Sonic Drive-In was started by Troy N. Smith Sr. after World War II.  He returned home to Seminole, Oklahoma and started working as a milkman before he decided to open the first location.  He started with a Root Beer stand and steak restaurant, but quickly realized that the majority of the sales were coming from burgers, hot dogs, and root beer.  He bought out his partner and began to focus on just burgers, hot dogs, and beverages. 

In 1958 the first Sonic restaurant franchise location was opened in Woodward, Oklahoma with a handshake agreement between Smith and Charles Woodrow Pappe.  The original name was Top Hat, but when the men realized this was already trademarked, they changed the name to Sonic Drive-In in 1959.  By 1978 there were 1,000 locations and in 1986 the company was bought out for $10 million dollars and the company remained private.  The company became publically traded in 1991 and currently there are over 3,500 locations in 43 states.  They serve nearly 3 million customers a day and are still publically traded.

The Sonic Drive-In menu includes burgers, hot dogs, Coney dogs, chicken items, a kid’s menu, desserts, and beverages.  They are most well-known for their burgers and hot dogs, but they also have a variety of side items and desserts as well.  They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner and many locations are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Sonic Drive-In offers restaurant franchise opportunities for those that fit the requirements.  They offer a 20 year agreement with a 10 year renewal option.  The franchise fee is $45,000 and the total investment can range anywhere from $700,000 up to $3 million.  They do require that the restaurant franchisee has past restaurant experience and has been successful with business in the past.  They charge a 4% to 5% royalty fee along with 5.9% for advertising as well.