Will Sonics DriveIn ever migrate up to the NorthEastern United States?
The chain is doing well and trying to expand. There are signs that they want to move into the northeast, and they’ve already made a few moves in that direction by opening up shops in the northern Mid-Atlantic region. Note this below, but also keep in mind that they have also been opening some stores that aren’t drive-ins. That bodes well for the northeast (eventually): Because it is a drive-in, Sonic’s sales tend be more seasonal with the plurality of sales coming during the summer. This also explains why it has not yet moved up to more northern U.S. states; however, in spring of 2006, Sonic opened its first locations in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Oregon, and Washington (Ephrata, Bridgeville, Central Point, and Spokane, respectively), with plans to expand into the Columbus, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania markets as well beginning in 2007. Approximately 25 stores are expected in Columbus in the next 3 years, and thirty in Pittsburgh over a longer period. The first Sonic in Pittsburgh is
