Sonic Operations

storewanderer
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Re: Sonic Operations

Post by storewanderer »

Alpha8472 wrote: June 17th, 2022, 3:00 pm McDonald's has increased prices somewhat. Sometimes you can get some good deals at 7-Eleven on hot food. It is a nice change compared to the boring menu at McDonald's. When it is hot a ton of people go in for Slurpees and ice cream. It is a nice treat.
McDonalds pricing is outrageous in certain locations especially in NV/CA. I know of multiple locations with prices like $2.19 for Cheeseburger. $3.39 for Small Fries, $5.99 for Big Mac. There are a lot of other places, with a lot of better options, at a lot of lower prices. There is a reason why In N Out is always so busy... it is way cheaper than McDonalds.

In some other regions McDonalds is still priced appropriately for what they are offering. Go over to Utah and you will still see $1.29 Cheeseburgers, $1.79 Small Fries, $4.29 Big Macs.
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Re: Sonic Operations

Post by jamcool »

Out here, “hot food” at a 7-11 means a petrified hot dog on a roller grill.
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Re: Sonic Operations

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jamcool wrote: June 17th, 2022, 11:17 pm Out here, “hot food” at a 7-11 means a petrified hot dog on a roller grill.
I've tried 7-11 Pizza. I've had worse. I've also had much better. It seemed like an okay idea at the time. The store was clean and I was comfortable eating food from it. They cook the stuff in a commercial type convection oven that is sort of like an air fryer and I'd love to have one in my house. I also bought some cookies they baked in the store which were surprisingly good. The store since changed franchisees and is filthy. I have not, in a number of years now, set foot in a 7-Eleven I would be comfortable consuming prepared food from.
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Re: Sonic Operations

Post by cjd »

I went to Sonic last night through the drive thru. There was nobody in line, nobody at the drive in stalls, and nobody eating inside. I did wait about 5 minutes which seemed like rather slow service, but I figured they must be making the food to order due to lack of customers (it was nearly 9 PM).

The employee came to the window and seemed surprised and asked how long I was waiting. I said about 5 minutes and she said "oh that's way too long, can I put something in for you, like a drink?"

Anyway, the food seemed hot, and fresh.

I ordered the Sour Patch float. It was very tangy as I expected, but not bad. The Sour Patch bits clogged the straw a few times. When I got to the bottom I could really taste the vanilla ice cream. Maybe not something I'd order again, but it wasn't too bad.

I'm wondering how well Sonic does here. I can't gauge how busy they are usually as I typically don't go at traditionally busy times. Last time I ate inside it was around 2 PM on a weekend and there were maybe two other people.

In a state like mine, I don't see the Sonic drive in model doing all that well. It does not take long in weather above about 80 degrees for it to get far too hot to sit in the car too eat. Even under a covering and with the windows down, if there's not breeze, it gets hot, especially when the humidity is high. I guess it helps that this location has indoor seating, but it's one of the only ones here I'm aware of with that. There is no outdoor seating at this location, however.
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Re: Sonic Operations

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Whatever franchisee holds the Sonic locations around Reno seems to be in complete and total disrepair.

The car hop services are closed at most locations and have been for months. They all have the same signs posted so they all appear to be the same franchisee. They covered up the order buttons and the credit card readers so you cannot use the car hop ordering machines.

Was in Minden Thursday night and the Sonic was closed already though it was a bit later the McDonalds was open and had at least 6 employees working mostly high school aged teens and one middle aged who looked to be the supervisor. The Minden Sonic also had a sign posted saying they would be closed Friday, Open Saturday and Sunday from 10-4, and closed Monday. Not sure how a location can pay the rent operating for a total of 12 hours over a 4 day period on a holiday weekend no less.

This afternoon I was over in Sparks in the same parking lot as Sonic right at dinner and looking for somewhere to go. Saw Sonic and noticed it was deserved and they had crates and chairs blocking the drive through lane. Went over to investigate further and it was right at 6 PM. They had a sign up that said they were closing at 4:30 PM today but reopen at 7 AM tomorrow. What was weird is there were 3-4 employees inside. They piled up a bunch of food delivery carhop crates (look like soda crates) in front of the drive through pick up window so you could not easily see them inside. I saw one employee walk out carrying a Sonic drink and a bag of food. Interesting the employee is able to obtain food 1.5 hours after the posted closing time of 4:30 PM.

