In 1991, Sonic became a publicly traded company again. By 1994, the corporation had renegotiated the franchise agreements with its franchisees. In 1995, Hudson became president and chief executive officer, and Sonic Industries became Sonic Corp.
Who owns Sonic franchisees?
Smith brought in two long-time Sonic restaurant franchisees, Matt Kinslow and Marvin Jirous, to run Sonic Supply, the company's supply and distribution division, while Smith continued to develop the company's franchise operations. Franchises appeared in Texas and Kansas, and, by 1972, there were 165 Sonic Drive-ins.
Is Sonic a good company to work for?
In November, Forbes called Sonic one of the 200 best small companies in America. By August 2000, the company had bought back $53 million of its stock and had authorized another $20 million for that purpose. The updates in menu and image were working.
How did Sonic get its name?
By 1958, two more drive-ins were built, in Enid and Stillwater. [7] Upon learning that the Top Hat name was already trademarked, Smith and Pappe changed the name to Sonic in 1959. The new name worked with their existing slogan, "Service with the Speed of Sound".
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Is SONIC franchise or corporate?
With an adaptable model, industry-leading technology and pent-up demand in markets nationwide, SONIC offers multi-unit franchise owners like you a path to limitless possibilities.
What type of franchise is SONIC?
SONIC, America's Drive-In a drive-in restaurant chain serving more than 3 million customers every day. Over more than 60 years, SONIC has delighted guests with signature menu items, more than 1.3 million drink combinations and friendly service by iconic Carhops.
How much does SONIC franchise cost?
The license fee for a traditional SONIC restaurant is $45,000, with a total investment ranging from $1,242,200 to $3,537,700 (excluding land). The license fee for a non-traditional SONIC restaurant is $22,500, with a total investment ranging from $361,900 to $978,700 (excluding land).
Is SONIC privately owned?
The sale takes Sonic out of the publicly traded-market and makes it a privately-owned fast food chain, as Inspire Brands is under the control of private equity firm Roark Capital. According to CNBC, that gives the business a fast food empire of more than 8,000 restaurants valued at $12 billion total.
What is the most profitable franchise?
Most Profitable FranchisesDunkin'7-Eleven.Planet Fitness.JAN-PRO.Taco Bell.Orangetheory Fitness.Great Clips.Mac Tools.More items...•
Is Subway a franchise?
SUBWAY® has an Independent Purchasing Cooperative (IPC). IPC is a franchisee-owned and operated purchasing cooperative that negotiates the lowest costs for goods and services while maintaining quality, standards and ensuring the best value for SUBWAY® franchisees.
How much does a Sonic owner make a year?
Average Sonic Drive-In Owner Operator Driver yearly pay in the United States is approximately $68,269, which is 69% below the national average. Salary information comes from 20 data points collected directly from employees, users, and past and present job advertisements on Indeed in the past 36 months.
Are Sonics franchised?
Franchise System Sonic Drive-In has over 3,500 locations nationwide, almost 90% of which are franchised. The franchise offering comes in two different formats: traditional and non-traditional. Traditional franchises come with a 20-year term and a 10-year renewal opportunity with a $45,000 franchise fee requirement.
Is McDonald's a franchise or corporation?
As a franchisor, McDonald's primary business is to sell the right to operate its brand. It gets its money from royalties and rent, which are paid as a percentage of sales.
Who bought Sonic Corporation?
“Inspire Brands's $2.3 billion buyout of Oklahoma City-based Sonic Corp. adds the allure of car hops and drive-up dining to its restaurant portfolio that already included Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings and Rusty Taco,” said Jake Dollarhide, CEO of Longbow Asset Management.
Who bought Sonic franchise?
Inspire Brands agreed to buy Sonic, and all of its debt, for $2.3 billion, and then use its resources to help "further drive innovation and long-term growth at Sonic."
Can I buy Sonic stock?
Sonic trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "SONC." What is Sonic's stock price today? One share of SONC stock can currently be purchased for approximately $43.49.
