Item 1. Business

General  

Sonic Corp. (the “Company”) operates and franchises the largest chain of drive-in restaurants (“Sonic Drive-Ins”) in the United States. As of August 31, 2006, the Company had 3,188 Sonic Drive-Ins in operation, consisting of 623 Partner Drive-Ins and 2,565 Franchise Drive-Ins, principally in the southern two-thirds of the United States. We own a majority interest, typically at least 60%, and the supervisor and manager of the drive-in own a minority interest in each Partner Drive-In, which are owned and operated as either a limited liability company or general partnership. Franchise Drive-Ins are owned and operated by our franchisees. At a typical Sonic Drive-In, a customer drives into one of 24 to 36 covered drive-in spaces, orders through an intercom speaker system, and has the food delivered by a carhop within an average of four minutes. Most Sonic Drive-Ins also include a drive-through lane and patio seating.

The Company has two operating subsidiaries, Sonic Industries Inc. and Sonic Restaurants, Inc. Sonic Industries Inc. serves as the franchisor of the Sonic Drive-In chain, as well as the administrative services center for the Company. Sonic Restaurants, Inc. develops and operates the Partner Drive-Ins. References to “Sonic,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” in this report are references to Sonic Corp. and its subsidiaries and predecessors, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Our objective is to maintain our position as, or to become, a leading operator in terms of the number of quick-service restaurants within each of our core and developing markets. We have developed and are implementing a strategy designed to build the Sonic brand and to continue to achieve high levels of customer satisfaction and repeat business. The key elements of that strategy are: (1) a unique drive-in concept focusing on a distinctive menu of quality made-to-order food products including several signature items; (2) a commitment to customer service featuring the quick delivery of food by carhops; (3) the expansion of Partner Drive-Ins and Franchise Drive-Ins within Sonic’s core and developing markets; (4) an owner/operator philosophy, in which managers have an equity interest in their restaurants, thereby providing an incentive for managers to operate restaurants profitably and efficiently; and (5) a commitment to strong franchisee relationships.

The Sonic Drive-In restaurant chain was begun in the early 1950’s. Sonic Corp. was incorporated in the State of Delaware in 1990 in connection with its 1991 public offering of common stock. Our principal executive offices are located at 300 Johnny Bench Drive, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104. Our telephone number is (405) 225-5000.

Menu

Sonic Drive-Ins feature Sonic signature items, such as specialty soft drinks including cherry limeades and slushes, frozen desserts, made-to-order sandwiches and hamburgers, extra-long cheese coneys, hand-battered onion rings, tater tots, salads, and wraps . Sonic Drive-Ins also offer breakfast items that include sausage, ham, or bacon with egg and cheese Breakfast Toaster _® Bistro sandwiches, sausage and egg burritos, and specialty breakfast drinks. Sonic Drive-Ins typically are open from at least 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and serve the full menu all day.

Restaurant Locations

As of August 31, 2006, 3,188 Sonic Drive-Ins were in operation and located in 33 states, principally in the southern two-thirds of the United States, and in Mexico. We identify markets based on television viewing areas and further classify markets as either core or developing. We define our core television markets as those markets where the penetration of Sonic Drive-Ins (as measured by population per restaurant, advertising levels, and share of restaurant spending) has reached a certain level of market maturity established by management. All other television markets where Sonic Drive-Ins are located are referred to as developing markets. A market may be located where it extends into more than one state, causing some states to have both core and developing markets. Our core markets contain approximately 76% of all Sonic Drive-Ins as of August 31, 2006. Developing markets are located in the states indicated below and Mexico. The following table sets forth the number of Partner Drive-Ins and Franchise Drive-Ins by core and developing markets as of August 31, 2006:

Expansion

During fiscal year 2006 , we opened 173 Sonic Drive-Ins, which consisted of 35 Partner Drive-Ins and 138 Franchise Drive-Ins. During fiscal year 2007, we anticipate approximately 180 to 200 new Sonic Drive-In openings, including 150 to 160 openings by our franchisees. That expansion plan involves the opening of new Sonic Drive-Ins predominantly by franchisees under existing area development agreements, single-store development by existing franchisees, and development by new franchisees. We believe that our existing core and developing markets, as well as newly-opened markets, offer significant growth opportun ities for both Partner Drive-In and Franchise Drive-In expansion. The a bility of Sonic and its franchisees to open the anticipated number of Sonic Drive-Ins during fiscal year 2007 necessarily will depend on various factors, including those discussed under Item 1A. Risk Factors - Failure to successfully implement our growth strategy could reduce, or reduce the growth of, our revenue and net income, of this Form 10-K.

Our expansion strategy for Sonic Drive-Ins involves two principal components: (1) the building-out of existing core markets and (2) the further penetration of developing markets. We are always in the process of identifying new markets for the opening of both Partner Drive-Ins and Franchise Drive-Ins. In addition, we may consider the acquisition of other similar local or regional brands for conversion to Sonic Drive-Ins.

