Okla-homey
10/28/2009, 06:45 AM
Sonic founder Troy N. Smith passed away Monday.
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/4066/old21444279640x480.jpg
Troy N. Smith
Smith, 87, was a great Oklahoman who built a fast-food empire practically from scratch. Whether you like Sonic or not, you may be interested in reading the background information below regarding the development of the ubiquitous chain.
Smith, Sonic's founder, returned to his hometown of Shawnee, Oklahoma after World War II. He became a milkman and then decided to work delivering bread because it wasn't as heavy. He soon bought a little cafe in Shawnee called the Cottage Cafe. Before long he sold this and opened a restaurant on the edge of Shawnee called Troy's Pan Full of Chicken.
This property included a small root beer stand that was called the Top Hat Drive-In which he opened in 1953. After realizing that the stand was averaging $700.00 a week in the sale of root beer, hamburgers and hot dogs Smith decided to focus on the more profitable drive-in and scrapped plans to expand the restaurant into a fancier steakhouse.
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/6963/oldsonicmenu.jpg
Old Sonic menu board at the Oklahoma History Center
Originally at the Top Hat customers would park anywhere on the gravel lot and walk up to place their orders. However, on a trip to Louisiana, Smith saw a drive-in that utilized speakers for ordering. He realized that he could increase his sales if he could control the parking and have the customers order from speakers at their cars. Carhops would then deliver the food to the customers. Smith borrowed several cars from a friend who owned a used car lot to establish a layout for controlled parking.
He also had some so called "jukebox boys" come in and wire an intercom system in the parking lot. Sales tripled immediately and his little root beer stand was a huge success.
Entrepreneur Charles Woodrow Pappe stopped by chance at the Shawnee drive-in and was very impressed. He got out of his car and began to take measurements of the stalls, trying to figure out why they were not all the same size, assuming that it was an essential ingredient of the business plan. Smith came out and introduced himself and explained that the stalls were different sizes simply because different-sized cars had been used when he laid everything out. The two men hit it off and negotiated the first franchise location in Woodward in 1956.
By 1958, two more drive-ins were built in Enid and Stillwater. Upon learning that the Top Hat name was already trademarked, Troy Smith and Charles Pappe changed the name to Sonic. The new name worked with their existing slogan "Service with the Speed of Sound". After the name change, the first Sonic sign was installed at the former Top-Hat Drive-In Stillwater.
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/4743/old800pxsonicdrivein.jpg
This location has been considered to be the first Sonic Drive-In because the first Sonic sign was installed there, and the original sign can still be seen in Stillwater. While Smith and Pappe were being asked to help open new franchise locations, however, there was no royalty plan in place.
The pair decided to have their paper company charge an extra penny for each Sonic label hamburger bag they sold. The proceeds were to split half for Smith and half for Pappe. The first franchise contracts under this plan were drawn up by Smith's landlord O.K. Winterringer, who was also a lawyer. At the time, there was no joint marketing plan or standardized menu and few operating requirements.
Sonic became a publicly traded company in 1991, and in 1994 the corporation had finished renegoiating the franchise agreements with its franchisees. In 1995 J. Clifford Hudson had taken over the reins as President and CEO, and Sonic Industries became Sonic Corporation.
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/5205/oldsonicdriveincorporat.jpg
Sonic corporate headquarters in OKC
During the mid-1990s, Sonic was opening 100 - 150 new restaurants a year. Then company reports 3511 locations in 42 states as of this writing.
Smith is survived by his wife, Dollie, a son and daughter, as well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The company said a memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at the First Christian Church of Edmond.
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/4066/old21444279640x480.jpg
Troy N. Smith
Smith, 87, was a great Oklahoman who built a fast-food empire practically from scratch. Whether you like Sonic or not, you may be interested in reading the background information below regarding the development of the ubiquitous chain.
Smith, Sonic's founder, returned to his hometown of Shawnee, Oklahoma after World War II. He became a milkman and then decided to work delivering bread because it wasn't as heavy. He soon bought a little cafe in Shawnee called the Cottage Cafe. Before long he sold this and opened a restaurant on the edge of Shawnee called Troy's Pan Full of Chicken.
This property included a small root beer stand that was called the Top Hat Drive-In which he opened in 1953. After realizing that the stand was averaging $700.00 a week in the sale of root beer, hamburgers and hot dogs Smith decided to focus on the more profitable drive-in and scrapped plans to expand the restaurant into a fancier steakhouse.
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/6963/oldsonicmenu.jpg
Old Sonic menu board at the Oklahoma History Center
Originally at the Top Hat customers would park anywhere on the gravel lot and walk up to place their orders. However, on a trip to Louisiana, Smith saw a drive-in that utilized speakers for ordering. He realized that he could increase his sales if he could control the parking and have the customers order from speakers at their cars. Carhops would then deliver the food to the customers. Smith borrowed several cars from a friend who owned a used car lot to establish a layout for controlled parking.
He also had some so called "jukebox boys" come in and wire an intercom system in the parking lot. Sales tripled immediately and his little root beer stand was a huge success.
Entrepreneur Charles Woodrow Pappe stopped by chance at the Shawnee drive-in and was very impressed. He got out of his car and began to take measurements of the stalls, trying to figure out why they were not all the same size, assuming that it was an essential ingredient of the business plan. Smith came out and introduced himself and explained that the stalls were different sizes simply because different-sized cars had been used when he laid everything out. The two men hit it off and negotiated the first franchise location in Woodward in 1956.
By 1958, two more drive-ins were built in Enid and Stillwater. Upon learning that the Top Hat name was already trademarked, Troy Smith and Charles Pappe changed the name to Sonic. The new name worked with their existing slogan "Service with the Speed of Sound". After the name change, the first Sonic sign was installed at the former Top-Hat Drive-In Stillwater.
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/4743/old800pxsonicdrivein.jpg
This location has been considered to be the first Sonic Drive-In because the first Sonic sign was installed there, and the original sign can still be seen in Stillwater. While Smith and Pappe were being asked to help open new franchise locations, however, there was no royalty plan in place.
The pair decided to have their paper company charge an extra penny for each Sonic label hamburger bag they sold. The proceeds were to split half for Smith and half for Pappe. The first franchise contracts under this plan were drawn up by Smith's landlord O.K. Winterringer, who was also a lawyer. At the time, there was no joint marketing plan or standardized menu and few operating requirements.
Sonic became a publicly traded company in 1991, and in 1994 the corporation had finished renegoiating the franchise agreements with its franchisees. In 1995 J. Clifford Hudson had taken over the reins as President and CEO, and Sonic Industries became Sonic Corporation.
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/5205/oldsonicdriveincorporat.jpg
Sonic corporate headquarters in OKC
During the mid-1990s, Sonic was opening 100 - 150 new restaurants a year. Then company reports 3511 locations in 42 states as of this writing.
Smith is survived by his wife, Dollie, a son and daughter, as well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The company said a memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at the First Christian Church of Edmond.