Sonic to Open in Peabody

Peabody first to feel Sonic boom
By Donna Goodison | Friday, August 14, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets

A longtime Southern fast-food fave that delivers customer orders by carhops is headed to Peabody.

New England’s first Sonic Drive-In is slated to open on Route 1 by month’s end, selling made-to-order burgers, Toaster sandwiches, extra-long hot dogs with chili and cheese known as Coneys and 168,000-plus drink combos.

Oklahoma-based Sonic Corp., which opened its first restaurant in 1953, has more than 3,500 retro drive-ins in 43 states, pulling in $804.7 million in revenue in the last fiscal year. It’s the 12th largest restaurant chain in sales, according to Technomic Inc., a Chicago restaurant consulting firm.

Local franchise owner Gina Monastiero of Lynnfield, whose territory includes 42 communities in Essex, Suffolk and Middlesex counties, expects to open 20 Sonics in the next five years.

“It’s a fun concept,” she said. “It’s like the old ’50s carhop type of theme. People are skating around, there will be music, and there will be neon lights at night.”

The Peabody Sonic will sport 20 canopied drive-up stalls in which customers park their cars and push a button to place their orders, which will be delivered by rollerskating carhops. It also will have drive-thru service, and a canopied seating area for 50 people that will be heated in colder months.

New Englanders likely are already familiar with Sonic through its TV advertising. The company spends $200 million a year on advertising, of which about half is national in scope.

“It’s got a very strong cult following in most of its markets because it’s highly different in appearance, the perception of quality is there and because the service is so different from a McDonald’s or Burger King,” Technomic president Ron Paul said. “In a market that’s very crowded, like burgers, it helps to stand out, and they do.”
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