Left that part of Sparks and went to a different shopping area. Chickfila packed with customers and easily had 25 employees on duty. Popeyes was open inside but not very busy and had 9 employees. So some chains seem to be doing just fine.
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Re: Sonic Operations

Post by Alpha8472 »

These Sonic locations are something else. I drove by a Jack In the Box last week and the sign was turned off at 10 PM. I ordered online already, so I drove up to the speaker which had no response. I drove to the window and saw many young employees inside. They grudgingly opened the window and asked if I had a Doordash pickup. I told them I ordered on the Jack In The Box App. They made my food, but they were closing early on Friday night. They were supposed to be open until 4 AM.

So I assume many places have plenty of workers who could work, but they would rather close early to do something else.
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Re: Sonic Operations

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Alpha8472 wrote: September 3rd, 2022, 10:28 pm These Sonic locations are something else. I drove by a Jack In the Box last week and the sign was turned off at 10 PM. I ordered online already, so I drove up to the speaker which had no response. I drove to the window and saw many young employees inside. They grudgingly opened the window and asked if I had a Doordash pickup. I told them I ordered on the Jack In The Box App. They made my food, but they were closing early on Friday night. They were supposed to be open until 4 AM.

So I assume many places have plenty of workers who could work, but they would rather close early to do something else.
Sonics are supposedly open until 11 PM, maybe they do that some nights.

Jack in the Box has a few Reno locations open until Midnight, one until 1 AM. Still has one closing at 3 PM, one closing at 8 PM, and another out in Verdi in a casino/gas station at CA state line closing at 8 PM some days and 4 PM some days. It seems like the locations where the franchisee owns the real estate have longer hours and the ones he leases have shorter hours. Not sure what sense that makes. This franchisee owns the Reno area Qdoba units and the Colorado Jack in the Box units as well; decades in the business with an excellent operation historically. Many Las Vegas Jack in the Box are Open 24 Hours, that is obviously a different franchisee, and very different labor situation I guess. I still keep seeing a handfull of fast food chains around Reno that are fully staffed and operating the same as they ever have yet these burger chains can't seem to get it together despite advertising higher wages and such; I have to think some of these franchisees have decided it is cheaper to operate with limited hours and hardly any employees.
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Re: Sonic Operations

Post by BillyGr »

storewanderer wrote: September 3rd, 2022, 9:28 pm This afternoon I was over in Sparks in the same parking lot as Sonic right at dinner and looking for somewhere to go. Saw Sonic and noticed it was deserved and they had crates and chairs blocking the drive through lane. Went over to investigate further and it was right at 6 PM. They had a sign up that said they were closing at 4:30 PM today but reopen at 7 AM tomorrow. What was weird is there were 3-4 employees inside. They piled up a bunch of food delivery carhop crates (look like soda crates) in front of the drive through pick up window so you could not easily see them inside. I saw one employee walk out carrying a Sonic drink and a bag of food. Interesting the employee is able to obtain food 1.5 hours after the posted closing time of 4:30 PM.
Maybe since they closed unusually early but still had employees there for a time (doing some type of major cleaning, maybe?), they just bagged up whatever was left over at the end of the day and gave it to the employees to take home when they did get to leave? Doing a drink would be pretty quick at the last minute.
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Re: Sonic Operations

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BillyGr wrote: September 4th, 2022, 12:51 pm

Maybe since they closed unusually early but still had employees there for a time (doing some type of major cleaning, maybe?), they just bagged up whatever was left over at the end of the day and gave it to the employees to take home when they did get to leave? Doing a drink would be pretty quick at the last minute.
If they were cleaning it is odd a bag went out the door 1.5 hours after closing time. I suppose it is possible the food was prepared before they got into the cleaning and they kept it at a warmer or something. Though, maybe the bag didn't have food in it. Odd situation in general, and seemed to be a sudden decision to close early.
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Re: Sonic Operations

Post by BillyGr »

storewanderer wrote: September 4th, 2022, 1:42 pm
BillyGr wrote: September 4th, 2022, 12:51 pm

Maybe since they closed unusually early but still had employees there for a time (doing some type of major cleaning, maybe?), they just bagged up whatever was left over at the end of the day and gave it to the employees to take home when they did get to leave? Doing a drink would be pretty quick at the last minute.
If they were cleaning it is odd a bag went out the door 1.5 hours after closing time. I suppose it is possible the food was prepared before they got into the cleaning and they kept it at a warmer or something. Though, maybe the bag didn't have food in it. Odd situation in general, and seemed to be a sudden decision to close early.
I was actually thinking that they would have stuck it in a refrigerator or something in the interim.

Being it was an employee bringing it out and taking it home, it wouldn't be an issue if they had to re heat it or whatever at home, particularly if it was being given to them for free (maybe as a "bonus" for helping out doing the extra whatever work), and just seems to be a better idea than simply throwing out something that was leftover.
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