Is McDonald's a franchise or corporation?
As a franchisor, McDonald's primary business is to sell the right to operate its brand. It gets its money from royalties and rent, which are paid as a percentage of sales.
How much does a Sonic owner make a year?
Average Sonic Drive-In Owner Operator Driver yearly pay in the United States is approximately $68,269, which is 69% below the national average. Salary information comes from 20 data points collected directly from employees, users, and past and present job advertisements on Indeed in the past 36 months.
What company owns Sonic?
Inspire BrandsSonic Corporation, founded as Sonic Drive-In and more commonly known as Sonic (stylized as SONIC), or "The Drive-In," is an American drive-in fast food restaurant chain owned by Inspire Brands, the parent company of Arby's and Buffalo Wild Wings.
What is the franchise fee for Dunkin Donuts?
Here is a breakdown and ranges of the financial requirements to open a Dunkin' franchise: Total investment range: $97,500 to $1.7 million. Initial franchise fee: $40,000 to $90,000 (varies by location) Net worth: $500,000 minimum.
How long has SONIC been in business?
Over more than 65 years in the business, SONIC has established itself as a permanent fixture in American culture. SONIC’s success stems from our long-standing legacy of balancing familiarity with bold advancement, making our concept as relevant today as it was when we started.
Where is the first Sonic drive in?
After three previous business ventures, founder Troy Smith struck gold with the first SONIC Drive-In located in the small town of Shawnee, Oklahoma. Smith’s vision and knack for spotting customer trends gave us our first state-of-the-art intercom system and, as they say, the rest is history.
Is there a sweeter time to franchise with Sonic Drive-In?
We’re glad you’ve reached out to us! There’s never been a sweeter time to franchise with SONIC Drive-In. Here’s what you can expect next in the process.
What Is a SONIC Franchise?
SONIC ® is America’s drive-in, serving more than 3 million customers a day at over 3,500 locations nationwide. As an iconic brand with a rich heritage of more than 65 years in business, SONIC franchise systems continues to thrive in the booming QSR industry, not only in terms of growth and brand recognition, but also in our unique ability to connect with our millions of customers and become a part of the communities in which we operate.
Why is Sonic so popular?
SONIC is one of the rare iconic brands that has franchisees with hundreds of locations who have been with us for decades and new franchisees who are growing their business from one restaurant. The reason why entrepreneurs continue to be attracted to SONIC is that we get more than a few things right about our business model that helps our franchisees thrive.
When did Sonic start?
Sonic first opened in 1953 as Top Hat Drive-In in Shawnee, Oklahoma, with Troy Smith Sr. at the helm. He later partnered with Charlie Pappe and they began franchising in 1959 under the Sonic Drive-In name. Sonic's car-hops deliver burger, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, tater tots, onion rings, fries, drinks, desserts and breakfast to customers.
What is Sonic Drive In?
At a typical Sonic Drive-In, the customer drives into one of 24 to 36 covered parking spaces and orders made-to-order food through an intercom speaker system. The customer's order is delivered by a carhop usually within four minutes. For a number of years, Sonic has consistently maintained strong real sales growth and industry-leading customer frequency. The drive-in restaurant premises, unique menu items, and personalized service position Sonic as one of the most highly differentiated quick-service restaurants in the country.
How did Smith and Pappe help Sonic?
Smith and Pappe assisted these new owner-operators with choosing locations and designing the restaurant layout and operations. Formal franchise agreements were drawn up for the new restaurants. The new owners paid a royalty fee of one penny per sandwich bag, purchased through a central supplier. These franchise agreements contained no provisions for advertising, territorial rights, or fixed menus. Instead, Smith and Pappe's business operated mostly on handshake deals. Sonic operators were still most likely to be local businessmen, owning in part or in full their restaurants, and restaurants were often family-run.
What was the first Sonic restaurant?
