A Historical Background of the Sonic Corporation Essay

Sonic CorporationINTRODUCTIONBACKGROUND INFORMATIONIn 1953 Sonic Corporation was founded by Tony Smith in Shawnee, Oklahomaunder a different name of the Top Hat. Tony Smith started the company as adrive-in restaurant featuring hot dogs, hamburgers, and french-fried onion rings. In the mid-50s Smith was asked by Charles Pappe for assistance in establishinga similar restaurant in a rural town also located in Oklahoma. This was thebeginning of a partnership between the two men .CURRENT INFORMATIONIn 1991 Sonic Corporation was the fifth largest chain in the fast-foodindustry, servicing in the hamburger segment, behind McDonald's, Burger King,Hardee's, and Wendy's. Sonic has and is still carrying the tradition of being ahigh-quality franchise-based organization in the Sunbelt states. The followingcase will be broke down into five different stages beginning with earlystrategies, problems, new strategies, a ratio analysis, and a recommendation.EARLY STRATEGIESUNDER TONY SMITHTony Smith introduced the Top Hat as a drive-in restaurant that reducedstart up cost by not having eat-in space. This new restaurant featured drive-installs for automobiles, that were equipped with a two-way intercom enablingcustomers to order as soon as they drove in, opposed to conventional practicesof waiting for a carhop to take an order. Delivery of the fresh fast-qualityproducts was do to the unique design of the kitchen, and the use of carhops.Sonic Corporation preferred to do things as easy as possible and avoidsophistication. Another strategy Smith implemented was a collection offranchise royalties. This was done in a way such that Sonic franchise holderswere required to purchase printed bags at an additional fee that Smith arrangedthrough a paper-goods supplier.Pyramid-type selling arrangements were formed by franchisees in moneymaking efforts by starting other franchises through friends. This lead tooriginal store managers having a percentage of their own store earnings and aportion of the new operation of the recruited friend manager. This idea furtherdeveloped to multi-ownership of almost all Sonic operations as store managerswere also part owners. This concept of pyramid-type selling carried Sonicforward with rapid growth.PROBLEMSRAPID GROWTHIn the later-70's almost one new...

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