Troy Smith is responsible for one of the fastest growing, and most beloved, fast food franchises in America. Troy started his first drive-in fast food restaurant in 1953. It was called Top Hat and was successful enough to spawn more locations in the surrounding areas. After partnering with Charlie Pappe to help shoulder finances he started perfecting the formula for the franchise as you know it today. Covered parking for all weather operation, streamlined stand alone kitchens, angled parking, and the famous roller blading attendants are just some of the things he perfected for his business.
Arguably the most important aspect of Sonic, it’s name, came from the borrowed idea of ordering via speakerphone from your parked car. The slogan for Sonic at one point was even “Service With The Speed Of Sound”. Troy Smith then began selling the Sonic franchises across the country throughout the 60′s. Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society and the author of ‘A History of Sonic’, said
“After he changed the name from Top Hat to Sonic, he was actually excited to save money on a single letter of the neon sign, He said if you can shave a little profit off each penny, you can live off those corners.”
And the rest is, as they say, history. According to Technomic Inc., Sonic was the 12th largest restaurant in 2008 and had 3.8 billion dollars in sales with 3,600 outlets in 42 states. Smith passed at the old age of 87 on Monday, October 26th. He still ushered the company forward in business decisions and acted as an advisor, even appearing in a video on Sonic’s web site just a few weeks ago. His truly innovative mind will be missed.
