Sonic under construction in Fillmore after pandemic delays: 'One-stop shop for your taste buds'

Wes Woods II, Ventura County Star
Updated ·2 min read
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A sign marks the location of a construction site in Fillmore where Ventura County's first Sonic is expected to open. The sign says spring 2024 but Sonic's corporate office said this week it doesn't expect the restaurant to open until the second half of 2024.
A sign marks the location of a construction site in Fillmore where Ventura County's first Sonic is expected to open. The sign says spring 2024 but Sonic's corporate office said this week it doesn't expect the restaurant to open until the second half of 2024.

Clarification: An earlier version of this story cited a different opening time. Since the original publication, Sonic confirmed the timeline is now late 2024.

Locals who have been waiting for fast-food chain Sonic to open since before the pandemic will get their fix of cherry limeade and tater tots in Fillmore in late 2024.

It will be Ventura County's first Sonic, according to the company's website. The restaurant is planned for Ventura Street and Orange Grove Avenue, said Kevin McSweeney, Fillmore's director of planning and community development.

The Star reported the restaurant was slated to open in summer 2019, but the pandemic waylaid plans, McSweeney said.

"COVID is a major contributor to the delay," McSweeney said.

More: Here are 10 chains we wish would come to Ventura County

Despite the original opening timeline, some of the early approvals needed to open the business weren't even granted until June 2019, and the restaurant was not expected to be under construction until 2021, he said. Engineering plans and other agreements over the property also took time to complete, McSweeney said.

Sonic fan and Port Hueneme resident Luis Mendez II stops at the chain's Las Vegas location at least once a month to take his younger nieces and nephews.

“It’s like a one-stop shop for your taste buds,” Mendez said on Wednesday.

Construction is underway for a Sonic restaurant in Fillmore in late 2024 at Ventura Street and Orange Grove Avenue.
Construction is underway for a Sonic restaurant in Fillmore in late 2024 at Ventura Street and Orange Grove Avenue.

The restaurant has a great concept, he said. Customers drive and park in a stall to order through a speaker system, and employees bring the items to your car.

“It’s kind of old school, like a drive-in burger place. It has that nostalgic feel to it,” Mendez said. “I’m getting older. I’m in my 40s. I remember the old food drive-ins from back in the days.”

Mendez said his favorite items are the different types of milk shakes.

“I’m a foodie, but I love desserts,” Mendez said. “They’ve got like 30 different options. Whether there’s Oreos, or M&Ms or the Reese’s Pieces, that’s what sugar people like. It’s that variety.”

It's too early in the construction phase to identify the exact date of the grand opening, McSweeney said.

The restaurant's opening date is expected to be the "back half of 2024," said Rachel Russell, a spokesperson for Sonic, on Wednesday via email. The address is 643 Ventura St., she said.

The construction site will have a job posting board later in the construction phase, McSweeney said.

While Mendez is excited for the Sonic to open, he wishes it would be closer to Port Hueneme, where he lives.

“Fillmore’s a small town,” he said. “I’m surprised that Fillmore would be the location in Ventura County for it because it is out there. Obviously, there’s a demand for fast food in (Oxnard/Port Hueneme) area so why wouldn’t they put one in a bigger area where they make more money?”

Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Sonic fast-food restaurant under construction in Fillmore, CA