Wallingford Sonic Drive-In Breaks Sales Records

This past Saturday, July 24th, the Wallingford Sonic Drive-In held a one day Special Grand Opening event from 6 AM to midnight. I figured this event would be well attended, even packed to the gills. It seems I was right.

Today, everyone who is signed up for Sonic’s email newsletter received the following email, and it was also posted on the Sonic of CT web site:

“We would like to thank all of our Sonic Drive-In Fans and Customers  who came out to support our ‘Special Grand Opening Event’ on Saturday the 24th.

Because of you, the Wallingford, CT store broke the record for the highest sales in one day for any Sonic Drive-in across the country!

The CT store beat the record that was previously held by Peabody, MA!

We would like you to know we appreciate all your support and business and are proud to have ‘The Sonic Experience’ a part of CT”

Thank you to all our Fans and supporters!!

Sincerely and with Great Appreciation,

The Mesite Family, The Sonic Management Team, Staff and The A-Team Members”

Well, I’d say that’s a pretty good indication of good attendance! It’s saying a lot that the Wallingford store broke a record for ALL Sonic restaurants throughout the United States. That’s over 3,500 locations and counting! But, there is scuttlebutt going around that the record won’t last long, as residents of both the upcoming Manchester and Milford locations are boasting that each will break Wallingford’s record. Will they or won’t they?

I’m betting NO. What do YOU think?

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Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Wallingford Sonic Drive-In Breaks Sales Record

Wallingford’s Sonic Drive-In Open For Business

Mickey D’s arches are sagging a bit. BK’s crown has lost a little of its luster. And Wendy’s? Well, they may be lost in Never Never Land.

After months of negotiation, debate, meetings, planning, studies and construction, Wallingford’s newest eatery opened today with style, fanfare and fantastic food. While I could not be there in person, I did follow some of the festivities on Facebook. After the ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 AM, the drive-in began serving customers in earnest at 10:30 AM. Sonic staff did well to take lots of pictures of the tidal wave of customers who descended on the place to get their first taste of the delectable menu of burgers, hot dogs, fries, tater tots, salads, desserts, and the over 169,000 possible combinations of drinks available.

Traffic Woes

As anticipated by Operations Manager Robert Mesite the traffic volume was considerable, apparently high enough to get people turned away at the entrance as early as 1:30 PM according to some disappointed patrons who posted comments on Sonic of CT’s Facebook page. One person said that they had driven about two hours to attend the grand opening, only to be told that no one else was being admitted. The traffic problem, though unfortunate, should not have come as a surprise to anyone who has been following Sonic’s progress. It was a main sticking point in the approval process, and has been emphasized repeatedly by Robert Mesite on the Sonic web site. Plus, anyone who’s been in Connecticut for any length of time remembers the Krispy Kreme opening on the Berlin Turnpike a few years back. Just remembering how that turned out should have been enough to prepare everyone for today’s heavy attendance, and it will probably continue for several more days at least.

Play Nice in the Sandbox

One last thing I’d like to address before I close is all the Sonic bashers/haters/trolls that have been clogging up Sonic’s Facebook page today. These people were making rude remarks about Sonic, the pictures that were being posted, the poor quality of the food, etc. All I have to say is this: if you disapprove of Sonic, their food or how they conduct business, there are ways to make your feelings known without showing the world how much of a butthead you are by acting like one online. Remember, what happens online, stays online…forever. Sonic is proud of what they’ve accomplished, and well they should be. In a time of rising unemployment and dismal economic forecasts, Sonic has brought 130 new jobs to Wallingford and who knows how much revenue will be generated. Bottom line is, Sonic will be nothing but a boon to the Wallingford economy for years to come.

The last official word I heard is that for the first two weeks they’re open, the hours of operation will be 10 AM to 10 PM; beginning August 1st, the hours will change to 6 AM to 11 PM. These hours may change, and of course if they do I’ll post something here as I receive it. In case you don’t know, the new Sonic is located at 1033 North Colony Road on the site of the former Yankee Silversmith Inn. If you haven’t yet done so, you can sign up to be a TIFOS (The Incredible Friends of Sonic) on the Sonic web site, and there are also four videos by Robert Mesite further explaining the grand opening, the honeymoon period, traffic issues and other important information.

WELCOME TO WALLINGFORD, SONIC!!

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Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Wallingford’s Sonic Drive-in Open For Business

I just wanted to post a little update regarding the progress of the Wallingford Sonic Drive-In construction. Back on May 17th I attended the ground breaking ceremony for the new restaurant, and at that time the site looked like this:

Lots of bare ground and nothing really going on. So, yesterday I drove by and took a few shots of what’s been done so far:

I know, still not much to look at, but it shows some progress being made in erecting the building and supports for the canopy. As far as we have heard, Sonic of CT is still shooting for a grand opening during the 4th of July weekend, but I have a gut feeling that deadline won’t be met, judging by the level of completion and that the 4th of July is only 12 days away, but I guess we’ll see!