The pair consulted the dictionary, where they found the word 'sonic.' The term fit neatly with their slogan. New signs and paper goods were developed, and in 1959 the Stillwater restaurant became the first to adopt the Sonic name.
What was Sonic's restaurant in the 90s?
The typical Sonic restaurant of the mid-1990s remained true to the 1950s-style carhop concept: customers drove up to one of an average of 24 covered parking spaces, placed orders through an intercom, and were served at their car. Restaurants also offered drive-through service, with some restaurants operating as drive-throughs only. The absence of indoor dining allowed the company to maintain one of the highest margin restaurant operations in the country, with a new construction package costing less than $515,000 per unit and first-year sales of more than $700,000. Average per-store sales were around $585,000 per year in 1995.
How many Sonics were there in 1967?
By 1967, the year of Charles Pappe's death, there were 41 Sonics in operation. Smith brought in two long-time Sonic restaurant franchisees, Matt Kinslow and Marvin Jirous, to run Sonic Supply, the company's supply and distribution division, while Smith continued to develop the company's franchise operations.
How much did Sonic lose in 1980?
By 1979 profits began to fall nonetheless. A new advertising campaign, budgeted at only $5 million, could not reverse the decline, and by 1980 the company posted a net loss of almost $300,000. Overall revenues and per-store sales were down. In that year, 28 company-owned stores were closed, and by 1981 300 stores had closed.
How many Sonic restaurants were there in 2000?
franchises and operates the United States' largest chain of drive-in restaurants and the fifth largest hamburger chain. As of August 31, 2000 there were 2,172 Sonic restaurants, of which 1,860 were owned and operated by independent franchisees; the remainder were majority-owned by Sonic Corp.
How many episodes are there in Sonic the Hedgehog?
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog comprises 65 episodes overseen by Ren & Stimpy director Kent Butterworth and features slapstick humor in the vein of Looney Tunes. The 26-episode Sonic the Hedgehog (commonly called Sonic SatAM) features a bleak setting in which Eggman has conquered the world, while Sonic is a member of a resistance force that opposes him. The series was canceled after two seasons. Sonic Underground was planned to last 65 episodes, but only 40 were produced. The series follows Sonic and his siblings Manic and Sonia, who use the power of music to fight Eggman and reunite with their mother. In all three DiC series, Sonic is voiced by Family Matters star Jaleel White.
What was Sonic Team USA's next project?
After completing Sonic Heroes, Sonic Team USA was renamed Sega Studios USA. Its next project was Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), a spin-off starring the popular Adventure 2 character Shadow. While Shadow retains most elements from previous Sonic games, it was aimed at a mature audience and introduced third-person shooting and nonlinear gameplay. Shadow the Hedgehog was panned for its controls, level design, and mature themes, but was a commercial success, selling at least 1.59 million units.
How much money does Sonic the Hedgehog make?
[update] and grossing over USD $6 billion as of 2020.
What was the first Sonic game?
The Dreamcast launched with Sonic Adventure, the first major 3D Sonic game. With its Sonic Jam experiments, Sonic Team began developing a 3D Sonic platformer for the Saturn. The project stemmed from a proposal by Iizuka to develop a Sonic role-playing video game (RPG) with an emphasis on storytelling.
How many units did Shadow the Hedgehog sell?
Shadow the Hedgehog was panned for its controls, level design, and mature themes, but was a commercial success, selling at least 1.59 million units. For the franchise's 15th anniversary in 2006, Sonic Team developed Sonic Riders, Sonic the Hedgehog, and a GBA port of the original Sonic.
What is the name of the echidna in Sonic 3?
Sonic 3 introduced Sonic's rival Knuckles, a red echidna and the guardian of the Master Emerald. The Master Emerald, introduced in Sonic & Knuckles, controls the power of the Chaos Emeralds. Knuckles' Chaotix introduced the Chaotix, a group comprising Espio the Chameleon, Vector the Crocodile, and Charmy Bee.
When was Sonic the Hedgehog released?
