombermwc

I do not tip. I don't treat them any differently than the folks at McDonalds, Burger King, Whataburger, etc. It's fast food, not a restaurant. They get full pay, it's not reduced pay because of tips, so why do they need one? Yes they walk around all day to deliver food, but that's part of the job. If they didn't like that part of the job, they could have worked at any of the other fast food options out there.

Besides, the place is usually so slow, if they were going to get a tip at the beginning, it would have been gone by the time i get my food.

----------


## jstaylor62

If the lid is securely on my drink and napkins in the bag, then I tip. If not, then not.

----------


## BBatesokc

> I do not tip. I don't treat them any differently than the folks at McDonalds, Burger King, Whataburger, etc. It's fast food, not a restaurant. They get full pay, it's not reduced pay because of tips, so why do they need one? Yes they walk around all day to deliver food, but that's part of the job. If they didn't like that part of the job, they could have worked at any of the other fast food options out there.
> 
> Besides, the place is usually so slow, if they were going to get a tip at the beginning, it would have been gone by the time i get my food.


I'm pretty much the same mindset. That's one reason I use the drive through - really no need to bring the food out to me because I rarely eat there or in my car. However, I do tip at the one at SE 29 and Shields when someone I know brings my food out. Sonic must have a policy of hiring felons because I've seen a few former victims of prostitution working there that were trying to go straight. I've tipped them and given them kind words on those occasions.

However, I'm no fan of the Sonic closest to our house. Our son had to quit when we realized the manager was allowing him to park his car there and then borrowing another employee's car to go out on school nights (back when he was in high school - we didn't allow being out past 8pm on school nights unless he was working).

----------


## Easy180

**cough** cheapskates **cough**

J/K

----------


## earlywinegareth

I'd say it's similar to pizza delivery etiquette:  http://www.tipping.org/tips/deliveries.html  I mean they are "delivering" the food to you and it's an extra service.  Plus, for crying out loud they're usually teenagers trying to make a little spending money.  

Reminds me about the old Sonic or Classic '50s drive-in in Norman back in the '70s.  It had a mechanical delivery system where the trays were on rails that traveled to each stall.  I never saw it operate but heard the first week they tried it all the customers got shakes dumped on them.

----------


## RadicalModerate

I've been a Sonic Drive-In fan since I first encountered one of their primitive, original, locations as a child.  It was in some hot, dusty, little town, somewhere on the hot (and dusty!) two-lane road between Boulder, Colorado and Shady Nook, Oklahoma (out on 23rd St. between Spencer and Nicoma Park). This was back when we used to make an annual summer visit during the hottest part of the year . . . Come to think of it: Like right about now!  Except without air-conditioning . . . Or GIANT Soft Drink Cups.

It was probably a Sonic location somewhere up near the panhandle . . . (Maybe even in Kansas?)

I am glad to see that Pickle-Os are apparently back on The Menu.
The Ched-R Peppers are fine, but Pickle-Os . . .
Well they are something else.

Speaking of Deep Fried, Crunchy Comfort Food . . .

When I was in high school--in Boulder, Home of The TwinBurger--there was another popular place called something like, "King's Family Food Host" or "King's Fine Food" or "King's Drive In" or just "King's."  They were famous for amazing onion rings and fabulous malts/shakes.  "King's" other claim(s) to fame were Cheese and Tuna Frenchies.  Copycat recipes for those delights can be found all over Cyberspace.

(Sometimes they are referred to as "Frenchys" . . .
The spellings of "Cheese" and "Tuna" are never altered.)

Perhaps ten or fifteen years ago, I actually called Sonic Corporate Headquarters--using a primitive "land-line"--to ask if, maybe, they could add these to their menu.  I described them in some detail--without providing any Internet Links to the recipe since the World Wide Web was only just beginning to be spun.

The "product development" guy (or maybe just the janitor)--to whom I was talking--said:
"Oh . . . Like a Monte Cristo Sandwich!"

