As I noted upthread, I was at the Wal-Mart next door that day and there were signs posted. The Sonic sits by itself on that part of the parking lot, kind of like an island. There is no good way for them to have blocked off and controlled access. The article stated that people actually drove over traffic cones and got out and moved dumpsters. I certainly was not one of them, we were just trying to get by and back to the road.

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:Any business owner who is not bright enough to put a sign on the dumpster that states they are not open until the 19th does not deserve my business.

Buddy

Buddy,

That's why the guy is managing a Sonic and not doing brain surgery.

"It's not that we're crazy for Sonic," she said as her son craned his neck to see if there was movement from the restaurant. "We're not nuts. There's just nothing around here. This Wal-Mart was a big deal. The Sonic is nice. It's great that it's here, and I can't wait, either. But now it would be nice to have a real restaurant in this part of Aurora. We need an Olive Garden."

I read this, and cracked up... Olive Garden... a real restaurant?

I have never eaten at Sonic before. Another thing to look forward to when I go to the outlet mall!

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:

eatchicago wrote:It really is a huge "who cares" story indeed, but there was a really funny section in it.

At one point they talked about how they put traffic cones up to block the entrance, but people drove right over them. So, they rolled the dumpsters out to block the driveway but motorcycles started driving around them. Eventually someone got out of the car and physically moving the dumpsters out of the way.

This is exactly why I will not be patronizing Sonic. Any business owner who is not bright enough to put a sign on the dumpster that states they are not open until the 19th does not deserve my business.

Buddy

Buddy - They're putting in a rotary telephone to make you feel more at home! CTD

ronnie_suburban wrote:

David Hammond wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:The Chicago Tribune's web site updates what I personally consider to be the biggest "who cares?" story in Chicago food so far this year . . .

Front page news this morning in the Trib is...Sonic! How did this happen?

Slow news day in the world's biggest cow town.

"Like a dead goose"?!

Not only is this story overwritten and gratuitously insulting to the restaurant's would-be customers, it doesn't even include such basic information as the address of the place.

ChiTownDiner wrote:Buddy - They're putting in a rotary telephone to make you feel more at home! CTD

Niiiiiice.

Buddy

"It's not that we're crazy for Sonic," she said as her son craned his neck to see if there was movement from the restaurant. "We're not nuts. There's just nothing around here. This Wal-Mart was a big deal. The Sonic is nice. It's great that it's here, and I can't wait, either. But now it would be nice to have a real restaurant in this part of Aurora. We need an Olive Garden."

Having lived in Aurora for nearly 10 years, I have to say it is a strange town. The west-siders would rather die than go to the east side. And for years there really were no restaurants of note on the west side. People over there had no problem driving up Randall Road to whatever chain they wanted, but they wouldn't come east to Rte 59. Not that Rte 59 was any great shakes, but it has every chain imaginable. And things have improved with Macarena, Pasta Amore, even Luigi's House.

There are good Mexican restaurants in the city center, and Payton's, but nothing else seems able to survive for long. There are also a lot of private clubs in Aurora, and many people belong to them and eat there instead of patronizing local restaurants. So I understand her yearning for a local Olive Garden, even as it makes me sad.

Has anyone gone to the grand opening yet today?

Went last night for the friends and family event (friend of a friend...). Place was absolutely packed and we had to wait in the WalMart parking lot behind a dozen cars just waiting to get into the Sonic lot. They were a little disorganized and my order was slightly wrong, but that was pretty forgivable considering the crowd, hectic pace and our order being 1/2 price.

All in all, good fast food. Not a religion to me, as it is to some, but the burger was better than your average fast-food version. Cherry limeade was excellent. We'll be back.

you got it ldub... the sonic experience is more about the drinks and their customization

I heard from a neighbor that there was a 2 hour wait for the drive-through at around 7:00 on Tuesday. They went to get gyros instead....

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:
Any business owner who is not bright enough to put a sign on the dumpster that states they are not open until the 19th does not deserve my business.

Buddy


Buddy,

That's why the guy is managing a Sonic and not doing brain surgery.

People drive over cones, move dumpsters, DUMPSTERS, and the manager is an idiot? Tough crowd around here. I understand keeping your customers informed with a sign but what if you didn't want people to know you were opening, almost a "soft opening" even though it's a fast food joint.

I went yesterday for lunch. I was thinking the grand opening was last week - so imagine my surprise when I saw all the cars. I parked and stood inline for a half hour or so.

