Schedule

The 2022 DR PEPPER SONIC GAMES National Finals round is not just about the competition; it is also about having FUN and celebrating your huge accomplishment! Games Headquarters will be bringing games, swag, prizes, and much more to help celebrate all that your drive-in has achieved throughout the 2022 DR PEPPER SONIC GAMES.

Activities will be held outside, at your drive-in, on your lot and patio. If any team member needs special assistance, please contact Games Headquarters prior to your scheduled event date.

All times are approximate and subject to change. A final schedule will be provided to you two days before your scheduled competition.

Drive-in Preparation

SONIC, Dr Pepper, and Games Headquarters will be traveling to all Final 12 drive-ins between the dates of August 15 - August 26, 2022. Official dates for each Final 12 drive-in's competition will be communicated by August 1. 

Your drive-in, patio, and parking lot will be used to conduct a half-day celebration and competition. We ask that you make sure your drive-in (inside & out) is clean, camera ready, and that all equipment is working properly. Your drive-in will need to be closed to the public for this private event until 12:00 p.m. on the date of your competition.

Each Final 12 drive-in will receive a list of tasks to complete to prepare your drive-in for competition. Additionally, each drive-in will receive a list of tasks you are NOT allowed to complete before competition. Team members can arrive at the drive-in to prepare as early as they would like, but they MUST exit the drive-in at 8:00 a.m.

Our video production team will also be on-lot to film your celebration and competition, and this footage will be shown at the in-person 2022 SONIC National Convention (in September).

Attire:

The 7 competing team members need to be dressed according to the SONIC Uniform & Appearance Standards.

• Games HQ will be providing a Competition shirt to each of the 7 competing team members. This will be provided to you the morning of your competition for you to wear during the competition. 
• SONIC approved clothing: black pants or dark jeans; SONIC logo must be visible on any other layered clothing (jacket, vest, etc.)
• SONIC-approved name tag, cap/visor, or apron
• SONIC-approved shoes and skates. Shoes must be non-skid and recognized as a safe shoe recommended for use in a restaurant. Shoes must be closed toe/closed heel; high heels and sandals are not permitted. Skates must be well maintained, and SONIC brand approved.

Guests:

We encourage you to invite guests to join in on the fun and games and to be on-lot during the competition where they can see the hard work your team puts in to deliver accuracy every day! So invite your entire drive-in, friends, family, and franchise.

Weather:

Competition will be conducted rain or shine.

Competition

The competition focuses on how well your team (Manager + 6 team members) works together in a simulated lunch rush, and on how well your team utilizes SONIC operational procedures. At the same time, team members will be judged at each individual station (Carhop, Switchboard, Grill, Dresser, Swamp, and Fountain & Ice Cream). The Manager will serve to lead the team during the competition and will be receiving points for his/her performance as well.

Team Evaluation:

Each team will have 10 minutes to prepare their drive-in for a typical daily lunch rush and will have 30 minutes to compete. Each team will have similar food orders for fairness and consistency. The simulated lunch rush will be more challenging than a normal lunch rush at your drive-in, so make sure to bring your A-game.

Our judges will be ordering food from the stalls, the same way your guests do, by using the red button and placing the order through the menu housing speaker. They will start slowly, just like a typical lunch; then the orders will start coming in more briskly. The business will peak and then taper off. The actual food order segment will only last about 25 minutes. Each drive-in will be given food orders at the same pace. Note: we will only be judging stall service, there will not be any orders placed through the drive thru.

Each drive-in team will be evaluated for operational abilities and procedures, food quality, and service standards. All operational criteria will be based on Ops Manual training material.

Individual Station Evaluation:

During the competition, each individual team member will simultaneously be evaluated to see who has demonstrated the best mastery of their respective station (Carhop, Switchboard, Grill, Dresser, Swamp, and Fountain & Ice Cream). Team members will be evaluated similarly to the Action Trials outlined on the Games website.

Everyone will be evaluated for operational abilities and procedures, food quality, and service standards. All operational criteria will be based on Ops Manual training material.

All other non-competing drive-in team members and Franchise representatives are encouraged to motivate and cheer their team to victory prior to, and following, competition.

Guidelines

1. Teams must be on time for their scheduled competition. Please make sure you are communicating with your team Manager to help keep your team on schedule. Failure to arrive on time may result in point deductions or, in extreme cases, a disqualification from the competition.

2. All competitors must be in complete SONIC-approved uniforms at all times. No exceptions. Failure to comply can cause automatic disqualification or point deductions, as determined by the Judging Committee.

3. Cheating of any kind during the National Finals competition will not be tolerated. No team Manager or team member is to share details of the competition with any other team Manager or contestant, even if you are in the same franchise. Violations may result in automatic disqualification.

4. Only team Managers are allowed to contest Judges’ rulings. All inquiries must be addressed on the day of their occurrence with the on-site SONIC Coordinators. ALL RULINGS MADE BY SONIC COORDINATORS ARE FINAL.

5. All team members and guests must follow the COVID-19 guidelines set forth by Inspire Brands and the CDC, while on-lot for the National Finals competition. Violations may result in the immediate withdrawal of the entire team from the National Finals. Please see the COVID-19 waiver for more detail.

6. Above all, we want you to have a safe and fun time during the National Finals event. Please remember you not only represent yourselves and your Franchisee/Partners, but both the SONIC and Dr Pepper brands.