3/31/2011

route 44 iced tea

durango SONIC.

wasn't going to make the SONIC run today, but the mac shack had 35% discount for online orders, and durango SONIC is right next door, so ...

(farfelle bow tie mac & cheese with bacon.  two meals for me, easy. $6!)

new TXT message number

got this TXT this morning ... i'll keep an eye on the SONIC signage, they're really good about changing with updates.
***
SONIC Drive-In has a new Text Msg # 86677. No action required to keep
receiving updates & info. Reply STOP to 86677 to opt out. Msg&data rates
may apply.

SONIC TXT problems

got this fan mail from a long-time reader in denver, CO today.

Re: so, i tried to get some mozzarella stix...


... with the 99 cent txt offer at the sonic halfway between my work and my home this evening... 

...to no avail. 

Of course, I do not have txt capability on my phone, so i could not prove what you posted, but the helpful young lady at the drive up window let me know they were not participating in any kind of txt promotion anyway.    
no worries, i will get some another time. 

your description of the stix:  "no real taste -- more of a conduit for fat and salt into your system"  is spot-on, in my book, and I was craving that exact sensation this evening. 

congrats on getting noticed by the mothership!  Your appreciation for them and their products has garnered you a well-earned gift - very smart on their part. 

ignoring the fact that this person isn't actually receiving the TXTs in question, the bigger idea here is an ongoing problem ...

SONIC needs to step up to the plate and educate the subsidiaries on how to handle out-of-market promos ... telling a customer "no, this isn't good here" might be acceptable from a business point-of-view, but is scorched-earth policy in the customer relations world.  

look at this from the customer's perspective.  let's say someone enters every damn TXT offer that gets put in front of your face (certainly that's what a corporation would want you to do).  whoever follows that path has no idea who's talking to them when they get a message.  their phone beeps and they see, "Snack It Up @ Sonic Wed. 3/30 with 99 cent Mozzarella Stiks All Day Long. Plz mention text when ordering," there's no immediate indication that it might not be good in, say, lubbock, TX.

if you try to get a SONIC to accept a TXT they don't recognize, it makes you, the customer, feel like a creep.  i know this all too well.

better would be to have a common ground where all SONICs agree to abide by any offer that's out in the field ... i mean, come on, are they going to that many people in manchester who are trying to take advantage of a vegas offer? ... and if joe-bob franchise owner can't actually afford to take the buck-and-a-half hit on an order of mozzarella sticks, then maybe corporate should subsidize some, or all of that difference.

i really don't see how this should fall on the shoulder of the consumer to know what is, or is not, honored where-and-when.  it's our money.  it's our custom.  you as a company have to work for it.  

step up to the plate.  

do your job.

Google Alert - SONIC drive-in

News3 new results for SONIC drive-in
Sonic Drive-In opens in Oroville
Mercury-Register
OROVILLE — The Sonic Drive-In opened today at 500 Oro Dam Blvd., next to Holiday Inn Express, featuring breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu features burgers, hot dogs, desserts and drinks, served inside the new restaurant or in the car by ...
See all stories on this topic »
Manchester Sonic to open in late May
Journal Inquirer
By Howard French MANCHESTER — After a series of delays, the state's second Sonic Drive-In restaurant should open in late May at the site of the former 99 Restaurant at 90 Buckland St., the franchise holder, Robert Mesite, says. ...
See all stories on this topic »
Unfinished Restaurants Torn Down, Developer Filed for Bankruptcy
KTXL
Wednesday afternoon, demolition crews took down the unfinished TGI Friday's and Sonic Drive-in. People who pass by the corner of Truxel Boulevard and Gateway Park told FOX40 they are happy the empty buildings are coming down. "It just sits there, ...
See all stories on this topic »

3/30/2011

route 44 iced tea

flamingo SONIC.

and my first quadruple-day, both of this 'blog and of my life.

wacky pack wednesday and mozz stix

chicken stix, apple slices, watermelon-powerade slush and "too many monkeys" card game. this'll be my last dollar mozzarella sticks of the day. durango SONIC.

had to bargain down my prices a bit ... what started as a $10 became a $6.02 bill at the end after pointing out various promos and a classification error on the receipt.

