Sonic set for grand opening today
Visiting Putnam County's newest restaurant is a delightful experience that includes carhops on roller skates, great food and scrumptious desserts.
Sonic Industries Services Inc., franchisor of America's largest chain of drive-in restaurants, announced the opening of a new Sonic Drive-In in Greencastle. It officially opened this morning at 6 a.m.
Jason Espinoza, BBWI Investments and Mason Harrison Ratliff Enterprises area the principal owners of the new restaurant located at 40 Putnam Plaza. The restaurant features 20 drive-in stalls, two walk-up ordering stations on the patio and a drive-thru.
"We are very excited to open the new Sonic," said Jason Espinoza, partner/manager. "We look forward to serving the community and delivering the great service Sonic Drive-Ins are known for across the country."
The restaurant adds 126 jobs to the area's economy. Greencastle Mayor Sue Murray welcomed Espinoza and other Sonic officials at a ribbon cutting ceremony held Wednesday morning.
Murray told the group gathered on the Patio about talking to a class of students at DePauw University.
"As soon as I told them Sonic was coming they went completely silent. This group of students come from all over the country and they were all thrilled to have a Sonic," she said.
The restaurant chain, originally started as a hamburger and root beer stand in 1953 in Shawnee, Okla., called Top Hat Drive-In, and then changed its name to Sonic in 1959. The first drive-in to adopt the Sonic name is still serving customers in Stillwater, Okla.
Today, the drive-in chain has more than 3,500 drive-ins coast to coast, where more than a million customers eat every day.
They specialize in made-to-order fast food, and are known for their specialty menu items and personal service. A unique menu includes sandwiches served on thick Texas Toast, extra-long cheese coneys, fresh-made onion rings, Tater Tots and a variety of frozen drink treats and fountain favorites. In fact, you can order more than 168,000 drink combinations.
They also have salads and wraps, frozen treats, kids' meals and breakfast all day long. During Happy Hour (from 2-4 p.m. daily) certain drinks and slushes are half price. There are monthly specials and frozen favorites.
In the 1950s, Sonic's unique use of curbside speakers allowing customers to place food orders without ever leaving their cars spawned the slogan "Sonic, Service with the Speed of Sound."
In recent years, that slogan has been replaced with "Sonic, America's Drive-In."
Sonic fosters four core values: relationships as a way of life, an entrepreneurial spirit, respect for the individual and surprise and delight.
Sonic Corp. is an Oklahoma City-based, publicly held company that owns, operates and franchises Sonic Drive-Ins (NASDAQ: SONC).
Today, the company posts average unit sales of more than $1 million.
For more information about Sonic Corp. and its subsidiaries, visit Sonic at www.sonicdrivein.com.