Sonic recently had a couple of job fairs to interview for managerial, carhop, and crew positions on June 15th and 17th at the Villa Capri Restaurant, and comments left on their Facebook page indicated they had received well over 1200 applications for what are probably well under 100 positions! A few people commented that they had been hired, so I guess they weren’t messing around sifting through those applications!

We’ll post again when more information about the opening is made public. See you guys soon for a Cherry Limeade!

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Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Update on Construction of Wallingford Sonic

Sonic of CT Breaks Ground for New Wallingford Drive-In

Well, whatever speculation there might have been about the coming of Sonic to Wallingford is officially over. At 3PM Monday afternoon, dignitaries from Sonic, the Mesite family and local government gathered together for a ground breaking ceremony to herald the coming of the long-awaited eatery.

Robert Mesite, his brother Ralph, sister Gina and mother Rosalie were all on hand, as well as his wife and children, several Sonic officials, Wallingford Mayor William Dickinson, Senator Len Fasano and Representative Mary Fritz. Gina made some opening remarks, followed by Robert and Ralph. Then the mike was turned over to the politicos who offered congratulations and well wishes.

The family then took the ceremonial spades and dug into the pile of earth in front of them, tossing it on the pile and  marking the construction site officially open as cameras from the major news channels recorded the event. As you all know, this is the first Sonic drive-in for the state, but it won’t be the last. Robert Mesite stated that there are plans to open an additional seven restaurants in Connecticut, with the next one scheduled for Manchester. He said that Sonic moves “at the speed of sound”, and plans to prove it: the Wallingford drive-in is scheduled to open during the first week of July, a scant seven weeks away.

We know we can’t wait for it to open, and there are scores more who feel the same way. We took some pictures of the ceremony, some of which are included in this post. If you’d like to see the entire set of photos, please head over to my Facebook page. We also took some video, which I have included here. I shot it with my Flip camera, so try to look past the slight shakiness!

All in all, it was a fitting launch to Wallingford’s chapter of the Sonic experience, and I hope to see you all at the Grand Opening in July! Keep checking back here regularly, as I’ll be posting more info regarding the opening as it becomes available.

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Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Sonic of CT Breaks Ground for New Wallingford Drive-In

Wallingford Sonic Drive-In Closer to Reality

Today on their Facebook page, Sonic of CT posted some news that is sure to please the hungry multitudes that have been waiting with bated breath for the popular eatery to open. According to their post, owner and developer Robert Mesite plans to break ground for the new restaurant within the week, and an opening date is anticipated within the following two months. That would place the serving of the first burger and Cherry Limeade sometime in July, a little behind the June opening that was originally hoped for. But at least now there’s a time frame in place, giving some definite form to the upcoming schedule of events. Can the Grand Opening be far behind??

Stay tuned to this space for additional updates as they come available!

(Sonic trivia: did you know that, before she was on American Idol, Kelly Pickler was a Sonic carhop in Albemarle, NC?)

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Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Wallingford Sonic Drive-In Closer to Reality

Wallingford PZC Approves CT’s First Sonic Drive-In

The meeting at Wallingford’s Town Hall tonight was approaching the 2 hour mark. Many questions were posed by the commission to the applicants, some seemingly more than once. Residents spoke their minds about the proposal, both for and against it, and even though every question was answered and every concern addressed, the final decision of the Planning and Zoning Commission was still in doubt. Finally, at about 9:00 PM, the vote was taken. The first Sonic Drive-In in Connecticut was approved unanimously.

But, not without some conditions. The biggest stumbling block had been how the traffic volume would affect the location and Route 5, and one of the provisions for approval was to have a post-opening traffic study done that would detail what effect, if any, the opening of the restaurant would have during the soft launch and the grand opening. Another provision was to make granting of building permits for the other two buildings on the lot subject to the outcome of the traffic study. There were other provisions as well, including one for controlling access of trucks during the initial opening of the restaurant, and also one to move a proposed crosswalk to be used by the roller skating servers. I think there were a couple other minor ones, but the developers of the site, led by Robert Mesite, Engineer John Mancini and Attorney Dennis Ceneviva, agreed to accommodate them all.

As far as I could determine, the next, and hopefully final, step before construction can start is to submit the plan to the state (Department of Transportation, I believe) for approval of some of the traffic-related changes that are planned for the site before launch. It was not clear how long this process would take or if any other steps would need to be taken prior to beginning construction, but I’m sure a full report will be forthcoming from the Record-Journal in the next few days outlining what’s up next for the long-awaited eatery.

Congratulations to the entire Sonic development team on a great presentation, and we’ll be watching closely for new developments…or to catch that first Sonic burger hot off the grill!

(If anyone sees any inaccuracies in this post, please feel free to bring them to my attention and I will correct them!)

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Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Wallingford PZC Approves CT’s First Sonic Drive-In

UPDATE: Wallingford PZC Approves Sonic Application

So, my wife and I just got back from attending the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at the Wallingford Town Hall. After an hour of sitting in some rather uncomfortable auditorium chairs, we got the news we had been waiting for:

The Zoning Board of Appeals has passed the variance request we told you about here, and the march to opening Connecticut’s first Sonic Drive-In now moves on to the next Planning & Zoning Committee hearing next month.