beautiful night here in vegas.

vicious summer just around the corner.

mozzarella stix

durango SONIC.

and, that's right, another survey receipt.

happy hour with mozz stix

medium limeade with extra lime and mozzarella sticks. flamingo SONIC.

super, super nice day ... 72° ... so i ate on the landing.  SONIC's grease can sometimes be a touch off in the fryer -a taste i'm especially sensitive to- but today it was nice and fresh. *great* mozz stix.

mozzarella sticks are a funny thing ... no real taste -- more of a conduit for fat and salt into your system, i'd guess ... sort of like popcorn ... but i've always LOVED THEM everywhere i've had them ... and SONIC's are particularly good in that pre-processed to perfection  kind-of-way.

also got the best car hop i've ever had ... matt, a super-friendly guy originally from bakersfield.

as he was delivering my order he went off about the TXT coupons ... "aren't they GREAT!?"

it's not like i need any fuel to feed that fire in me, of course. i perk up, "yeah, i love them. my favorite was the 11¢ cones on new year's day."

"OH YEAH! that was a good one! my favorite was the ... what was it? ... the ... uh ... YEAH! red velvet cheesecake blast for a dollar on valentine's day! THAT WAS SICK!"

"no. let me tell you what was 'sick.' i was in california when that message came out. i took it to a california SONIC and they wouldn't honor it."

"NO WAY! NO WAY! that's just NOT RIGHT!"

see? now *this* is a person that understands the way the world is *supposed* to be.  why the hell can't the manager of the gilroy SONIC have this much sense?

in other news, the great thing about this pic (aside from the fact it's taken from las vegas on the very most gorgeous of days) is if you look at the palms across the street ... that room in the very top, in the upper left hand corner -- the one that the overhang is kind of pointing at? ... that's where i took the pic from this morning.

SONIC is (and will be) watching me eat

on the 18th of march, i awoke to find this in my versatran mailbox:

Hey there,

We've been following your blog and we wanted to reach out and say hi! As a token of our appreciation for your being such a big SONIC fan, we'd like to send you a My SONIC gift card. Just reply with your address and we'll get one right out to you.


i pass the news around.  it's funny how a simple email can generate a firestorm of discussion ... especially if you have friends who aren't focused enough on their day jobs.  


my e-commerce pal replied in one sentence, in that loving and touching way she's so famous for, "they got off cheap."  special K went into full-on 'net stalker mode, giving me running TXT updates on information he was discovering about the sender.


anyone and everyone i talked to, the first question they asked was, "how much?"


as if that even matters.



part of the reason i wanted to start superbSONIC was to see if anything would come out of it ... i mean, if i'm gonna be stopping there all the time i might as well document it and see what happens ... it's not that much work. 

i figured that one of these days i'd get some sort of freebie out of the mothership ... you know, a t-shirt, a hat, food, something ... i just didn't expect for it to happen so quickly ... i mean, come on, 47 SONIC stops in two-and-a-half months isn't that many, right?

okay, well, it is kind of a lot.  and yes, writing this 'blog DOES make me go to SONIC more often ... but don't change the subject.



i just got off the phone with the author of that email (incredibly nice woman -- especially considering the fact that she was being forced to talk to a rambling freak on the other end).  we had a nice conversation where i'd say all kinds of crazy things and when i'd hand the discussion over to her she'd pause (probably trying to figure out if there was a way i might be able to pull a gun on the phone), then come up with the smallest number of syllables she could utter before i'd ramble some more.


in 15 minutes we covered all sorts of bases ranging from the unemployment rates of a major midwest cities to the fact that i believe american cheese is crap ... but in summary, yes, a SONIC gift card is coming my way!  (something i claim is good, pure, karmic retribution for the 20 bucks i shelled out to special K.)


in addition to feeding my happy hour fixations, i'm going to use that card specifically to delve deeper into the menu ... there's a bunch of stuff on there i've never had that i'm gonna try.  it will be fun, fun, fun.


very early out-of-the-gate i'm gonna get a fruit smoothie (and shortly after that, a grilled chicken salad ... looks really promising) ... but it's going to take a fair amount of planning as i wander through the display board ... there are land mines everywhere on there ... i been eating 1500 calories a day for several months, and the smallest smoothie is 500 calories.