I said: "Uh . . . Maybe . . . I dunno . . ."

(In addition to not having a computer at the time, I also had never heard of a "Monte Cristo Sandwich")  

In any case, neither Cheese nor Tuna Frenchies have ever appeared on Sonic's menu.

And I have to wonder why  (don't you?):
Don't they already have all of the required deep-frying stuff (and even the bread and the cheese)? (Yes)
Don't they already do onion rings? (Yes)
All they would have to add would be some crushed cornflakes or whatever (for the extra crunch).
Don't they already do "breakfast"? (Yes)

After all . . . Providing so-called "Health Food" has never been a Prime Directive for Sonic so I don't see why this isn't possible . . .
(Even if it requires overriding the anticipated objections of Mayor Mick.)

Another suggestion would be to add "Steak Fingers" (like "Chicken Fingers" except not chicken and higher on the food chain).  They already "do" "Chicken Fried Steak" so the transition should be easy.  (I'm not sure about the Odessa, Texas-style Dipping Gravy.)

Just so you know, a "Cheese or Tuna Frenchie" is to a "Monte Cristo Sandwich" as "Pickle-Os" are to ":Ched-R Peppers": Not the same thing at all.

Oh, before I forget: Always Tip at Sonic.  Always.

----------


## ljbab728

No, I don't wonder why  cheese or tuna frenchies don't appear on Sonic menus.  Any kind of food will have some people who like it but that isn't something that sounds appealing to me at all.  Sonic isn't going to change it's menu based on a casual call from an unknown person.  Even if you don't approve of their menu items, they actually do market studies and testing on food items that they might add to the menus. What you're describing would have limited appeal or it would be offered in many places.

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## RadicalModerate

Did I say that I didn't approve of their menu items? (No, I did not.)

In fact, I approve of some of them so much that my wife and I actually hit the closest Sonic just tonight to see if Pickle-Os had actually returned.  (They had.)

The other menu item I approved of was one of those new "New York Style" hot dogs.

BTW: We also tipped the carhop two dollars.  I think she approved.
A good rule of thumb might be to tip the carhop one dollar per adult and fifty cents for each child in the car.

----------


## ljbab728

> Did I say that I didn't approve of their menu items? (No, I did not.)
> 
> In fact, I approve of some of them so much that my wife and I actually hit the closest Sonic just tonight to see if Pickle-Os had actually returned.  (They had.)
> 
> The other menu item I approved of was one of those new "New York Style" hot dogs.
> 
> BTW: We also tipped the carhop two dollars.  I think she approved.
> A good rule of thumb might be to tip the carhop one dollar per adult and fifty cents for each child in the car.


Perhaps I should have said you disapprove of a lack of certain items on the menu then.  However, I really wasn't talking about just you specifically when I made that comment.  It was meant as more of a general observation.

----------


## RadicalModerate

Oh those pesky pronouns . . .

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## ljbab728

> Oh those pesky pronouns . . .


You're always supposed to understand exactly what I mean with no further explanation.  LOL

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## Larry OKC

Tried their newest "premium" dog, the Baja(sp) had pepperjack cheese jalapeneo(sp) and tomatoes?. Anyway it was quite tasty. Was expecting the same tough dog that is in the new and improved footlong (but just smaller) and it wasn't tough at all. May try the other ones. Pleasantly surprised.

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## Barry Luxton

> Tried their newest "premium" dog, the Baja(sp) had pepperjack cheese jalapeneo(sp) and tomatoes?. Anyway it was quite tasty. Was expecting the same tough dog that is in the new and improved footlong (but just smaller) and it wasn't tough at all. May try the other ones. Pleasantly surprised.


I just tried the Baja Dog today for the first time.  Opened the bag once I got to where I was doing, and I'm all like "what the french, toast?!  Where's the poppy seed bun?"  The website says the Baja Dogs are supposed to be made with the same awesome PSBs they use for the Chicago Dogs, but that wasn't the case today. 

I am disappoint.

