Topeka restaurant sets record for participating in national Sonic Games

The Sonic at 2053 S.W. Western will send a team to its corporate Olympics for the seventh time this September — the most appearances of any Sonic franchise, operating partner Mohammad Amanullah said.

Amanullah and six employees will compete Sept. 13-14 in the Dr. Pepper Sonic Games in Kansas City, Mo. The company invited 12 stores that scored well in previous rounds to participate, he said.

The preliminary and semifinal rounds ran from December to July. Employees who would represent the franchise participated in monthly pop quizzes by phone about parts of the employee handbook that applied to their positions, Amanullah said. The corporate headquarters also sent judges to evaluate the service and the quality of the meal, he said, and made a surprise visit in July to inspect the kitchen’s cleanliness.

In the finals, each team will run the same drive-in location for a certain period of time, and all of the customers will be Sonic employees judging the competitors, Amanullah said. The team includes a car hop, switchboard operator taking the orders, manager and four people preparing drinks and food.

“They actually shut down an existing drive-in for the competition,” he said.

This will be the seventh time the location has sent a team to the national finals, Amanullah said. Last year, they came in second, he said.

Shuan Walton, an assistant manager, said this will be his first trip to the finals. He will be the switchboard operator, which is an important job, because the person taking the order is the first one the customer talks with, he said.

Walton said he didn’t go about his work differently because of the competition, but that it added some excitement to coming to work.

“I just gave it my all, worked hard every day,” he said.

Ashton Veazey, a co-manager who has attended four times but isn’t going this year, said she enjoyed meeting people from other parts of the company during the competitions. The teams also are treated as special guests and get to explore whatever city is hosting the competition, she said.

“They make you feel appreciated,” she said. “It’s intense, obviously, because you’re competing against 11 other stores.”

Amanullah said he emphasizes the competition because it motivates employees to do their best work.

“It’s kind of like a bragging right, too,” he said.