Second Generation

Sonic's food-safety program has evolved since its inception, but it still focuses on the basics.

Chain Leader

Mary Boltz Chapman

Nelson Taylor measures time by audits. When asked how long it's been since Sonic Drive-In's comprehensive food-safety program debuted, the senior director of quality assurance and food safety says it's on its 11th audit round. That's about five-and-a-half years.

His job is to instill that same focus throughout the 3,150-unit, Oklahoma City-based quick-service chain.

It was difficult at first. It wasn't long before he joined Sonic from Metromedia Restaurant Group in September 2001 that food safety was just an ad-hoc function of operations and purchasing.

Allocating Resources

"Some key individuals realized that with the times we live in, food safety, just from the standpoint of the success of the brand long term, would need to be a strategy for growth and propelling the brand forward," Taylor says.

In June 2001, Sonic began its Sonic Safe program, which includes training, purchasing and all operations manuals and systems. It was based on the Food and Drug Administration's food code and systems such as the one at Jack in the Box. Sonic tried to exceed the standards of most local regulatory agencies so it would not only be as safe as possible, but it wouldn't have to try to communicate different rules to operators in different markets.

Taylor says it was a huge change and transition for a lot of Sonic's franchisees, so most of all, it had to work within the chain's system. Many of the franchisees helped drive the initiative, which encouraged the others to buy in. "They were willing to do whatever they have to to protect the equity that they have, to protect their livelihood," he adds.

Outside Help

Key to the program is a schedule of third-party audits. Each unit is audited twice a year. At first, the company told operators what day and time to expect the auditor. Then they were told just what month. Now all audits are unannounced.

Using a third party ensures the inspection is objective, Taylor explains, but it also gives Sonic a source to learn others' best practices. "We're not their only customer," he says.

If a franchisee fails an audit, the field team follows up to help with not only food safety but brand elements such as service, design and operations. The worst-case scenario would be legal proceedings. "The few times it has happened, it shows the company is really serious about this," Taylor explains. "It's not a flavor-of-the-day program."

Continuing Education

As the program has evolved, training has continually grown more thorough. Food safety and quality are addressed in every manual, in English and Spanish, and whenever there is a new menu item or promotion. In spring, for example, the focus was on the fountain and frozen category, which was gearing up for the warm weather. Sonic has rolled out Web-based training as an option for units that have Internet access.

All managers and assistant managers are required to be trained every three years in the National Restaurant Association's ServSafe program as well. Taylor says many franchisees tie manager incentives to their food-safety audit scores.

One of the key benefits of the program, according to Taylor, is operators' relationships with health departments. "Early on, when I would talk to franchisees, there was some apprehension about when the health inspector came in," he says, adding that most operators are willing to contact the health department with questions.

Looking Ahead

For now, Taylor says his biggest challenges are keeping Sonic's food-safety program consistent and ahead of changing municipal codes, and keeping training clear and simple for workers in such a high-turnover industry.

When he looks to the future, Taylor admits he doesn't know what to expect: "Five years ago, if you would have told me that I would be worried about terrorism and avian influenza and a lot of the world events that ultimately impact quality and food safety, I don't know that I would have agreed. There may be some issues that we will be dealing with, but a lot of it remains to be seen."