The SONIC Way: Custom Drinks, Drive-Ins and Doing It Their Way
SONIC Brand President John Kelly joins Hospitality Hangout to talk custom drinks, dirty soda, drive-in culture, SONIC ice, tots, loyalty, AI, and why SONIC still feels different after more than 70 years. This one is about nostalgia, weirdness, beverages, and building a QSR brand that knows exactly what it is.
John Kelly, Brand President of SONIC Drive-In, joins Hospitality Hangout for a conversation about drinks, drive-in culture, nostalgia, technology, and why SONIC still feels different.
John talks about the power of SONIC’s beverage platform, from cherry limeades and Refreshers to dirty soda, SONIC ice, and more than a million drink combinations. He also gets into the SONIC Smasher, value, mobile ordering, SONIC Rewards, third-party delivery, and the role of drive-in stalls in creating a guest experience that still feels personal.
The episode also explores how SONIC is thinking about AI and restaurant technology. John’s focus is on helping general managers make better decisions, improve speed of service, and run stronger restaurants without letting technology get in the way of hospitality.
From “newstalgia” to custom drinks, this is a look at how SONIC is keeping its brand fun, familiar, and different.
Episode Credits:
- Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
- Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling
- Producer: Julie Zucker
- Creative Director: Adam Levine
- Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
- Post Production: Three Cheers Creative
www.thehospitalityhangout.com
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