Is Sonic Drive-In Private Equity Owned?

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🔴 PRIVATE EQUITY OWNED

Sonic Drive-In

Includes Sonic

fast food · Oklahoma City, OK

PE FirmRoark Capital →

Acquirer

Inspire Brands

Year Acquired

2018

“Bought for $2.3 billion. Kids hired for $7.25.”

The PE Playbook

•Inspire Brands (Roark Capital) acquired Sonic for $2.3 billion in 2018, taking it private
•Multiple child labor violations: 91 underage children found working illegally across 13 South Carolina locations
•Class action lawsuit filed against 30 Sonic locations for wage theft and overtime violations; settled in 2022
•Franchisees fined over $70,000 for child labor violations including allowing minors to operate commercial fryers

Since the Acquisition

▸Employees at three Ohio locations resigned en masse in February 2019 after Inspire management changes, alleging a 50% cut to hourly pay
▸Class action lawsuit alleged workers at 30 locations were forced to work 30+ minutes off-the-clock after shifts
▸A 73-unit franchisee filed bankruptcy in 2020; 10 Pacific Northwest locations shut down by court order after franchisees couldn't pay $2 million in fees
▸Some franchise locations quietly added a 2% surcharge to every order — a hidden fee that customers only noticed when they checked their receipts

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sonic Drive-In owned by private equity?

Yes. Sonic Drive-In is currently owned by Roark Capital, which acquired it in 2018. Bought for $2.3 billion. Kids hired for $7.25.

What happened to Sonic Drive-In after the acquisition?

Employees at three Ohio locations resigned en masse in February 2019 after Inspire management changes, alleging a 50% cut to hourly pay Class action lawsuit alleged workers at 30 locations were forced to work 30+ minutes off-the-clock after shifts

Who owns Sonic Drive-In?

Sonic Drive-In is owned by Roark Capital, which acquired it in 2018.