Sonic boom in Linda

Yuba-Sutter has its Burger Kings, its Burger Bar, its Burger Hut. Not to mention its McDonald's, its Carl's Jrs, its Wendy's, its Dairy Queens and its Jack in the Boxes.

The area will soon get another burger restaurant with a new Sonic restaurant on North Beale Road in Linda - the area's second Sonic. It is expected to open later this year.

Though there is plenty of fast food on North Beale Road already, the local franchisee is convinced his new restaurant will be a hit.

"We bring more to the community than just another fast food restaurant," said Michael Alizadeh, president of Capital City Concepts Inc., a family-run restaurant business that also owns a number of TGIFridays restaurants. Alizadeh is operating the restaurant in partnership with North Valley Food Service.

While burger joints abound, the Oklahoma City-based Sonic chain is trying to be heard above the background noise with a combination of old-fashioned drive-in service and a variety of foods that include salads, wraps, breakfast that can be ordered anytime, and specialty items like the Chili Pies made of corn chips, chili and cheese. The publicly-held company achieved revenues of $536 million for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2004, up 20 percent from the previous year.

The first Sonic prototype opened in 1953 in Shawnee, Okla. But it wasn't until 2002 that the company began its expansion into California. Yuba City got the first Sonic in the Sacramento area. It opened in 2003.

Now Alizadeh's plans are to open up Sonics throughout the Sacramento area, which did not have any until recently. Several are under development for Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Citrus Heights, Natomas and Dixon. A Woodland restaurant is under construction.

"The draw for Sonic is huge and is very little penetrated in the marketplace, and we feel additional outlets will be successful," said Alizadeh.

He also notes that California restaurants have some of the company's highest volumes. Since the company's 1,885 stores are heavily concentrated in the Midwest, it could be that Californians find the restaurants to be something new and unusual - even if they do sell burgers.

Perhaps the most novel aspect is the restaurant's carhop service. Customers pull up to one of the booths and order through an intercom. Minutes later, carhops skate it out to the car - weather permitting.

"To get that nostalgic, service-oriented feeling, it raises the bar to fast food to be a little different," Alizadeh said.

He is also big on the food variety that includes a low-carb chicken wrap, salads, slushes and novelty items.

Sue Perram, a restaurant analyst with Avondale Partners LLC, of Nashville, said one of Sonic's biggest challenges is differentiating itself from burger restaurants. But the chain's unusual food offerings and service have made it successful in achieving an almost cultish following among customers who want something like, say a pancake on a stick, delivered to them by a roller-skating carhop.

"What is different and unique about Sonic is the experience you get," Perram said. "Even though they are serving burgers like Wendy's or McDonald's, they are delivering the burger in a differentiated way."

Appeal-Democrat reporter John Dickey can be reached at 749-4711. You may e-mail him at jdickey@appeal-democrat.com.