SONIC Drive-In History & Food Talk

If you lived in South Florida during the early 2000s, you remember being bombarded by SONIC Drive-In commercials on Comedy Central. The only problem was that the nearest SONIC was three and a half hours away in Orlando.

In 2006, while in Orlando, we stopped at SONIC Drive-In for the first time. We left disappointed, probably cause we had placed them on a fast food pedestal. There was no way they could meet our lofty expectations.

Plus, we chose to sit down and eat at one of their tables instead of the comfort of my car.

SONIC Chicken Fingers
Chicken Fingers
Chili Cheese Coney from SONIC in Hialeah Gardens, Florida
Chili Cheese Coney
SONIC Corndog & Tots
Corndog & Tots

Over the years, I’ve learned that SONIC’s food is only part of the equation. The drive-in experience of parking, ordering, and eating in your car levels up your visit.

SONIC Double Cheeseburger
Double Cheeseburger
SONIC Banana Cream Pie Shake
Banana Cream Pie Shake

I’m trying to tell you to keep your expectations in check. Set aside time, drive to your nearest SONIC, park at one of the stalls, and order some grub.

Take your time, put on some music you love, and take your time eating a chili cheese coney with some tots. Then, wash it down with one of their slushies.

You’re welcome.

SONIC History

SONIC Drive-In in The Daily Oklahoman - April 24th, 1994
The Daily Oklahoman – April 24, 1994

In 1953, Troy Smith purchased a parcel of land in Shawnee, Oklahoma, with a log house and a walk-up root beer stand named Top Hat. Then, during a trip to Louisiana in 1954, he had an epiphany after visiting a drive-in where customers could place orders via speakers.

Smith converted the stand into a drive-in by adding parking spaces, canopies, carhops, and an intercom system for ordering. Sales tripled. Record numbers of hamburgers with tiny top hat toothpicks sticking out of them were delivered by carhops.

Smith partnered with Charlie Pappe in 1956 to open a second Top Hat Drive-In in Woodward, Oklahoma. In 1958, after having opened additional Top Hat Drive-in locations in Enid and Stillwater, they tried to copyright the name.

The name, Top Hat was already taken by another restaurant. Inspired by America’s obsession with everything related to space and the atomic age, they went with SONIC.

The short name also worked in their favor since they wanted to add a neon sign, which could get expensive.

SONIC, It Is!

SONIC matched perfectly with the Top Hat slogan, “Service with the Speed of Sound.”

Pappe and Smith sat with a lawyer to develop a straightforward franchise agreement. Initially, they would make a penny off of each SONIC-label hamburger bag sold, which they would split.

It wasn’t until later that any marketing or standardized operations would be implemented company-wide. Later, they created SONIC Supply (a supply and distribution division) to help the growing company in the 1960s.

By the time Pappe passed away in 1967, there were forty-one SONIC drive-ins; five years later, the chain was regional, with about 165 locations in Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas by 1972.

In 1973, SONIC Supply was restructured as a franchise company to provide franchisees with needed equipment and any necessary instructions for running a SONIC. Five years later, they opened their one-thousandth drive-in in Midwest City, Oklahoma.

By the 1980s, SONIC operated more like a group of loosely associated independent restaurants than a chain. And even though Smith had retired in 1983, he still enjoyed attending the grand opening celebrations for new SONIC restaurants.

Under J. Clifford Hudson’s leadership as president in 1995 and then as CEO of SONIC (his current status as of 2000), the company refocused its efforts on creating the unified operational and marketing vision for the company in place now.

There are now over 3,600 SONIC restaurants located in forty-five states.

SONIC Drive-In in The Daily Oklahoman - July 22, 1991
The Daily Oklahoman – July 22, 1991

SONIC’s History can also be found in my book, All About the Burger.

SONIC History in Miami Newspaper Articles

SONIC Drive-In in The Miami Herald -September 2, 1979
The Miami Herald -September 2, 1979
SONIC Drive-In in The Miami Herald -November 14, 1989
SONIC Drive-In in The Miami Herald -November 14, 1989
SONIC Drive-In in The Miami Herald -November 14th, 1989
The Miami Herald – November 14, 1989
SONIC Drive-In in The Miami Herald -June 20, 1991
The Miami Herald -June 20, 1991

Burger Beast posts about SONIC Beach in South Florida

SONIC Beach, a new beach-themed concept that serves beer and wine, opened up in Homestead, Florida, in June of 2011. In November of that same year, the location at Fort Lauderdale Beach took the SONIC Beach idea to the next level.

It featured an outdoor seating area that overlooks the beach and the Atlantic Ocean. A few other SONIC Beach locations have opened since in South Florida.

Below, I’ve compiled announcements about SONIC Beach’s recent openings in South Florida.

SONIC Beach Opens in Homestead Today!

June 13, 2011 – Well, South Florida, the day you’ve been waiting for is here. SONIC Beach (2425 NE 8th Street, Homestead) opened in Homestead this morning. It’s a soft opening while they get their things in order, but the entire menu is available.

Traditional SONIC Drive-In menu, including a Carolina pulled pork sandwich, Philly cheesesteaks, and island, can be ordered. In addition, this new SONIC concept will feature 20 drive-in stalls (for carhop service), seats on the patio with two patio ordering stations, a sand beach area, and 10 LED flat-screen TVs.

SONIC Beach is open seven days a week, with the patio area closing at 1 AM, but the drive-thru is available 24 hours for night owls. So, cherry limeade, here I come!

SONIC Beach in Lauderhill Opens Tuesday, January 14

January 13, 2014 – All you SONIC fanatics in Lauderhill must be ecstatic; SONIC Beach finally opens its doors Tuesday, January 14, at 10 AM.

SONIC Beach is the new SONIC Drive-In concept that also serves beer & wine. Don’t even think about it because you’ll not get trashed in your vehicle. Instead, you’ll be seated in the patio area (complete with beach area, umbrellas & TVs) to be able to order those guys.

This new SONIC Beach is at  8188 W Commercial Blvd, Lauderhill, FL 33351.

SONIC Beach Opens in Miami Gardens Today

September 4, 2013 – I almost forgot that SONIC Beach opened this morning at 10 AM. SONIC Beach is, of course, the new SONIC Drive-In concept that also serves beer & wine. But, unfortunately, only those folks in the TV-filled patio (complete with beach area & umbrellas) can order those guys.

So no, you’re not going to be able to get trashed in your vehicle. That’s ok for me, though, cause I’m strictly there to eat in my car.

This week SONIC Beach will be open 10 AM – 8 PM. Regular hours (6 AM – 2 AM) start up next week. You can find SONIC Beach at 2660 NW 199th Street, Miami Gardens, FL 33056.

SONIC Beach Now OPEN in Hialeah Gardens

June 14, 2015 – Not sure how this one got past me, but earlier this week, my cousin Rick mentioned that he had eaten at the SONIC Beach in Hialeah Gardens last Sunday. I was sure he was confused with the Miami Gardens location, but I was wrong.

If you’re unfamiliar with SONIC Beach, the main difference between it and a regular SONIC is that they also serve beer & wine if you’re seated in the patio area.

SONIC Beach sneakily opened up in Hialeah Gardens a few weeks back in the Villa Verde Shopping Center (11800 Hialeah Gardens Boulevard), which means those of you fiending for chili dogs and slushies can now get your fix.

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