We heard opening comments from the ZBA, then Attorney Dennis Ceneviva presented the request for the variance to the board, accompanied by Robert Mesite, managing partner of Sonic of CT, and a gentleman from the engineering firm (whose name I did not get) who will work on the project. There was some initial concern from the board chairman which was quickly allayed, and just one question about the proposed hours of operation from another board member. Then, a Wallingford resident, Ken (sorry Ken, didn’t get your last name!), addressed the board in support of passing the variance request. With little further comment or discussion, the board voted unanimously to allow the variance.

This is great news for all Sonic lovers in Connecticut, and hopefully this was the last big hurdle to overcome before construction can begin. Actually, I think there’s going to be a traffic study done to see if the traffic on Route 5 will be adversely affected by Sonic’s opening, but I don’t think that will be a problem. Most new places that open have initial surges in traffic until the novelty wears off, then it pretty much goes back to normal; it shouldn’t be any different with Sonic.

Kudos to Attorney Ceneviva and Robert and Ralph Mesite for keeping the Wallingford Sonic project on course, and to our new friend Ken for his staunch support of their efforts. Thanks to them, it’s looking more and more like a Cherry Limeade and Sonic burger are in my future plans!

The next meeting on the Sonic project is scheduled for February 8th at 7 P.M. at the Wallingford Town Hall. At this point the meeting is most likely a formality since the P&Z committee did not vote against the Sonic development at the first meeting, they simply wanted more input. Since tonight’s meeting gave them that input, it should be smooth sailing from here on!

VIVA LA SONIQUE!!

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Wallingford Sonic Appeal Passes ZBA

Don’t forget to attend the ZBA meeting Tuesday night at 7 o’clock at the Wallingford Town Hall. Bring all your Sonic lovin’ friends!

“The Wallingford Zoning Board of Appeals will hold the following public hearings at their meeting of Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in the Robert Earley Auditorium, Town Hall, 45 South Main Street. 1. #09-061 Variance request from Mesite Family Limited Partnership for a front yard landscaped area of 25 feet where 50 feet is required (Section 4.16.E.1.a.1), to allow for the proposed site development (Sonic Drive-In, retail/bank building, and office building) at 1033 North Colony Road. Zoned RF-40 2.”

Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Wallingford ZBA Hearing on Sonic Variance

We spotted the following legal notice posted in the Meriden Record-Journal’s Marketplace:

“The Wallingford Zoning Board of Appeals will hold the following public hearings at their meeting of Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in the Robert Earley Auditorium, Town Hall, 45 South Main Street. 1.    #09-061 Variance request from Mesite Family Limited Partnership for a front yard landscaped area of 25 feet where 50 feet is required (Section 4.16.E.1.a.1), to allow for the proposed site development (Sonic Drive-In, retail/bank building, and office building) at 1033 North Colony Road. Zoned RF-40 2.”

If you’ve been following the progress of the Mesite family’s attempt to bring a Sonic Drive-In to Wallingford, you know that 25 feet of landscaping has the potential to put the kibosh on the whole deal, unless a variance can be obtained. This public meeting will, hopefully, grant that exception so the project can proceed. If the Zoning Board of Appeals votes against it, then you may have to drive a little further to enjoy your Route 44 upgrades…like Milford, or  up on the Berlin Turnpike perhaps, depending on what location is next on the Mesite’s list to develop.

At any rate, if you’re all drooling about having a Sonic in our quaint little burg, hop on down to the Town Hall on January 19th at 7:00 PM to show your support. And bring a friend…or a Cherry Limeade!

[UPDATE: PZC Delays Sonic Decision 1 Month]

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Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Wallingford to Decide Fate of Sonic Drive-In

Wallingford Sonic Drive-In Update

Back in July, we posted the news about a Sonic Drive-In restaurant possibly coming to Wallingford. That news took another step towards reality today with the report that Robert Mesite, owner of the Villa Capri and now-gone Yankee Silversmith restaurants has submitted a site plan for Connecticut’s first Sonic Drive-In to be built on the vacant lot where his landmark Yankee Silversmith once stood.

The proposal is for a 1,700 square foot restaurant with no indoor seating (they roller skate the food to your car, remember?) that Mesite hopes will be completed by next spring. Mesite and his family are also reportedly in negotiations to bring franchises to several other locations in the state as well, so even though Wallingford is fairly centrally located in the state, there may be a time when a Sonic is only a few minutes drive away, no matter where you live.

This is great news for all the Sonic fans in the state that have been salivating over the possibility of Sonic coming here, now it seems their wait may be coming to an end. Better get on over to the Sonic web site now and sign up for that Sonic Cruisers membership, Spring is just around the corner, and your first Route 66 44 upgrade and Cherry Limeade is coming with it!

New Update:  Meriden Record-Journal Report

Newer Update (12/1/09): Plans For Sonic Drive-in Hit a Snag

Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Wallingford Sonic Drive-In UPDATE!