Was it worth the wait? No. But it was nice to eat Sonic while NOT on a road trip through Kansas. I've never been cool enough to go to an opening night for a movie, wait in line for a Wii, camp out for an iPhone, or be selected for American Idol. But I can now say I was at the Aurora Sonic on opening day.

I shoulda just gone to a real restaurant like Olive Garden.

pizano345 wrote:

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:
Any business owner who is not bright enough to put a sign on the dumpster that states they are not open until the 19th does not deserve my business.

Buddy


Buddy,

That's why the guy is managing a Sonic and not doing brain surgery.

People drive over cones, move dumpsters, DUMPSTERS, and the manager is an idiot? Tough crowd around here.

I'm strident too.

Buddy

This whole hysteria cracks me up. I had a limeade at Sonic a month or so ago, and considering that I had it shortly after brisket and chipotle sausage at Louie Mueller's, and before sausage and lamb ribs from Southside Market, I'm not sure Sonic even cracked my top 5 for the day.

Sunday 8/24 dinner the place was packed. People waiting in cars in the WalMart parking lot, and also a long line of people waiting for takeout. I have only had drinks from Sonic in the past but I look forward for a new burger joint in town. I don't wait for fast food so we drove down the street for http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=19470Pollo Giro.

xmancusox wrote:Sunday 8/24 dinner the place was packed. People waiting in cars in the WalMart parking lot, and also a long line of people waiting for takeout. I have only had drinks from Sonic in the past but I look forward for a new burger joint in town. I don't wait for fast food so we drove down the street for http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=19470Pollo Giro.

I honestly cannot determine if this is really cool or really crazy; I'm tending toward the latter, but am just not sure.

I don't think it's been mentioned here yet (forgive me if it has) but I heard from a trustworthy source that there will be another Sonic going up in Lake Zurich, on Rand Rd./Rt. 12, north of Rt. 22, where they're building the Holiday Inn Express, next to the old Kmart, along with yet another Starbuck's, which is already almost done. The whole site is in anticipation of Chicago being chosen for the Olympics and the equestrian events being held in McHenry.

I think I've only had Sonic once or twice in Missouri, but I was a kid and don't really remember it. Mr. Maki and I always shake our fists at the TV screen when they torment us with Sonic commercials, even though, until now there weren't any around here. I don't think it will be worth a trip to Aurora, but probably the one in LZ, if the rumor is true.

I went to the midnight opening of the Rosemont Krispy Kreme way back when. I only lived a few blocks away, and it was one of the first Krispy Kreme's in the area.

Krispy kreme had a similar demand with no stores in the market. Then there was an oversaturation and now they are closing stores. If sonic keeps a low number of stores it will remain a treat and not mcdonalds.

I have been watching this thread with great interest, as it has multiple facets to me that I find interesting.

I am intrigued that there are many people here who crave Sonic, whether for nostalgia of the South, for the drinks, or for the drive in burger joints they grew up on.

Another facet for me is that they are about 5 minutes from my house, so I enjoy hearing the lengths people will go through for what they crave.

For alot of folks here, Sonic is a great thing, if even only for their drinks. That is pretty rare on the chain side of culinary tastes here, in general.

But being 5 minutes away, I can honestly say, I will never go to the Aurora Sonic, or any other Sonic, as they are the WalMart of Drive In's to me.

My 10 second Bio, I completely understand economics, I have an MBA, and I understand supply and demand. That being said, I traveled the Chicago to Cincy corridor for 3 years, and then the Chicago to Bloomington IN or Indy for another 6.

5 years ago, the Inlaws moved from Cincy to Bloomington IN. For the next 3 years, many multiple trips to Bloomington for visits/vacations.

The highlight: Dog and Suds, frosted mug Root Beer and a Chicago Vienna dog. D&S in both Bloomington and Indy always had the Chicago dog which was much welcomed while out on the road.

Our last year in Bloomington, pull up to the Dog N Suds, and it was now a Sonic.

We expected 6 kinds of dogs, and got crap. Wanted Root Beer, but nada. It was burgers, we ordered, and got burgers that were, Meh!. Nothing to write home about.

This exact sceanrio played out a year later on the north side burb's of Indy. Sonic was taking over Dog N Suds locations.

Here is my rub.

Sonic never intended to keed the Indiana-37 location open which was Dog-N-Suds. They were opening a location closer to the U of Indiana Campus in a year, ran the Dog N Suds location into the ground, then closed it

I have no idea as to franchising versus corporate owned, but Dog N Suds was bought, and run out, to eliminate competition. I'm not saying that's bad. That's business. But Jesus H, Bloomington is like the size of Downer's Grove. Do you really need to run people out of business?

