Sonic Restaurants Plan Expansion Throughout California
March 19th, 2014 by Fiedler Group
By 2020, the Oklahoma City-based Sonic Restaurant company, plans to have 300 units open in the state of California.
In the 24 years the restaurant chain has been in the state, it has opened 60 locations. Specifically in Los Angeles County, there are only 12 units — a very small market presence when compared to larger fast food chains like McDonald’s, Burger King, and even the likes of Carl’s Jr.
Since its first root beer stand in Shawnee, Oklahoma in 1953, Sonic has opened 3,500 locations in 44 states, though nearly half of these locations saturate the states of Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
In the the last six months, the company has ramped up its franchise sales team, has two new restaurant locations expected to open in Los Angeles County in the next year, and is already working with several potential franchise partners who already maintain several fast-food outlets.
Perhaps paving the way for Sonic’s expansion into Southern California are the new smaller prototype stores the company has opened around its Oklahoma base.
The stores are smaller than Sonic’s older stores by 20% and represent a 15% reduction in property and building costs.
More importantly though, because of their footprints, the new streamlined designs are optimal for price real estate regions like Southern California.
According to research conducted by NPD Group Inc., quick-service restaurant brands like Sonic could see better years for all restaurants in 2014, as quick service restaurants outpace the rest of the restaurant industry.
Fiedler Group is currently working with a Sonic franchisee on three Sonic stores in Southern California; our design team is ready to assist you with store development needs, so contact us today.