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## bandnerd

> I just tried the Baja Dog today for the first time.  Opened the bag once I got to where I was doing, and I'm all like "what the french, toast?!  Where's the poppy seed bun?"  The website says the Baja Dogs are supposed to be made with the same awesome PSBs they use for the Chicago Dogs, but that wasn't the case today. 
> 
> I am disappoint.


Maybe they ran out. It happens.

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## Larry OKC

Or someone just grabbed the wrong bun...mine was on the poppy seed variety.

Ran into the "sorry we are out" thing mid-afternoon at Carl Jrs/Green Burrito on Monday (July 4th). I had ordered their new hand breaded chicken sandwich and specifically asked what came on it. Was told mayo/tomato/lettuce. Ordered one w/mayo and one without but both w/onions added. Unwrapped them an no tomatoes. No big deal, took them back to get the tomatoes and was told "sorry we don't have any, won't get any until tomorrow when we get out truck". Kindly said I wished that had been mentioned before I ordered and paid for it and the manger on duty just shrugged. I went to their salsa bar and improvised taking the tomatoes out of the pico and used them. Overheard that they were also out of refried beans and the taco meat (among a few other items). Of course the folks back in the grill area were thrilled as it meant they had less things they had to make.

What amazed me about it was back in my high school/college+ days when I worked for a variety of fast food places (Wendy's, McDonald's, Hardee's and Taco Bueno), we were not allowed to run out of anything. Certainly not until the next day. You borrowed from another store or if a basic item like tomatoes, even send someone to the grocery store. Shoot, there were times when I worked at Wendy's we would borrow cleaning supplies from McDonald's (and they from us)!

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## bandnerd

Maybe they saw him coming and said, "Oooooh, let's mess with Barry today. We could give him the wrong bun! That'll send him reeling. I'm sure he'll post it on some message board."

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## redrunner

I had a Baja Dog at Sonic today and it also came on a regular bun instead of a poppy seed bun as it is pictured. I about threw it back in the car hop's face and rammed my SUV through the building.  But then I thought what the heck I'll give it a shot. And boy was it tasty!

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## Larry OKC

I didn't even notice the poppy seed bun in the pic, just when I unwrapped it at home and thought, "well that's different". Ate it and really enjoyed it. I will buy it again for sure (but based on the comments here will check in advance to make sure they haven't run out of that bun).

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## kevinpate

Somewhere in FL they are apparently going to serve up beer/wine at some Sonics.

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## redrunner

> Somewhere in FL they are apparently going to serve up beer/wine at some Sonics.


It's their Sonic Beach concept.  It's not the traditional drive in, instead it's an outdoor patio joint with TVs and water features.

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## Jacob_Daddy

I usually jet let them keep the change, but I will tip an extra buck or two if they roller-skate to the car

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## dmoor82

if my bill is 8 something then I give a 10 and they can keep the change,I try to give atleast 2-3 $ everytime!

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## Joe Kimball

If I feel like they're nice people---absolutely.

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## RealJimbo

Just read the entire thread to see whether this was addressed:  Lately I've noticed that Sonic will send your order to you in line at the drive-thru via a carhop.  Another device to generate tips where they wouldn't otherwise be expected.  Maybe this was in response to the cheapskate customers who opt out of tipping because using the card machine just makes it too dang hard to tip.  Tight wads!!!  LOL

----------


## RadicalModerate

Good one, JImbo . . . And right on the mark.
As I said before, I always tip at Sonic. Always.

In fact, a good--and fair--"rule" of thumb (IMHO, only) would be one dollar per adult and fifty cents per child in the vehicle as a tip to the carhop.

Here's The Paradox:

I almost never carry cash and if I don't have a wadded up dollar bill--or a handful of coins--in my pocket I simply don't eat at Sonic.

I always have a couple of (valid) credit cards handy, but if I don't have a dollar to tip the carhop, I feel like a bum.