The original Sonic the Hedgehog was released on June 23, 1991 , for the Sega Genesis, boosting Genesis sales dramatically. Although Katz was certain that Sonic would not be popular with American children, after replacing him, Kalinske arranged to place Sonic the Hedgehog as the pack-in game with the Genesis.
How long does it take to get a SONIC site secured?
The term of a traditional SONIC franchise is 20 years, plus a 10-year renewal. It typically takes six to eight months to get a SONIC site secured.
How many locations does Sonic have?
SONIC ® is America’s drive-in, serving more than 3 million customers a day at over 3,500 locations nationwide. We’re an iconic brand with a rich heritage that encompasses 60 years; we believe in excellent customer service and developing core relationships with our customers and the communities in which we operate.
What is SONIC corporate office?
SONIC’s corporate office has a full support team and services available to franchisees, such as helpful demographic data and in-depth site analytics, to make the entire site selection and construction process as smooth and profitable as possible for franchisees.
What is Sonic Drive In?
Sonic Corp., founded as Sonic Drive-In and more commonly known as Sonic (stylized as SONIC ), is an American drive-in fast food restaurant chain owned by Inspire Brands, the parent company of Arby's and Buffalo Wild Wings. As of 2021, 3,547 Sonic restaurants are located in 46 U.S. states. In 2020, Sonic was ranked 14th in QSR Magazine 's rankings of the top 50 quick-service and fast-casual restaurant brands in the nation. Known for its use of carhops on roller skates, the company annually hosts a competition (in most locations) to determine the top skating carhop in its system.
How many Sonic drive ins were there in 1967?
In 1967, the year Pappe died, the brand had 41 drive-ins. By 1972, this number had risen to 165, and by 1978, 1000. In 1968, Sonic introduced the Pickle-O's, fried pickle slices. In 1977, the company established the Sonic School for manager training.
How many Sonic restaurants will be open in 2021?
As of 2021, 3,510 Sonic restaurants are located in 46 U.S. states. In 2020, Sonic was ranked 14th in QSR Magazine 's rankings of the top 50 quick-service and fast-casual restaurant brands in the nation.
Why did Sonic employees resign?
In February 2019, employees of three Ohio locations resigned en masse due to management changes and a 50% reduction of the employee hourly pay rate. Sonic later released a statement that no employee wages were changing.
Where is Sonic located?
Although Sonic has operated since the early 1950s, Sonic Corp. incorporated in Delaware in 1990. It has its corporate headquarters in Oklahoma City; the headquarters building features a dine-in Sonic restaurant in an adjacent building.
When did Sonic drive in become Sonic?
Upon learning that the Top Hat name was already trademarked, Smith and Pappe changed the name to Sonic in 1959. The new name worked with their existing slogan, "Service with the Speed of Sound".
Can you tip a Sonic carhop?
As of 2019, Sonic carhops are still not able to receive tips from customers paying by credit or debit card. Tips can only be paid in cash, though carhops make less than minimum wage. A petition on Change.org started in 2017 garnered over 33,000 signatures, but no change was made to Sonic's policy. In 2020, Sonic added tipping.
How many Sonic locations are there?
The franchisor plans to buy 73 Sonic locations from the franchisee, SD Holdings, which also operates MOD Pizza and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. By Jonathan Maze on Feb. 10, 2020.
How many Sonic locations did Sonic acquire?
It then acquired 64 Sonic locations and also began developing MOD and Fuzzy’s restaurants. But the company began having financial problems in 2017, including an unexpected $7 million tax bill related to gains from a sale-leaseback deal that year.
Where does SD Holdings operate?
The company operates restaurants in North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Alabama.
Does Sonic have cash flow problems?
SD Holdings also had cash flow problems, and in late 2018, it began taking out cash advances, which come with a high interest rate. The company noted that Sonic itself has high seasonality that can generate cash flow problems in the colder months.
Commercials
Does anyone in corporate watch the commercials? Every time I think they can't get any worse,they reach a new low!
