
KEY FRANCHISE STATS
?
?
?
?
$1,501,000
Founded in 1953 and part of the Inspire Brands family, Sonic Drive-In is a well-known American drive-in fast food chain headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. With 3,144+ US franchisees, Sonic is famous for its unique carhop service, extensive drinks and shake menu, and Happy Hour promotions. AUV of approximately $1.5M is competitive within the burger/drive-in QSR category.
Want to know what Sonic Drive-In franchise owners actually earn? See the full income analysis, break-even timeline, and owner salary breakdown at SharpSheets → Sonic Drive-In Franchise Owner Income.
Create a free account to access this table and more.
Sonic Drive-In offers 3 types of franchises:
We are summarizing below the main costs associated with opening a Sonic Drive-In Freestanding (Leased) model.
For more information on the various types of franchises and its costs, refer to the Franchise Disclosure Document (Item 7).
Below are some of
Sonic Drive-In
key competitors in the
Burger
sector.

3144
5.00%
$669,000
-
$3,141,000
$1,501,000
n.a.
$xxx,xxx
n.a.
n.a.
Sonic Drive-In offers a thorough training program designed to ensure franchisees are fully prepared to manage their franchises effectively. Here’s an overview of the training process:
Before the restaurant opens, a designated Franchisee Certified Training Team from the franchisee's side must complete a certification training lasting approximately 5 weeks. This training encompasses various on-the-job topics, including restaurant setup, crew station training, and improving the guest experience.
Although there is no tuition fee for the certification training, the franchisee is responsible for covering the salaries, travel, and living expenses of all participants, as well as any necessary training materials.
Additionally, Sonic provides ongoing training programs, online training, and webinars for management personnel at no cost. These resources include station courses and advanced manager leadership classes, ensuring continuous development and operational excellence.
Franchisees are granted the right to operate a Sonic Drive-In Restaurant within a specific area known as the "Protected Area." Within this zone, they are required to develop and manage their Franchised Restaurants. However, while the Protected Area provides certain territorial rights, it does not guarantee exclusivity.
Franchisees are not permitted to utilize other distribution channels, such as the Internet, catalog sales, telemarketing, or direct marketing, to make sales either within or outside of their Protected Area.
Furthermore, Sonic and its affiliates retain the right to use these distribution channels to make sales within the Protected Area using the Proprietary Marks, without providing compensation to the franchisee.
?
?
?
?
?
?

?