Want a visual?

http://www.maps.google.com on Satellite view

Search 360 N. Jacob Dr. Bllomington IN

That address is O'Charley's next door, but that empty lot there was a Dog N Suds then Sonic for a year.

Some view Sonic's coming as a good thing.

I think it is the demise.

YMMV

There was similar excitement over the opening of Pollo Campero. For some people, it's the taste of home, or a favorite vacation spot. For others, it's something they've heard of and always wanted to try. Yes, some are influenced by the advertising and hype.

Food is about more than flavor.

We had a family dinner tonight in Oswego and decided to drive over to see if we could check the Sonic out.

Doubled lines are still going at the end of the WalMart parking lot and we didn't even have a chance to pull up to inquire about take out because they were shoo'ing everyone to the lines across the parking lot.

I guess the newness effect is still going strong there.

The Country Club Hills location is opening on November 10. It's located at approximately 4001 W 167th St.

LAZ wrote: For others, it's something they've heard of and always wanted to try. Yes, some are influenced by the advertising and hype.

I am not too proud to admit that I fell into that camp. Now, I didn't make a special trip out of my way to go to Sonic. It is en route to my parents house, so after passing it several times during trips back and forth, I finally stopped one afternoon to go through the drive through.

I'm a big fan of beverages of all colors and tastes, so I couldn't wait to try one of their "famous" drinks. Perhaps I am a cliche, but I got the cherry limeade. It was decent -- I appreciated the fact that they put the cherry and the fresh lime in there, for what it's worth. McDonalds wouldn't do that for you.

The food -- eh. Their burger was bigger than I expected, but nothing to write home about. Same with the fries and the onion rings. It's a step above McDonalds or Burger King, but nothing I will go out of my way to get. I've stopped by a couple times, and, with the exception of the drinks (which are different than your typical pop options at most fast-food places), I don't see much else interesting about it.

Still, I'm glad that they finally built one around here. The ads were really starting to get to me.

On a similar note (advertising hypnosis), I stopped at a CiCi's Pizza not that long ago. Never again. *shudder*

GreenFish wrote:On a similar note (advertising hypnosis), I stopped at a CiCi's Pizza not that long ago. Never again. *shudder*

We did this in Orlando, largely because the lure of a buffet for under $5 a person seemed, as advertised, "too good to be true." It was. I'm not sure what it was they were serving, but it was so far removed from identifiable foodstuffs that I began to wonder if we were eating Americanized versions of the plastic display food you see in Asian restaurants.

I have been doing Sonic for 20 years since my graduate school days. The drinks are quite good as is the service. As an ex-car hop, I like the concept a lot. My wife and I like certain items like their chili dogs better than their Chicago counterparts.

I wouldn't rush to Aurora for a Sonic because we hit them 10-15 times a year when we are down in Nashville or elsewhere in the Southeast.

Seems to me that a lot of people dislike it for being popular. That's fine with me as it helps to keep the crowd down.

Mhays wrote:

GreenFish wrote:On a similar note (advertising hypnosis), I stopped at a CiCi's Pizza not that long ago. Never again. *shudder*

We did this in Orlando, largely because the lure of a buffet for under $5 a person seemed, as advertised, "too good to be true." It was. I'm not sure what it was they were serving, but it was so far removed from identifiable foodstuffs that I began to wonder if we were eating Americanized versions of the plastic display food you see in Asian restaurants.

I have found that it is best to gorge yourself before you go to Orlando so that you have a legitimate reason not to eat there.

On another note, I was traveling a couple of weeks ago and spied a Sonic as I pulled into my hotel outside Denver. It was late and I had no patience for a sit down dinner. The burger was better than I remember it being.

YourPalWill wrote: The burger was better than I remember it being.

You just blew my mind.

I just thought that I would let everyone know that Sonic is open for for business in Algonquin.

I noticed a line of cars there, and I thought I would give it a shot. Let's just say that the whole experience was underwhelming.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I sure didn't expect a grayish-"Whopperesque" burger and that was precisely what I received--accompanied by greasy undercooked tater tots.

Fool me once----

Sonic
SW corner Randall Road and Harnisch
Algonquin, IL

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I sure didn't expect a grayish-"Whopperesque" burger and that was precisely what I received--accompanied by greasy undercooked tater tots.

I've been trying to tell everybody that all along, but there's apparently nothing that gets people so worked up and excited as... a chain hamburger they haven't had before.