Sonic Drive-In — Restaurant in Minot

Audited Verified Review (AVR)

Brief History

Sonic Drive-In, founded in 1953 in Shawnee, OK, as Top Hat Drive-In, evolved into a national fast-food chain known for its drive-in model and carhop service. Renamed Sonic in 1959, it grew to over 3,500 locations. The Minot, ND, Sonic opened as part of this expansion, serving the local community with its signature menu of burgers, shakes, and tater tots. The Minot location reflects Sonic’s focus on quick service and nostalgic dining, catering to both residents and travelers in this growing region.

NAICS Code

722513 (Limited-Service Restaurants), reflecting its primary activity of providing fast food with limited table service, per U.S. Census Bureau standards.

Ownership

The Minot Sonic is a franchise operated under Sonic Corp., a subsidiary of Inspire Brands, based in Atlanta, GA, since its acquisition in 2018. Franchisee details for Minot are not publicly disclosed, but local operators typically manage individual locations under Sonic’s corporate guidelines.

Management

Managed by a local franchisee team, with an on-site general manager overseeing daily operations, staff, and customer service. Sonic Corp. provides corporate support, including training and marketing. Contact for specific management details is available via the Minot location’s guest services.

Address

Sonic Drive-In 1701 S Broadway Minot, ND 58701 Phone Number (701) 852-4355 Website www.sonicdrivein.com

Economic Impact

The Minot Sonic contributes to the local economy through job creation, sales tax revenue, and consumer spending. As a popular dining spot, it attracts customers from Minot and nearby areas, supporting the city’s retail sector. While exact figures are proprietary, its role in a city of ~48,000 residents includes steady economic activity, with annual sales typical of fast-food outlets (estimated $1M–$2M based on industry averages).

Employment

Employs ~20–30 workers, including carhops, cooks, and shift managers, based on typical Sonic staffing. Jobs are primarily part-time, with seasonal increases during summer. The location supports entry-level employment, offering opportunities for local youth and flexible schedules.

Compliance

Adheres to federal, state, and local regulations, including food safety (FDA and ND health codes), labor laws, and ADA accessibility. Sonic’s corporate policies ensure compliance with wage, safety, and sanitation standards. No major violations are reported for the Minot location, indicating strong compliance.

Reputation

The Minot Sonic enjoys a generally positive reputation, with reviews praising its quick service, friendly staff, and menu variety. Yelp and Google reviews (~4/5 stars) highlight its appeal for families and travelers, though some note occasional service delays during peak hours. Its nostalgic vibe and community presence enhance its local standing.

Social Responsibility Participation &

Involvement Score (SRPIS) Using Broadview Analytics’ proprietary 1–10 scale (1=minimal, 10=exemplary), the SRPIS evaluates sustainability, community, diversity, governance, and philanthropy. • Sustainability: Sonic’s corporate efforts include some waste reduction (e.g., recycling at select locations), but Minot-specific initiatives are not publicized. (Basic) • Community: Sonic supports local events and schools via corporate programs like Sonic Games, donating $50,000 to classrooms in select hometowns, but Minot-specific involvement is unclear. (Basic-Moderate) • Diversity: Inspire Brands promotes diversity, but no local workforce data is available. (Basic) • Governance: Transparent franchise operations with no reported ethical issues. (Strong) • Philanthropy: Corporate partnerships with DonorsChoose.org exist, but local charitable efforts are minimal or undocumented. (Basic-Moderate) Data Gathering: Based on Sonic’s corporate reports, online reviews, and industry data. SRPIS Score: 4 (Basic)

The Minot Sonic shows limited, corporate-driven CSR efforts, with gaps in local sustainability, diversity, and philanthropy...

Easter Sunday evening while returning to Bismarck stopped here as we’ve done many times in the past. Drive thru posted with signs saying cash only, card readers down. Not a problem. Gal took our order of two cheeseburgers, a medium order of onion rings, and a Coke. Car in front of us was at the window a long time so a gal brought our order out and I paid $16.08. Once on the highway unwrapped the two burgers, took a few bites and my wife and I both threw the rest in a garbage bag. Burgers were mushy and smashed together. Then the onion rings! Inside a small baggie were about 4-5 small, hard, brittle, over cooked, old rings that had absolutely no taste. The insides were yellow and they crumbled into hard broken up pieces. These were old and not edible and I wondered if they were taken from their kitchen garbage. My wife is disabled and doesn’t talk but she immediately threw her onion ring in the garbage after one bite. And I did the same. Thinking the Coke could not possibly be screwed up we were both reaching for it. The Coke was very watery and seemed to not have enough syrup. While driving, I found my receipt and called back to the store asking for the manager. The place wasn’t busy at all when we were there and she sounded like the gal who brought our food out, the only employee we saw there. Anyway, her response was ‘Have a nice Easter’. I have never experienced such crappy food in my 65 years and I will never go back...

Very disappointed and will not go back.

1. The first red flag should have been how nasty the bathroom was. I took my 3 kids to the restroom before orsering as a dine-in customer.
2. It was obvious that the lady at the register was new because she could not figure out how to log into the screen (no judgement there) but when she retrieved the manager for assistance, the manager had the nastiest look on her face like she would rather be anywhere but there. She helped the employee log in and when the employee said thank you, the manager just walked away. RUDE!
3. We ordered 2 kids grilled cheese meals, a chicken strip dinner, 2 hot dogs, and a double bacon cheeseburger. Our wait time was almost 15 minutes.
4. My son took a bite of his grill cheese and pulled a string out of his mouth. My husband then opened tolhe sandwich and there was black spots on the cheese (looked moldy to me) and examined the other grill cheese to compare. It did not look the same. So he took it to the front and pointed it out and they made a new one (which was inspected before handing it off to our son).
5. Fries and tator tots were stale, pretzel was hard and dark, as if it had been sitting oonger than it should have been, chicken strips were chewy from sitting. and my slushie was more syrup water than an actual slushie.

I should have just went to 5 Guys. It would have been just as expensive and probably...