SONIC media kit I -- applause & acclaim

{these media kit pieces are available as download from the SONIC web site ... i wanted them in here for search engine fodder, and for my future reference ... all this would be (c) america's drive-in properties, but they won't care since media kits are for propaganda dissemination by their very nature ... formatting and graphics have changed due to cut/paste anomalies ... i won't be cleaning those up.}

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Applause & Acclaim

SONIC, America’s Drive-In, offers customers award-winning menu items and unparalleled customer service. As a result of its successes, leading business publications such as Forbes and Entrepreneur continually recognize SONIC as one of America’s top companies. Additionally, SONIC repeatedly receives accolades from restaurant industry publications and associations for outstanding service, menu variety and quality of food.

QSR Magazine (August 2010)

• QSR Magazine ranks SONIC at No. 10 in the magazine’s Top 50 QSR list based on systemwide sales. In addition, SONIC is ranked No. 4 in the Burger category.

Cause Marketing Forum Silver Halo Award (June 2010)

• SONIC’s Limeades for Learning® cause branding program earned a Silver Halo Award for Best Video at the Cause Marketing Forum June 3, 2010 in Chicago, Ill. The Cause Marketing Forum distributes Halo Awards to causes and companies who do their part to address a societal need and promote positive change.

Nation’s Restaurant News (January 2010)

• SONIC’s Limeades for Learning^® cause branding program is listed as No. 7 among the Top 10 scoring television advertisements for 2009 among all restaurant brands.

QSR Magazine (January 2010)

• SONIC’s Limeades for Learning^® cause branding program among one of the magazine’s Best of 2009: Charitable Giving programs.

Ladies’ Home Journal Do Good Stamp (December 2009)

• SONIC was honored as one of the inaugural list of brands to receive the Ladies’ Home Journal Do GoodTM Stamp . The Ladies’ Home Journal awards the Do Good Stamp to corporations that are committed to doing good and that are an inspiration. SONIC was honored for Improving Education through its national cause branding program, Limeades for Learning^.

Oklahoma Gazette (August 2009)

• SONIC was awarded “Best of OKC” honors for Dinner on a Budget and Happy Hour by in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Gazette.

Nation’s Restaurant News (June 2009)

• The magazine’s Top 100 report ranked SONIC at No. 13 for Top 100 chains ranked by U.S. Systemwide Foodservice Sales.

WebMD.com (March 2009)

• In a recent WebMD.com article, SONIC’s regular fries were recognized as having the lowest calories, lowest fat grams, lowest percentage of calories from fat and lowest total amount of “bad fats” as well as second lowest in sodium.

The Times – Shreveport, La. (March 2009)

• SONIC was a 2009 Reader’s Choice Awards winner for Best Fast Food place and Best Happy Hour in Shreveport, La., The Times.

AllBusiness AllStar Franchises List (February 2009)

• SONIC made the first annual AllBusiness AllStar Franchise Top 300 list for 2009. The ranking is a unique approach that assesses the strengths of franchising companies, including criteria such as Web visibility and the latest financial strength scores from Dun & Bradstreet. The editors at AllBusiness.com and experts choose the Top 300.

The New Tribune – Tacoma, Wash. (February 2009)

• SONIC was the preferred restaurant over Burgerville in The News Tribune’s Online Poll of readers. More than 1,200 readers voted.

Chicago Tribune (January 2009)

• The SuperSONIC Cheeseburger received an A- grand in a Chicago Tribune article ranking five new burger chains and their signature burgers. The Tribune described the taste test as “A nice sweetness to the buns…the cheese has successfully melted into the patty’s crevices and created an amalgam of beefy wonderfulness…well-balanced and well-flavored on the whole…not as greasy as similar burgers.”

Entrepreneur magazine (January 2009)

• SONIC's overall ranking rises to No. 4 spot on Entrepreneur's 2009 Franchise® 500. 

Amarillo Sunday News-Globe (October 2008)

• SONIC was awarded the Best Happy Hour by the Amarillo Sunday News-Globe.

QSR Magazine (August 2008)

• SONIC ranks number 10 in QSR magazine’s The QSR 50 for systemwide sales for the second year in a row. In addition, SONIC captures the number 4 spot for the second year in a row in the Burger Segment of The QSR 50.

Restaurants & Institutions (July 2008)

• R&I’s Top 400 Restaurant Chains listed SONIC at No. 13 based on annual sales, number of units and average unit volume (AUV).

Entrepreneur (January 2008)

• SONIC's overall ranking rises yet again to No. 6 on Entrepreneur's 2007 Franchise® 500 list.

Forbes (October 2006)

• Forbes names SONIC® as the No. 104 on its 200 Best Small Companies List.

This is the 13th consecutive appearance, giving SONIC® the longest standing tenure on list.

QSR Magazine (June 2006)

• Franchisees rank SONIC No. 1 in QSR's Annual Brand Satisfaction Survey for creating an inclusive, collaborative environment. The survey measures franchisees among the largest 150 chains tracked by Restaurant Research and asks franchisee operators to rate their own restaurant concepts around nine key brand components – sales and profit prospects, menu, promotional line-up, advertising, operations, system condition, concept management and franchisee support.

Entrepreneur (December 2005)

• SONIC listed as the No. 1 franchise in the burger category on Entrepreneur’s 2006

Franchise 500® list, the most comprehensive ratings list of franchises in the world. SONIC’s overall ranking is No. 13 on the Franchise 500 list.

International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (February 2004)

• SONIC Chairman and CEO Cliff Hudson named top quick-service restaurant executive

of the year by the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association for its annual

Silver Plate Awards. A committee consisting of editors of foodservice-industry

publications and last year's winners of the Silver Plate awards selected the winners.

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