Gravette SONIC crew proves itself to be a leading team in the company

— The SONIC Drive-In crew in Gravette almost qualified for the National Finals of the 18th annual Dr Pepper SONIC Games, the annual competition recognizing the best SONIC Drive-Ins in the country.

The Gravette SONIC was one of 300 drive-ins striving to become one of the final 12 teams to participate in the Dr Pepper SONIC Games National Finals held in Las Vegas this September. The crew made it through the semi-finals but fell short in the final cut when the last 12 teams were chosen.

“SONIC is extremely proud of these crewmembers for their hard work and dedication through the last six months to advance to the top 10 percent of all SONICs in the nation,” said John Salama, vice president of training for SONIC Drive-In. “The Dr Pepper SONIC Games provide a fun platform that encourages employees to deliver outstanding customer service and learn about responsibility and teamwork.”

Crews participating in the Dr Pepper SONIC Games wage friendly rivalries through challenging team and individual competitions that ultimately determine the top SONIC crew in the country. The Olympicstyle games span nine months and test SONICcrew members’ expertise in the areas of Carhop (food delivery), Fountain (drink preparation), Switchboard (service delivery), Dresser, Grill and Swamp (food preparation).

The Top 300 teams were narrowed to 48 crews in late June. Those 48 drive-ins then compete in competitive quiz events called Traveling Knowledge Bowls to determine the Final 12 drive-ins.

The final 12 teams receive all-expense-paid VIP trips to the National Finals in Las Vegas on Sept. 11-12. Days later, SONIC’s top executives will honor the winners at SONIC’s National Convention in Las Vegas in front of more than 3,000franchisees, managers and employees.

News, Pages 11 on 07/13/2011