<P> In 2018, an Austin, Texas based food critic revealed that Sonic Drive - Ins were substituting regular mayonnaise with light mayonnaise without alerting customers or providing a traditional mayonnaise packet alternative . It's not clear if this substitution was simply a corporate oversight or an attempt to limit the calorie count reported on various menu items . A petition to boycott Sonic Drive - Ins until a regular mayonnaise option is provided had received 12,808 signatures as of February 2018 . </P> <P> Following World War II, Sonic founder Troy N. Smith Sr. returned to his hometown of Seminole, Oklahoma, where he became employed as a milkman . He decided to work delivering bread because bread was not as heavy as milk . Soon afterwards, Smith purchased the Cottage Cafe, a little diner in Shawnee, Oklahoma . Before long, he sold it and opened a fast food restaurant, Troy's Pan Full of Chicken, on the edge of town . In 1953, Smith went in with a business partner to purchase a five - acre parcel of land that had a log house and a walk - up root beer stand, already named the Top Hat . The two men continued with the operation of the root beer stand and converted the log house into a steak restaurant . After realizing that the stand was averaging $700 a week in the sale of root beer, hamburgers, and hot dogs, Smith decided to focus on the more - profitable root beer stand . He also bought out his business partner . </P> <P> Originally, Top Hat customers would park their automobiles anywhere on the gravel parking lot and walk up to place their orders . However, on a trip to Louisiana, Smith saw a drive - in that used speakers for ordering . He suspected that he could increase his sales by controlling the parking and having the customers order from speakers at their cars, with carhops delivering the food to the cars . Smith borrowed several automobiles 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 immediately tripled . Charles Woodrow Pappe, an entrepreneur, chanced upon the Shawnee drive - in and was impressed . He and Smith negotiated the first franchise location in Woodward, Oklahoma, in 1956, based on nothing more than a handshake . By 1958, two more drive - ins were built, in Enid and Stillwater . </P> <P> Upon learning that the Top Hat name was already trademarked, Smith and Pappe changed the name to Sonic in 1959 . 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 Stillwater Top - Hat Drive - In; this was the first of three Sonics that would eventually exist in Stillwater . The original Sonic to carry the first sign was demolished and renovated in May 2015 . Although Smith and Pappe were being asked to help open new franchise locations, no real royalty plan was in place . The pair decided to have their paper company charge an extra penny for each Sonic - label hamburger bag it sold . The proceeds would then be split between Smith and Pappe . The first franchise contracts under this plan were drawn up, but still no joint marketing plan, standardized menu, or detailed operating requirements were in place . </P>

When was the first sonic drive in opened