"sonic drive-in" news and stories

Nathan's and Wienerschnitzel have dominated the fast food chain hot dog arena for years, but now Sonic, America's Drive-In, has stepped up their game with the introduction of four new premium hot dogs -- and you don't even have to leave your car for them. Here's how they rate:

The Claims: The frankfurters in Sonic's new lineup all start with a grilled, all-beef hot dog inside a "soft, warm bakery bun," and are each differentiated by their fixings: the All-American Dog has ketchup, mustard, relish, and chopped raw onions (386 calories); the Chili Cheese Coney is topped with chili and shredded cheddar cheese (420 calories); the New York Dog has spicy mustard, grilled onions, and sauerkraut (352 calories); and the Chicago Dog is topped with a pickle spear, relish, tomatoes, hot peppers, chopped raw onions, celery salt, and mustard, with poppy seeds on the bun (435 calories).

The Price: Each hot dog sells for the introductory price of $1.99, at participating locations.

Read our review after the jump.

By Catherine Donaldson-Evans

They weren't skating on thin ice, but the carhops at a new Southern California Sonic Drive-In were definitely skating.

Employees of the soon-to-open restaurant in Duarte, Calif., have been training for the job on roller skates, as they'll be tasked with zipping up to customers' car windows on wheels carrying trays of food and drinks.

Sonic has set itself apart from other fast-food chains with its 1950s theme. Key to its business are its skating carhops.

"It's a fun job," Sonic franchising partner Steve Jones told Slashfood. "Customers see the carhops having fun on the job and then they want to be one."

Apparently an employee was cooking up more than just extra long chili cheese hot dogs at a Sonic restaurant in Missouri -- police say he was cooking up meth.

Police arrived at the Cape Girardeau, Mo., Sonic drive-in, about 115 miles south of Saint Louis, shortly before 2 a.m. on Thursday to discover 27-year-old Dennie L. Bratcher allegedly attempting to whip up a batch of meth in the restaurant, the Associated Press reports.

The shift manager, who lives in Cape Girardeau, has been charged with second-degree burglary and an attempt to manufacture a controlled substance.

"The health department is making them [Sonic employees] throw away everything from sugar packets and straws to food and making them thoroughly clean the facility," Cape Girardeau police Sgt. Jason Selzer told Slashfood on Friday.

Troy N. Smith, an Oklahoman who turned a root-beer stand into the Sonic, America's Drive-In, chain has died at the age of 87 in Oklahoma City.

Smith opened the Top Hat Drive-In hamburger and root-beer stand in Shawnee, Okla., in 1953. Six years later, it became Sonic, a made-to-order fast-food company now dubbed "America's Drive-In," that currently has nearly 3,600 units in 42 states and serves 1 million people daily.

The chain was initially dubbed "Sonic" for its motto, "Service with the Speed of Sound," following its invention of curbside speakers in the 1950s, which allowed customers to order without leaving their cars. Smith also pioneered the use of parking lots that had angled parking spaces and overhead coverings.

These days Sonic is more popularly known for its value menu and drink combinations -- some 168,000 drink combinations make it what Sonic calls the "Ultimate Drink Stop."

Born in 1922 and raised in east-central Oklahoma, Smith served in the Army Air Corps before returning to the United States, where he would later operate milk and bread trucks. He expanded his business by opening various restaurants and cafes before founding Top Hat Drive-In. After opening three more Top Hat franchises, Smith unsuccessfully sought to copyright the moniker, changing it to the "speed of sound"-inspired title, "Sonic." The first Sonic opened in Stillwater, Okla.

Smith is survived by Dollie, his wife of nearly 70 years, a son, daughter, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held Friday, at 2 p.m., at the First Christian Church in Edmond, Okla.

[via Nation's Restaurant News]