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## Barry Luxton

You know what's funny about that poppy seed bun thing is that I actually tipped the carhop a buck when they brought it out--AND IT WAS A DUDE!  I swear, I never ever tip the guys at Sonic and the one time I do, they **** up my order.  Well, I learned my lesson, you better believe.

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## Thunder

> You know what's funny about that poppy seed bun thing is that I actually tipped the carhop a buck when they brought it out--AND IT WAS A DUDE!  I swear, I never ever tip the guys at Sonic and the one time I do, they **** up my order.  Well, I learned my lesson, you better believe.


Bad post.

You can not blame the carhop for your misorder.
Nothing is wrong with a male carhop.
Do not tip base on a carhop's gender.

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## u50254082

I know this is one of the most pointless questions to ask, but I'm really curious. The reason being I got a burger from the Moore Telephone Rd. Sonic tonight and it couldn't have been prepared any more sloppily. The patty was only halfway onto the bun and the vegetable toppings were just tossed on with no regard to order or presentation. Fortunately it tasted like it should have, but it was just a disappointment considering an extra minute spent would have made it look entirely different.

I figure since each one is managed independently, I might as well give my business to the one that cares about presentation.

Is the one by the Bricktown Harkins run by corporate, considering how close it is to the main office? For as often as I've been down there, I've never eaten at that one.

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## Ginkasa

The Bricktown location is not any better than any other Sonic and worse than a few. The only effect being so close corporate seems to be they close down occasionally so executives can test new products or whatever.

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## ljbab728

Your question is virtually unanswerable.  You won't find anyone who posts here that has sampled enough Sonics on a consistent basis to give a good comparison.  Also, best means different things to different people just like a thread that asks where to get the best pizza or best hamburger.

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## kevinpate

The best sonic is hands down the one that doesn't muck up my order, or take forever, or both.  Sadly, this means the best Sonic varies from time to time.  Sadder still, this is not something unique to Sonic.  Lots of fast food staffers are afflicted with a chronic GAD deficiency.

I wish there was a cure. It's rather sad to see so  many people with their giveadamn busted.

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## soonermike

I won't try to speak on the best, but my preferred Sonic is the one at SW 119th & Penn. The service is typically quick and the food is always done well. I actually live closer to the location on Telephone, but they are so slow that it's just as quick for me to drive a few extra miles to 119th to get my food done the way it should be. Last week my wife stopped by the Telephone Rd location during happy hour and got us drinks. My standard Cherry Limeade with extra lime had two lime wedges in it, they were at the bottom, and they weren't even squeezed. A few days later I went by 119th (also during happy hour) and there were 7 lime wedges in my drink and they were squeezed. It's a little thing, but that extra attention to details makes 119th & Penn my preferred location.

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## Anonymous.

I don't eat Sonic, except for the occasional Blast during the summer. If I had to guess, I would agree with ljbab728. 

Honestly it is all way too determinate on employee care levels and attitudes at the time of making meals etc. This is why going out to eat on Fridays (particularly not late at night) is best scenario because most people are in better moods on Fridays compared to other days. You want to encounter people on their "fridays", not their "mondays". I put those in quotes because a lot of people who work in food industry do not have Mon-Fri standard jobs. But in general I would say Friday is the best chance to get good service as most people look forward to weekends for social events etc regardless of work schedule.

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## Martin

> but my preferred Sonic is the one at SW 119th & Penn


there isn't a sonic at that intersection... do you mean 134th & penn or 119th & may?

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## warreng88

I usually go to the one on 23rd, just east of I-44 and they are pretty consistent. I will say the one on Expressway, next to Hooters, is without a doubt the worst one I have ever been to. They take forever and half the time the order is wrong. I used to go to that one all the time when I lived across the street at Warwick West apartments. I just thought all of them were like that. It took me going to different ones to realize how terrible it was.

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## soonermike

Sorry, 134th & Penn

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## Dustin

I was driving through Newcastle a while ago and stopped by the sonic on NW 32nd St and was really impressed.  It seems to me that the smaller towns care a little bit more about the quality of food.