i'm also going to jack up the amount of time i use this 'blog as an open communications channel to SONIC.  you guys are reading it?  great.  i've got some stuff to say if i'm going to bend you to my wishes.  one thing i'm absolutely certain of is SONIC is the most responsive of the nationwide food chains.  they actually kind of "get" the needs and wants of the larger american public -- as much as any corporate monstrosity ever does.  


what?  you don't believe it?  okay, when has mcdonald's, burger king or taco bell ever sent you a gift card?  oh that's right, they haven't.  (but maybe, just maybe, it's because you never got up off your lazy hypothetical ass and actually made a 'blog to the target of your obsession.)


but SONIC's monetary subsidy of my caloric intake won't make what i write here any less (or more) bratty ... it also won't start me using a caps key ... the only real change is it makes me somewhat less likely to dumpster dive the sahara SONIC looking for survey receipts.


to show my gratitude (and for personal statistical reasons) in future posts i'll be using the tag "thanks SONIC" whenever i use a gift card.



i would write more, but i've got to go chow on some mozzarella stix, as well as run a few intervals before my wacky pack tonight.


oh, and by the way ...


thanks, SONIC!


... i mean that sincerely.  


(your current PR reps are very good.)

flamingo SONIC ...

... as seen from the playboy club at the palms ... it's the red neon
lines to the upper right of the palms multi-color neon sign ... is it
open at 1:15AM? ... of *COURSE* it is.

Google Alert - SONIC drive-in

News2 new results for SONIC drive-in
Sonic Testing Online & Mobile Ordering System
The Consumerist
By Chris Morran on March 29, 2011 3:30 PM 0 views A handful of Sonic Drive-In restaurants are taking part in test program called Sonic On the Go that allows customers to order remotely online or using their smartphones and have the food ready for ...
See all stories on this topic »

The Consumerist
There is something for every taste
Great Falls Tribune
S. chains include the Sonic Drive-In, the first Sonic in the state, and Salad Creationsand Jimmy John's Sandwichesnext door to each other on 9th Street. People looking for another quick option can swing through Pasta Pit Stopat No. ...
See all stories on this topic »

3/29/2011

99¢ mozzarella stix tomorrow

oh oh.
***
- Re: Snack It Up @ Sonic Wed. 3/30 with 99 cent Mozzarella Stiks All
Day Long. Plz mention text when ordering.

happy hour

medium lemon-berry slush. flamingo SONIC.

i had to ask for my receipt (and yes, it had a survey on it).

3/28/2011

Google Alert - SONIC drive-in

News1 new result for SONIC drive-in
Lubbock Sonic locations try something new; Sonic On The Go
KCBD-TV
Entertainment News from AP By James Clark - email LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - Lubbock area Sonic Drive In restaurants are trying something new, which they call "Sonic On The Go." Anyone with Internet access, including Internet-ready smart phones can order ...
See all stories on this topic »

3/27/2011

route 44 iced tea

flamingo SONIC.

3/26/2011

breakfast burrito with route 44 iced tea



pahrump SONIC.

used the entertainment book BOGO coupon.

hit this place coming back from death valley ... BIG SONIC ... looks like 20+ stalls and at least a dozen picnic tables ... good manager, as soon as i told her i had a coupon at the drive thru she just had me pull up to the cashier window -- the right move, but *very* few SONICs will do this.

for the 30 or so minutes i was hanging out, there were 2 cars total at the stalls and 6 drive-thrus counting me ... this, at 8:00PM on a saturday. it pains me to see a SONIC this nice -in a city as friendly as pahrump- with so little traffic.

i've never had one of these breakfast burritos before and saying it's "only okay" is being a bit generous ... here are the down-sides:
* the bacon is uninteresting (and cheap)
* the picante sauce is seriously lacking kick
* at $4, it's too expensive for what you get
* the taste is very much in the mid-west bland palate

but there are up-sides:
* it's made to order (i'll wait for anything to be made, i hate "shelf food")
* you can order it 24 hours a day
* it comes with cheddar cheese (not american)
* it's better than an egg mcmuffin (but come on, consider the
competition)