Something new
Just wanted you to know that the two guy's in all your commercials are really not funny and have been around way too long you need something new.
Burnt and overcharged
Long Beach, MS. has the worst Sonic around and needs to have a corporate manager/officer straighten this place up and the manager needs to be fired!!!!
Bad service
We went to the sonic in Junction City KS we ordered two cheese tator tots and only got one. The car hop watched us look through the bag she goes in a gets shift leader who tells we are telling a lie they are in the bag
TIP LINE
Most people like me don't carry cash and I always feel bad when I go to sonic because I know they're under paid and work for tips. The credit card machine needs to add a tip line.
Horrible Management
Not pleased with management at all. Very rude and unprofessional of the manager of the Gonzales, Texas Sonic to hang up on someone during a phone call as well as to go out of her way to mistreat an employee the last week of employment with this specific sonic
wrong order
burger was made wrong twice one one cashier too long of a wait had to wait over 15 minutes for a ice cream never going back ask for someone to call they never did
Overview
Sonic the Hedgehog is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main Sonic the Hedgehog games are platformers mostly developed by Sonic Team; other games, developed by various studios, include spin-offs in the racing, fighting, party and sp…
History
By 1990, the Japanese video game company Sega wanted a foothold in the video game console market with its 16-bit console, the Sega Genesis. Sega's efforts had been stymied by the dominance of Nintendo; the Genesis did not have a large install base and Nintendo did not take Sega seriously as a competitor. Sega of America CEO Michael Katz attempted to challenge Nintendo with the "Gene…
Characters and story
The Sonic franchise is known for its large cast of characters; Sonic the Fighters (1996) producer Yu Suzuki joked that anyone who makes a Sonic game has the duty to create new characters. The first game introduced Sonic, a blue hedgehog who can run at incredible speeds, and Doctor Eggman, a rotund mad scientist. During the Genesis era, Eggman was referred to as Doctor Ivo Robotnik in Western territories. Sega of America's Dean Sitton made the change without consulti…
Gameplay
The Sonic series is characterized by speed-based platforming gameplay. Controlling the player character, the player navigates a series of levels at high speeds while jumping between platforms, fighting enemies and bosses, and avoiding obstacles. The series contains both 2D and 3D games. 2D entries generally feature simple, pinball-like gameplay —with jumping and attacking controlled by a single button —and branching level paths that require memorization to maintain speed. Me…
Music
For the original Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega commissioned Masato Nakamura, bassist and songwriter of the J-pop band Dreams Come True, to compose the soundtrack. Nakamura returned to compose Sonic 2's soundtrack. Dreams Come True owns the rights to Nakamura's score, which created problems when the Sonic Spinball team used his Sonic theme music without permission. For S…
Other media
In 1992, Sega approached the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) about producing two television series—"a syndicated show for the after-school audience" and a Saturday-morning cartoon—based on Sonic. Kalinske "had seen how instrumental the launch of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon series was to the success of the toyline" during his time at Mattel and believed …
Reception and legacy
The Sonic platformers released during the 1990s were acclaimed and have been listed among the greatest video games of all time. The original Sonic was touted as a faster, cooler alternative to Nintendo's Super Mario World (1990). According to Kotaku's Zolani Stewart, Sonic's rebellious character was representative of the culture of the 1990s, "when the idea of individual rebellion seemed inextricably linked to consumer culture". Writing in The Guardian, Keith Stuart observed t…
Notes
1. ^ Japanese: ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ, Hepburn: Sonikku za Hejjihoggu
2. ^ In the original Sonic the Hedgehog, there are only six Chaos Emeralds.
3. ^ Senoue was the lead composer for Sonic 3D Blast (1996), Sonic Adventure (1998), Sonic Adventure 2 (2001), Sonic Heroes (2003), Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), Sonic and the Black Knight (2009), Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (2010 and 2012), Sonic Generations (2011), and Team Sonic Racing (2019).