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The Kenneth City location is part of the chain's expansion plans for the Tampa Bay area in the next five years.
By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 27, 2002
KENNETH CITY -- Sonic, the drive-in hamburger chain with roller-skating carhops, is expanding its reach in Florida and expects to open a restaurant here in mid July.
With the Town Council's approval Wednesday, the Sonic at 4625 66th St. N will occupy the last remaining standalone parcel in the heavily trafficked Plaza 66 Shopping Center. Neighbors at Plaza 66 will include Kash & Karry, the Pinellas County Teachers Credit Union, Dollar Store and Fantastic Sam's. Competitors are CiCi's Pizza and two restaurants, Townhouse and Denny's.
Sonic, a public company traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market (SONC), is a 1950s-style drive-in with a menu that ranges from the traditional hamburger and fries to sandwiches on thick Texas toast, onion rings and mozzarella sticks, and specialty frozen drinks.
The first store opened in Oklahoma in 1953 under the name Top Hat. The restaurant was renamed Sonic in 1959 and began to license franchises.
There are more than 2,000 restaurants in 28 states. Forbes magazine has named Sonic one of the 200 Best Small Companies in America eight years running.
Scott Lincoln, a civil engineer representing the Kenneth City Sonic franchise owner, CarBill Realty of Mississippi, said a large number of restaurants is planned by CarBill and other franchise owners for the Tampa Bay area (Sarasota to Polk to Pasco counties) within the next five years.
There are 30 Sonic restaurants in Florida, spokeswoman Nancy Robertson said. She said the company plans to build 40 new drive-in locations during the next three years. A Sonic restaurant in Port Richey is scheduled to open in May.
"The Kenneth City site was chosen because of the heavy traffic on 66th Street and in the shopping center," Lincoln said. "There is no overabundance of fast food restaurants in Kenneth City and we thought there would be a good opportunity for Sonic to be successful there."
The Kenneth City Sonic will employ up to 30 people, Lincoln said. Construction is expected to begin in March.