Google Alert - sonic drive-in

News2 new results for sonic drive-in
Sonic location on Clemson Boulevard in Anderson closes
Anderson Independent Mail
By Kirk Brown ANDERSON — The Sonic Drive-In on Clemson Boulevard has closed, marking the second fast-food franchise that has failed to succeed at the same location on the busy road. A Dairy Queen originally opened in the building at 3556 Clemson Blvd. ...
See all stories on this topic »
Trade Talk: Swanson sees rise in demand for iodine
In-Forum
It's something Fargo-Moorhead area residents seem to long for almost as much as a flood-free spring – a Sonic Drive-In. A Sonic spokeswoman said the company does plan to open a restaurant in Fargo, but it's still too soon to speculate on an opening ...
See all stories on this topic »

Google Alert - sonic drive-in

News4 new results for sonic drive-in
OLO Announces Mobile Ordering Pilot Program with Sonic Drive-In
PR Newswire (press release)
NEW YORK, March 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- OLO Online Ordering, the fastest growing provider of mobile and online ordering for restaurants, today announced the launch of a 71 store pilot program for Sonic Drive-In. Titled "Sonic On the Go," the program ...
See all stories on this topic »
Sonic Drive-In reopens Gainesville franchise
The Independent Florida Alligator
For Gainesville residents who missed out on the fun of drive-in dining for the past three years, it's time to rejoice. Sonic Drive-In, 2162 NW 39th Ave., reopened Thursday from 5 pm to 8 pm after closing in 2008. The store will continue limited hours, ...
See all stories on this topic »
Police search for another smash & grab suspect
WAFB.com
According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, the latest incident happened at a Sonic Drive In on Airline Highway early Friday morning. Investigators said the alarm went off around 3:40 am and when they arrived on the scene they found the glass door ...
See all stories on this topic »
Camp Pendleton satisfying Marines' hunger pangs
San Diego Union Tribune
A Sonic Drive-in, for example, will start construction within a month in a more remote location in the northern part of the base, but when Camp Pendleton learned that the popular burger brand also had a food truck, it invited the local franchisee to ...
See all stories on this topic »

3/24/2011

happy hour

route 44 limeade with extra lime. lake mead SONIC.

i've been here before, just not since superbSONIC started.

3/23/2011

wacky pack wednesday

chicken strips, apple slices, limeade (w/ extra lime) and a SONIC PRO
football. sahara SONIC.

Google Alert - sonic drive-in

News1 new result for sonic drive-in
Sonic reports fiscal 2Q profit
BusinessWeek
Drive-in restaurant operator Sonic Corp. on Tuesday reported a fiscal second-quarter profit, helped by a gain from repaying some company debt early. For the quarter that ended Feb. 28, Sonic earned $4.3 million, or 7 cents per share, compared with a ...
See all stories on this topic »

new superbSONIC experiment underway

okay,

so what i want is a news alert to automatically blast any given SONIC drive-in news of the day to my gadget bar in the right hand margin ... unfortunately google doesn't have anything like that built-in to their gadgetry assortment (and for damn sure i'm not going to write it) ... so what i'm going to try instead is google alerts automatically posting here to the 'blog ... the bad news is it'll appear as just a normal post (a little more "important" than i'd like), but the good news is i might get some good googley-gook that's related to SONIC here.

i could have it post automatically, but for the time being i'm having it saved as draft so i can give the postings a look-see before they go out.  i suspect there'll be some formatting weirdness and probably title problems.

we'll see,
b1

PS mr. crypto, grumbler, the robot or anyone else who happens to read this who's a techie: what i'm looking for is a newsfeed "gadget" (poke around on blogger to see what i'm referring to), BUT i want just the top story of the moment ... even something as crude as sample-at-midnight-now-give-me-the-top-story would work.  having this information living in/but over-written on the gadget bar is better than being in the text fields here because: 1. i'm not writing it and 2. it's not the focus of importance to what's here.

PPS you can ignore the gobblety-gook message from before if you get this by RSS ... and yes, i already changed the posting email address.

3/22/2011

quote of the moment

"too much of a good thing is a good thing."

