Sonic Drive-In is joining a number of other quick-service chains in introducing value meals as consumers continue to balk at rising prices.
Sonic’s new $1.99 menu launches today, offering snacks, desserts, and entrées at that price indefinitely.
It’s also adding two new Queso Wraps at $1.99 each.
The Bacon Ranch Queso Wrap is a breaded and fried chicken tender with bacon, cheddar cheese, ranch dressing, and white queso in a flour tortilla.
The Southwest Crunch Queso Wrap is a breaded tender with a creamy “Southwest sauce,” crunchy tortilla strips, cheddar cheese, and white queso in a flour tortilla
Also on the new value menu, which Sonic has dubbed FUN.99, is a Quarter Pound Double Cheeseburger, a Chili Cheese Coney hot dog, a small order of potato tots, and any of its 16-ounce shakes.
“Now more than ever, consumers are focused on affordable food options, but they shouldn’t have to settle for the same old, tired discounts or boring meals,” Sonic chief marketing officer Ryan Dickerson said in a press release announcing the new menu. “Many restaurant brands are touting value meals and discounts, and you see a lot of recycled ideas with limited options. At Sonic, we wanted to do something different — something fun — so we focused on variety, which is why we’re introducing the new $1.99 Menu, or what we like to call the FUN.99 Menu.”
Calling its competitors names like old, tired, and boring is part of Sonic’s new marketing initiative, Live Free Eat Sonic, which seeks to highlight its distinctiveness, including its infinitely customizable drinks, hot dogs, tots, and other items not found at many other quick-service chains.
The new value menu comes during a time when many customers, feeling the pressures of inflation, have cut back on eating out, and restaurants, particularly quick-service chains, which often compete based on price, have seen traffic declines.
McDonald’s, Burger King, Jack in the Box, and Carl’s Jr. have all introduced value meals in recent weeks.
Sonic Drive-In is a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Inspire Brands and has more than 3,500 locations nationwide.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]