5 Crazy Things You Probably Don’t Know About Sonic Drive-In

Most drive-in restaurants are a thing of the past, but not Sonic-Drive In. They are now dubbed “America’s favorite drive-in” and serve almost all 50 states. You might think you know all there is to know about Sonic Drive-In, but chances are you didn’t realize a few of these fun facts.

1. Sonic was originally a root beer stand called “Top Hat”

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The founder of Sonic Drive-In is Troy Smith. He ran a bunch of different restaurants, including a root beer stand. He quickly realized his system was consistently outperforming his other restaurants and making him more money, so he turned all his attention to the stand. When he decided to start offering more than just root beer, he wanted to keep the name “Top Hat” but it was already trademarked by someone else.

2. He changed the name to Sonic because the service was fast

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Smith and his business partner Charles Pappe decided to name it Sonic instead. The first Sonic was opened in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1959. The speediness is due to the ordering process using an intercom and their famous carhops.

3. They offer 168,894 drink combos

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Sonic advertises 168,894 drink combinations because of all of the candy and flavors you can add to their famous drinks and slushes. How many different combinations have you tried?

4. A lot of flavor combinations are submitted by employees

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Employees probably have some time to mix different drink combinations. In 2011, corporate asked every employee to submit their favorite drink combination that wasn’t already on the menu. They received over 600 entries. Some of these made it to the menu like Blue Hawaiian which is Sprite mixed with blue coconut flavor and actual pineapple.

5. Some locations sell beer too

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Sonic Beach, an offshoot location in Florida has a patio, beach area, TVs and beer and wine. Count us in!

What is your favorite thing to order at Sonic Drive-In? SHARE with a fellow Sonic loving friend!