-- SONIC description of kids' drinks in their balanced choices menu

3/21/2011

route 44 iced tea

flamingo SONIC.

3/20/2011

hot fudge sundae 'n' route 44 iced tea

flamingo SONIC.

and my last stop today ... nevertheless, it's my first triple since starting this 'blog (but not even my first triple ice cream of the year ... SONIC had 11c cones on new year's day ... i had three then).

happy hour with caramel sundae

medium limeade with extra lime. and a survey receipt.

flamingo SONIC.

strawberry sundae

flamingo SONIC.

i'm nearly certain this is a "jr. sundae" and not a "single topping
sundae." so i've been undersold here ... but this isn't my last stop of
the day.

building the shovel

today's gonna be a big day.  ice cream is my favorite SONIC "food" and the TXT message offer of today is as good as infinite free play in my favorite arcade.

BUT i'm only eating 1500 calories a day AND sundaes run 500 calories apiece.

what to do?

elliptical time.

the rio spa is an easy walk from flamingo SONIC.  and at my weight and speed, an hour on an elliptical is 1000 calories burned.

this won't be the first time i've done a lot of exercise to overpower my ravenous eating.

... and i want a lot of sundaes, so ...

i better get to the SONIC.  and then to the gym.  and then to the SONIC.  and then to the gym.

see you on the treadmill and that damn well better be ice cream i see on your lips.

and i don't want to hear that you paid more than a buck for your sundae.

3/19/2011

$1 sundaes tomorrow

latest TXT offer.
***
99 cent single topping sundaes all day @ Sonic Sunday 3/20 only Plz
mention txt when ordering.

3/18/2011

happy hour

medium lemon-berry slush. flamingo SONIC.

3/17/2011

tots 'n' tea

regular chili cheese tots and route 44 iced tea. flamingo SONIC.

used the TXT coupon, otherwise i wouldn't have taken the caloric hit ... didn't finish them because i'm not a fan of american cheese.

3/16/2011

route 44 iced tea

with sugar and extra lemon, like always. durango SONIC.

50¢ chili cheese tots tomorrow

latest TXT

{what's interesting here is i didn't get this TXT, but a friend did.}

***
Thurs 3/17 Special @ Sonic 50 cent small order of Chili Cheese Fries or
Tots All Day Long. Mention Txt w/order

3/15/2011

route 44 iced tea

flamingo SONIC

3/13/2011

route 44 iced tea

flamingo SONIC

3/10/2011

happy hour

lemon-berry slush. durango SONIC.

3/09/2011

route 44 iced tea

flamingo SONIC.

no big hits of caffeine today and i was about to go play poker.  this is my first double-day since starting this 'blog.

wacky pack wednesday

chicken strips, apple slices, lemon-berry slush and, that's right, a wacky pack hacky sack (they call it a "SONIC PRO kick"). durango SONIC.

(got another survey receipt too.)

3/07/2011

vanilla dish

flamingo SONIC.
(just a bit skimpy on portion.)

$1.50 croissonic's tomorrow

latest TXT offer
***

Start Tuesday off @ Sonic (3/8) w/$1.50 CroisSonic sandwich Open-10am.
Egg, cheese, bacon or sausage. Plz mention txt when ordering.

3/05/2011

happy hour

medium strawberry slush. sahara SONIC.

3/02/2011

wacky pack wednesday

chicken strips, apple slices, strawberry-limeade and "in a pickle" card
game. flamingo SONIC.

a couple of interesting data:
* there's a new promo to win a $5K amazon gift card (more on that
separately)
* you can substitute apples for tots in the hot dog combos

3/01/2011

SONIC match maker quiz (+ hot dog combo coupon)

SONIC is running a new nationwide promotion to beef up their hot dog sales.  If you take their match maker quiz, not only do you get prognostication on what your perfect dog/drink combo is, you also get emailed a printable coupon for $1 off on any dog combo (dog, side and a drink) of your choice.

SONIC said i was a cranberry sprite and a chicago hot dog type, which is surprising ... i think of myself much more as a lemon-berry slush with an all-american kind of guy.

happy hour

medium lime slush with extra lime, SONIC #2438.