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## BradR

Can I say none of them? Sonic has gone downhill a lot since the 90s when they had a much smaller (and cheaper) menu and the food was actually decent. Now you pay $8 for a burger combo that isn't worth half that.

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## Martin

> When I lived up at 50th & Lincoln sometimes we would go to the one on Eastern just off I-44. The service was so good the first time we went there, we went back a week later just to see if it was a fluke. It wasn't.


i used to work nearby, so i'd grab food from there every now and then. i totally agree... what's weird is that the mcdonald's just south of there routinely had the _worst_ service of any place i've been in the city. -M

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## SoonerQueen

I live on the north side of OKC, and there are plenty of Sonics closeby. If I was going to order food, I would go to the Sonic on MLK Blvd by the movie theater. One of the best run Sonics and fresh, not overcooked
food. They  seem to work a little harder to get your order right the first time. Never had bad food from there.

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## BBatesokc

I usually judge my favorite Sonic's by which one's know what "Easy Ice" and "Easy Easy Ice" mean and actually do it. Their non-happy hour drink prices are way too high, so its really annoying when they fill the cup with ice (IMO).

I've also caught employees at the one at SE 29 and Shields stealing (years ago) - they'd take an order, tell you the microphone thing was broken and then bring you your food and the total and no receipt. They'd never ring the order up and simply keep the money. Obviously this took the cooperation of more than one employee. Problem is, they weren't mathematical geniuses and the total would be off. If you insisted on a receipt the time on the receipt would be AFTER you had actually ordered and received your food. Corporate sent me a big ol' gift card for alerting them.

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## CaptDave

> I live on the north side of OKC, and there are plenty of Sonics closeby. If I was going to order food, I would go to the Sonic on MLK Blvd by the movie theater. One of the best run Sonics and fresh, not overcooked
> food. They  seem to work a little harder to get your order right the first time. Never had bad food from there.


I agree - that particular Sonic is my favorite by far. The staff is very friendly even in the early morning and I have never had bad food from there.

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## zookeeper

Is this really a thread?

Ok, to play along, I'll say the closest Sonic from wherever I am when I'm _really_ thirsty.

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## Prunepicker

> I know this is one of the most pointless questions to ask, but I'm 
> really curious... etal...


The Sonic at N.W. 22nd and N. Council Road is good.  At least they 
prepare the food as you ordered it.

To tell the truth, the only thing I like about Sonic is the Foot Long 
Chili Cheese Dog with mustard and onions.  Not sure what they do to 
make it so good.  I cook the onion rings at home and have a 
Mexican Coca Cola.

----------


## td25er

OMG, this one time the 16 year old fast food worker had the AUDACITY to spill the fries in the bag.  THE HORROR.  Life-changing experience.  I'm still in therapy.  Maybe I should make a thread on it....

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## blangtang

So I tried the pretzel dog.  It comes pre-loaded with mustard.  It was mediocre, but it was from the Bricktown location.   The pretzel-ness was more like sponge-ness.

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## Stew

I'm going with none of the above.

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## Prunepicker

A couple of years ago there was a Bricktown hot dog vendor named 
Marcus.  He had a great biz and I'd visit during breaks.  One day he 
was gone.

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## Mel

The one in Mustang is pretty good. They understand easy, easy ice. Didn't care for the pretzel dog, and I want to strangle the two dudes that do the commercials for them. Time for new PR.

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## BBatesokc

> ... I want to strangle the two dudes that do the commercials for them. Time for new PR.


Personally, I liked when Molly Erdman was in Sonic's commercials. She's great at improv and has a pretty quirky blog.

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## Mel

> Personally, I liked when Molly Erdman was in Sonic's commercials. She's great at improv and has a pretty quirky blog.


Good improve comedian and a excellent snarky wife. A singing armadillo would be better than the present choice.

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## stratosphere

Best Sonic ive ever eaten at was the one in *BLANCHARD*,  just south of Knippelmeir Chevrolet.  They have a volleyball court,  kiddy play area,  etc.  

