Overview:

Competition this year will be held at a host drive-in in Las Vegas, NV. Teams will compete in the order of which they arrive at the Host Drive-In on Friday, September 20. 

On the day of competition, there will be shuttles at the transportation desk that will take teams to the host drive-in. Teams will remain on-lot until they have finished competing. Each team can expect to be at the host drive-in for up to 4 hours. The teams will then be shuttled back to the hotel. It is important to make note of your competing order upon arrival so you can be ready to depart for the drive-in at your scheduled time. If any team member needs special assistance, please contact Games Headquarters prior to Convention.

Non-competing guests will NOT be able to watch competition, however, they are encouraged to come support competing teams before and after competition. We will have games, food, and activities for everyone to enjoy on the opposite side of the drive-in while competition is taking place. 

Teams will have the opportunity to preview the host drive-in the day before Competition. After arriving to the airport, shuttles will take teams to the drive-in to familiarize themselves with the competition location. There will be SONIC Ops staff on-site to walk teams through the drive-in and answer any questions they have.

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 upon arrival 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.

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 & Frozen). The Manager will serve to lead the team during the competition and will be receiving points for his/her performance as well.

Note: we will only be judging stall service. There will not be any orders placed through the drive-thru, but order ahead are fair game!

 

Team Evaluation:

Each team will have 5 minutes to prepare their drive-in for a typical daily lunch rush and will have 40 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 35 minutes. Each drive-in will be given food orders at the same pace.

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 & Frozen). 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 Franchise representatives and guests are encouraged to motivate and cheer their team to victory prior to, and following, competition.

 

Weather:

Las Vegas, NV frequently delivers bright, sunny, and hot days. In late September, Nevada is hot with the average high temperature in the high 90s and average low temperature in the mid-60s. Be sure to pack accordingly to stay cool with light layers, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Stay up to date with Las Vegas temperatures at www.weather.com.

Guidelines:

1. Teams must be on time to leave for their scheduled competition time. Please make sure you are communicating with your team Manager to help keep your team on schedule. Failure to comply can cause automatic disqualification or point deductions, as determined by the Judging Committee.

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 from the same franchise. Violations may result in automatic disqualification.

4. Only team Managers are allowed to contest Judges’ rulings. All inquiries must be addressed before leaving the host drive-in with the on-site SONIC Coordinators. ALL RULINGS MADE BY SONIC COORDINATORS ARE FINAL.

5. Please remember you not only represent yourselves and your Franchisee/Partners, but both the SONIC and Dr Pepper brands.

6. Regardless of the outcome of the competition, remember that you are 1 of 12 drive-ins in the SONIC system to advance to this Round. This is a huge accomplishment!