There's more to owning a SONIC franchise than just keeping the lot clean. The first thing you need to know is that SONIC franchises come in two different flavors: traditional and non-traditional.
View SONIC Traditional Drive-In FAQ
View SONIC Non-Traditional Location FAQ
Here are answers to questions about the traditional SONIC Drive-in franchise. Our typical drive-in layout comes with everything; canopy, patio, drive-thru, intercom and, of course, Carhops.
Some of the markets available include: California (Fresno DMA, Palm Springs area, and Ventura County), Colorado, Connecticut, Florida (except for Miami/Broward), Georgia (Atlanta), Idaho, Illinois, Iowa (Des Moines), Kentucky (Louisville, and Eastern Kentucky), Louisiana (New Orleans), Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri (St. Louis), Nevada (Reno), New York (New York City DMA), North Carolina (Durham, Greensboro, Raleigh/Durham), Ohio, South Carolina (Charleston, Greenville, Spartanburg), Texas (Laredo), Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
We do not offer direct or indirect financing and will not guarantee your note, lease or other obligation. We are listed on the Franchise Registry list as an approved SBA-franchise. Sonic maintains a preferred provider list of vendors.
| Liquidity | Net Worth | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Stores | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| 3 Stores | $1,500,000 | $1,500,000 |
| 5+ Stores | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
A standard layout with 16 to 24 stalls requires approximately two-thirds of an acre.
We require you to find an operating equity partner with restaurant experience.
Yes, either you or an equity operational partner needs to reside in the markets in which you operate.
Yes, we provide a training program that consists of eight weeks of restaurant training, three weeks at new store openings and one week of classroom training. Classroom instruction covers leadership development, restaurant management skills, food safety and overall business development.
We provide real estate professionals to help evaluate a site of your choosing and review the demographic and population mix, and referrals to professional architects to help you develop your location.
We are only accepting franchisees who are financially and operationally qualified to open 2 or more drive-ins.
The net profit for each store may vary depending upon size and location, and your business ability and efforts. Additionally, Financial Performance Representations can be found at Item 19 of our FDD.
Complete and submit the online Request Form or call:
SONIC Franchise Sales Department (1-800-569-6656) or email Lori.Osley@sonicdrivein.com
This is a SONIC restaurant co-branded with a travel plaza, convenience store, or a SONIC in a mall, food court, hospital food court, campus dining facility, airport, grocery store, arena or military facility. These generally do not have drive-in or Carhop services.
Not all SONIC Drive-Ins are the traditional drive-in with canopy, intercom and Carhops. But, all SONIC Drive-Ins have the same great service and food! Here are answers to questions about the non-traditional SONIC Drive-In franchise:
This is any type of restaurant configuration OTHER THAN our typical drive-in layout. Typical examples include: mall food courts, co-branded travel plazas or convenience stores, hospital food courts, campus dining facilities, airports, grocery stores, arenas and military facilities. These generally do not have drive-in or Carhop services.
| Liquidity | Net Worth |
|---|---|
| $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
At your discretion, you may sell or lease your site to either SONIC to operate as a corporate location, or to another qualified franchisee.
Initial investments for travel plazas range from $404,000 to $1.153 million, excluding land costs. Other non-traditional locations typically range from $107,000 to $221,000. Fees and royalties may vary for different types of non-traditional locations.
Complete and submit the online Request Form or call:
SONIC Franchise Sales Department (1-800-569-6656) or email Lori.Osley@sonicdrivein.com