As for the food,  last time I ate there (and I ate there a lot a few years back) the food was very IMPRESSIVE for fast food.  Cant say ive had anything close to it since.

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## Bee

It would be pretty impossible to figure out which is the best (on a consistent basis),  but out of the 4 that I work and live near the best one is off of Memorial & May Ave. The worst one is off of May Ave & Wilshire Blvd. They take forever, the get orders wrong and although they're never really busy when I go they always take forever. Either way I could honestly take or leave Sonic's food at this point. I really only go when I'm craving a cherry limeade.

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## ljbab728

Oklahoma City houses Sonic's national test kitchen | News OK

I don't know if Sonic has ever considered this but I think it would be interesting if they had some kind of visitors center in their headquarters given all of the tourists that come to Bricktown.  Being able to view their test kitchen from outside is a start I guess.




> Chefs bustled around Sonic’s newly completed Culinary Innovations Center one recent weekday morning with all the intensity of dinner service at any busy restaurant, only there were no customers.
> 
> The new test kitchen, on the ground floor of Sonic’s Bricktown headquarters at 300 Johnny Bench Drive, is devoted to inventing and perfecting new menu items for about 3,500 Sonic Drive-Ins nationwide.
> 
> With its ceiling-to-floor windows, work in the test kitchen is visible from the street in Bricktown.
> 
> “It’s kind of like the “Today Show” — we will have people stopping to look in the windows,” said Sonic spokesman Patrick Lenow. “We think it’s a pretty great thing for Bricktown and Oklahoma City as well.”
> 
> Sonic is working on a process by which people in the metro area can sign up for taste testing events at the Culinary Innovations Center, which also has a space for food testing focus groups.

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## Pete

Sonic, more than any other fast food place, seems to rely very heavily on new food items.

It seems like they have something new on their menu every other week...

I understand that's a big part of drawing people in but I'd sure like to see them put some emphasis on food quality as well.  The last couple of times I've eaten there the food was just plain bad.

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## bchris02

> Oklahoma City houses Sonic's national test kitchen | News OK
> 
> I don't know if Sonic has ever considered this but I think it would be interesting if they had some kind of visitors center in their headquarters given all of the tourists that come to Bricktown.  Being able to view their test kitchen from outside is a start I guess.


I agree, especially since Sonic has somewhat of a cult following in areas where they don't exist (think In-N-Out here in OKC).

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## SoonerDave

> Sonic, more than any other fast food place, seems to rely very heavily on new food items.
> 
> It seems like they have something new on their menu every other week...
> 
> I understand that's a big part of drawing people in but I'd sure like to see them put some emphasis on food quality as well.  The last couple of times I've eaten there the food was just plain bad.


They're trying on the quality side, I think. My son got tagged - somehow - to participate in a Sonic food test where he got to sample some prospective new chicken sandwiches from that very test kitchen. He went down there, and for a couple of hours of his time he got something like a $20 gift card and tested three new chicken sandwiches. He said one of the three was really, really good, but the others were only so-so. None of them have made their menu to date. 

One of Sonic's biggest problems is local franchise quality control - even company-owned quality control. They're ridiculously inconsistent. You can go to one Sonic at one corner, and get a decent burger, fries, etc., but go a mile or two down the road to a different Sonic and get garbage. The uglier side of this is that their customer service response to bad service is really poor, at least in my experience. I've called a couple of times to report bad service, bad food, and their response is "gee, that's too bad," not even an apology, or even a coupon for a drink, nothing even resembling remorse that the customer's experience was less than stellar. And I try to keep it all in perspective - fast food fired up mostly by H.S. age kids has only so room for expectations, but at some point, I'm still forking over the $$ so I have at least some expectation for what's being served up. 

