SLO County was supposed to get 3 Sonic Drive-Ins. Are they still coming?

Stephanie Zappelli
·2 min read
3

Sonic Burger Drive-In applied to establish three restaurants in San Luis Obispo County in the past decade — but so far none have actually opened.

So what happened?

City officials say the fast-food chain, known perhaps best for its rollerblading staff, allowed its building permits to expire for the restaurants planned in Morro Bay and Paso Robles.

The Atascadero location, however, is expected to open soon, a city spokesperson confirmed.

Here’s a look at what happened to the three projects:

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Sonic stalled on Morro Bay and Paso Robles locations

Sonic, which serves everything from burgers and hot dogs to milkshakes and slushies, appears to have abandoned its projects proposed for Morro Bay and Paso Robles.

The chain applied to open a restaurant at 1840 Main St. in Morro Bay in 2016, according to previous Tribune coverage.

The project hit a few roadblocks, however, and it hasn’t moved forward.

The chain’s initial building permit application contained errors, so the Morro Bay Planning Commission granted a two-year extension to its coastal development permit in 2021.

The restaurant never resubmitted a corrected building permit, and the application expired in April, according to Morro Bay Planning Manager Cindy Jacinth.

U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer has since opened Morro Bay Propane at 1840 Main St.

Meanwhile, Sonic also applied to the city of Paso Robles to open a restaurant in the Golden Hills Plaza shopping center across from Highway 46.

The company secured a building permit, but it expired in 2019 due to a lack of activity, according to Paso Robles Community Development Director Warren Frace.

“(Sonic) did not express any interest in maintaining the permit application,” Frace said. The site is still vacant.

Sonic did not respond to Tribune requests for comment by Monday afternoon.

Atascadero restaurant still moving forward

All hope is not lost, however.

Sonic is on track to open a location at the former KFC restaurant in Atascadero, located at 4500 San Palo Road.

The restaurant should open in June 2024 after the company finishes renovating the space, according to Atascadero city spokesperson Terrie Banish.

“Most of KFC was configured for this type of use, so they’re just putting their Sonic ‘stamp’ on it now,” Banish wrote in an email to The Tribune.

So far, the restaurant replaced the kitchen equipment, and they are updating the ceiling and outdoor seating area, Banish said.

The city recently approved Sonic’s signage, which will be installed during the next few months, Banish said.