Sonic Bets on Personalized Drinks to Compete in Specialty Beverage Boom...

Sonic is rolling out customizable beverage options as chains across the industry race to capture spending in the premium drink category, where consumers have shown willingness to pay more for tailored flavors and ingredients. The move targets a market segment that has grown substantially in recent years, driven partly by the success of competitors like Starbucks and regional chains that built loyalty through drink personalization. For Sonic, the strategy represents an effort to compete beyond its traditional burger-and-shake positioning and tap into higher-margin beverage sales that can drive both frequency and transaction size.