I'm not even sure they put the microscope on the consistency of products their various suppliers provide. One Sonic buys buns from a supplier that look like they've been inflated they're so "poofy" (technical term, I realize), but another where they're flat and even taste completely different. Now, I know that most operations like Sonic tend to steer their franchisees to the same or similar vendors, so perhaps this is just a matter of really poor consistency from their bread vendor, but either way it's still indicative of the lack of consistency across restaurants. 

Frustrating part is that Sonic _can_ be really good - when they pay attention. Their grilled chicken sandwich isn't bad at all. A fresh, hot, properly built bacon burger at Sonic is as good as they get, but a cold, rubbery-bacon mess not prepared as ordered isn't worth my $. We visit Sonic on a few special promotion days, maybe for a drink on the weekends during the summer, but that's about it. Just get tired of the inconsistency.

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## Pete

Yes, even with the lowered expectations for fast food, their food usually disappoints.

I know their emphasis and most their profit is from drinks, but they really need to do a better job with their food otherwise their reputation is going to take a beating, and that's a bad thing for any sort of restaurant.

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## Roger S

Sonic has food???  :Wink: 

While I generally only go there for drinks I have found one secret that improves the quality of their corn dog. If a corn dog for breakfrast doesn't sound disgusting to you. Order one in the morning. They will be cooked fresh and they are always hot and crispy rather than soggy and lukewarm like they are served the rest of the day.

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## ljbab728

An interesting interview with Sonic CEO, Cliff Hudson.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-so...190730051.html

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## Pete

Sonic has submitted revised plans for the NW 23rd and Penn location.

This looks like it may be the first of a new prototype.

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## PaddyShack

Wait... So no place to park and eat in the car?? Woah... that sort of made Sonic... Sonic.

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## Pete

> Wait... So no place to park and eat in the car?? Woah... that sort of made Sonic... Sonic.


There are still drive-in spots directly south of the drive-thru lane.

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## PaddyShack

> There are still drive-in spots directly south of the drive-thru lane.


Oh, those drawings looked like regular parking spots.

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## TheirTheir

Are people actually sitting in the drive-in to enjoy their food/drinks? I've always been a generous tipper, but if there is a drive-thru option I'm going to use that instead of opting-in to tip someone at a drive-in. Tipping a car hop makes sense if you and the gang are hanging out, placing multiple orders, but those days are long gone.

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## PaddyShack

> Are people actually sitting in the drive-in to enjoy their food/drinks? I've always been a generous tipper, but if there is a drive-thru option I'm going to use that instead of opting-in to tip someone at a drive-in. Tipping a car hop makes sense if you and the gang are hanging out, placing multiple orders, but those days are long gone.


With Sonic I have always treated the drive thru option for drinks only, I will park and use a car hop for food/desserts/ or even drinks if we want to sit and chat. I find tipping is a lot less since it is a fast food place and most car hops are paid full minimum wage. If my order is large and I asked for them to come back a second time I will tip more, if it is just a quick drink order than it is less. Weather also plays a factor.

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## mugofbeer

I usually will just say "keep the change" or give a couple of quarters.

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## Timshel

> Sonic has submitted revised plans for the NW 23rd and Penn location.
> 
> This looks like it may be the first of a new prototype.


For sale signs posted at the 23rd and Penn (formerly) Sonic location. Unless the signs are related to a different parcel within that larger property it looks like this prototype will only ever exist on paper! Am curious why Sonic (my understanding is that this is a corporate-owned location) decided to reverse course on the rebuild - as they were doing ok prior to Covid and have been doing really well during the last couple of months.

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## Pete

^

Yep, went up for sale last week.

$975K for .71 acres.

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## Snowman

That looks like a shorter variation of the style at MLK & i44 that has been around for at least at decade or two

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## Pete

> That looks like a shorter variation of the style at MLK & i44 that has been around for at least at decade or two


The new prototype is actually quite different.

It has only one row of pull-in spots, a patio in front, 2 ordering stations for the drive-thru and bright graphics instead of masonry; the commonality is the drive-thru between the main building and pull-in row (MLK & I-44 location below):

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## Pete

Was just told by the brokers who have this for sale on behalf of Sonic that they decided the lot was just too small to warrant the investment.

And as you can see from the site plan, with this new layout they had almost no room for pull-in customers.

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## Snowman

> Was just told by the brokers who have this for sale on behalf of Sonic that they decided the lot was just too small to warrant the investment.
> 
> And as you can see from the site plan, with this new layout they had almost no room for pull-in customers.


It seems like VASA Fitness too their north has way more parking than they need, held over from when it was a grocery store, I wonder if they tried to work a deal to acquire any of the parking lot/ally.

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## Pete

> It seems like VASA Fitness too their north has way more parking than they need, held over from when it was a grocery store, I wonder if they tried to work a deal to acquire any of the parking lot.


That lot was often completely full before the virus hit.  I live nearby and drive by often.

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## AP

I live in Shepherd and can attest to this. They need all of the parking. I know of people who have had to drive around the lot waiting for people to leave.

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## Plutonic Panda

How about trying an urban format store with little to no parking?

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## brian72

Sonic has gone very average at best.  Whataburger much better imo.

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## David

Wow, so they tore down the building to replace it, and then just decided to not bother?

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## Pete

> Wow, so they tore down the building to replace it, and then just decided to not bother?


Yes.  I'm sure the current economic conditions didn't help.

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## Timshel

Yeah. They've been doing great throughout all of this, but understandable to not want to part with a fair bit of cash and/or take a risk on a new concept right now, especially with uncertainty regarding the upcoming beef shortage.

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## TeeDub2

> It seems like VASA Fitness too their north has way more parking than they need, held over from when it was a grocery store, I wonder if they tried to work a deal to acquire any of the parking lot/ally.


Before COVID I more times than not had to do several laps through the lot before finding a spot. I tried to go several different times just to maybe beat certain rushes and it was just always busy. It will be interesting if this time has cut out some of the people sticking to their resolutions.

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## BridgeBurner

https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/so...igned-oklahoma
I imagine this is what the one that had been planned for 23rd street was supposed to be like?

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## Pete

> https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/so...igned-oklahoma
> I imagine this is what the one that had been planned for 23rd street was supposed to be like?


Yes.

The lot at 23rd & Penn was just too small, so they decided to put it on the market.

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## Pete

*Sonic unveils bold new design*

Sonic Drive-in has planned to open the first of its new concept locations on the site of a recently demolished former Sonic at NW 23rd and Pennsylvania.

[prbreak][/prbreak]

But the company decided the site was too small for the desired layout and instead focused on a location Talequah which just opened.

The property at 23rd and Penn is now up for sale.


Press release:

**************

On the heels of launching a new brand identity and advertising campaign in the spring, SONIC Drive-In recently unveiled the first drive-in of the brand’s new restaurant design – Delight. The updated look provides a fun and inviting space for guests to enjoy a moment of carefree bliss in their daily routine.

Located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the first of the newly designed drive-ins features 18 docks, a drive-thru and a covered outdoor patio, where guests can dine under string lights and enjoy lawn games.



The exterior of the drive-in highlights SONIC’s new brand identity with pops of red, blue and a bit of yellow, reminding guests that summertime is a feeling, not just a season. The new design also pays homage to SONIC’s signature beverages, with a large, brightly-lit cherry placed atop the building as a nod to the more than 9 million Cherry Limeades enjoyed at its drive-ins across the country each year.

Inside the drive-in, a brand-new kitchen layout enables teams to operate more efficiently, delivering on the brand’s original slogan of “service at the speed of sound.” That quick service is amplified by SONIC’s Mobile Order Ahead platform, allowing guests to take advantage of contactless ordering and payment.

The updated design will also translate seamlessly to previous formats and footprints as SONIC grows its presence across the U.S., and internationally. Already, several SONIC franchisees currently building or remodeling their locations have taken advantage of this new design.

The second restaurant in the new design is under construction in Fort Worth, Texas, and expected to open in July.

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