Restaurant Design and Construction

General. The typical Sonic Drive-In consists of a kitchen housed in a one-story building flanked by canopy-covered rows of 24 to 36 parking spaces, with each space having its own intercom speaker system and menu board. In addition, since 1995, most new Sonic Drive-Ins have incorporated a drive-through service and patio seating area. We have 174 Sonic Drive-Ins that provide an indoor seating area, 44 of which are located in non-traditional areas such as shopping mall food courts, airports, and universities, and 19 of which are located adjacent to convenience stores.

Retrofit .   In fiscal 2006, we completed the retrofit of over 100 Partner Drive-Ins and began implementing a program to retrofit all Sonic Drive-Ins over the next several years. The retrofit is a remodeling program which includes significant trade dress modifications to the drive-ins. In fiscal 2007, we expect to roll-out the retrofit program to approximately 150 additional Partner Drive-Ins and, in January 2007, will begin to extend the program to Franchise Drive-Ins. Franchisees will pay the cost of the retrofit for their drive-ins. We currently estimate the cost to make a standard retrofit at approximately $125,000 to $135,000 per drive-in. All new Sonic Drive-Ins being built in all markets will now feature the new retrofit changes.

 

Marketing

We have designed our marketing program to differentiate Sonic Drive-Ins from our competitors by emphasizing five key areas of customer satisfaction: (1) wide variety of distinctive made-to-order menu items, (2) personal delivery of service by carhops, (3) speed of service, (4) quality, and (5) value. The marketing plan includes promotions for use throughout the Sonic chain. We support those promotions with television, radio, interactive media, point-of-sale materials, and other media as appropriate. Those promotions generally center on products which highlight limited time new product introductions or signature menu items of Sonic Drive-Ins.

Each year Sonic develops a marketing plan with the involvement of the Sonic Franchise Advisory Council. (Information concerning the Sonic Franchise Advisory Council is set forth on page 8 under Franchise Program - Franchise Advisory Council .) Funding for our marketing plan has three components: (1) local advertising expenditures, (2) the System Marketing Fund, and (3) the Sonic Advertising Fund. Depending on the type of license agreement, each Sonic Drive-In must spend 2% to 3.25% of the drive-in’s gross revenues on local advertising, either directly or through participation in the local advertising cooperative. The members of each local advertising cooperative may elect and frequently do elect by majority vote to require the cooperative’s member drive-ins to contribute more than the minimum percentage of gross revenues to the advertising cooperative’s funds. For fiscal year 2006, drive-ins participating in cooperatives contributed an average of 4.09% of their Sonic Drive-In’s gross revenues to Sonic advertising cooperatives. As of August 31, 2006, 3,077 Sonic Drive-Ins (97% of the chain) participated in advertising cooperatives. The System Marketing Fund is funded out of the required local advertising funds by either redistributing 2.0% of each Sonic Drive-In’s gross revenues from the local advertising cooperatives to the System Marketing Fund or, if no advertising cooperative has been formed, requiring the Sonic Drive-In to pay directly 2.0% of its gross revenues to the System Marketing Fund with a corresponding deduction in the amount the drive-in is required to spend on local

 

advertising.  The System Marketing Fund complements local advertising efforts in attracting customers to Sonic Drive-Ins by promoting the message of the Sonic brand to an expanded audience. The primary focus of the System Marketing Fund is to purchase advertising on national cable and broadcast networks and other national media and sponsorship opportunities. The Sonic Advertising Fund is a national media production fund that we administer. Each Sonic Drive-In must contribute 0.375% to 0.75%, depending on the type of license agreement, of the Sonic Drive-In’s gross revenues to the Sonic Advertising Fund. Once a sufficient number of Sonic Drive-Ins have been opened in a market, we require the formation of advertising cooperatives among drive-in owners to pool and direct advertising expenditures in local markets.  

The total amount spent on media (principally television) was approximately $145 million for fiscal year 2006 and we expect media expenditures of approximately $160 million for fiscal year 2007.

Purchasing

We negotiate with suppliers for our primary food products (hamburger patties, dairy products, chicken products, hot dogs, french fries, tater tots, cooking oil, fountain syrup, produce, and other items) and packaging supplies to ensure adequate quantities of food and supplies and to obtain competitive prices. We seek competitive bids from suppliers on many of our food products. We approve suppliers of those products and require them to adhere to our established product specifications. Suppliers manufacture several key products for Sonic under private label and sell them to authorized distributors for resale to Partner Drive-Ins and Franchise Drive-Ins.

 

We require our Partner Drive-Ins and Franchise Drive-Ins to purchase from approved distribution centers. By purchasing as a group, we have achieved cost savings, improved food quality and consistency, and helped decrease the volatility of food and supply costs for Sonic Drive-Ins. For fiscal year 2006, the average cost of food and packaging for a Sonic Drive-In, as reported to us by our Partner Drive-Ins and Franchise Drive-Ins, equaled approximately 27% of net revenues.

Food Safety and Quality Assurance

To ensure the consistent delivery of safe, high-quality food, we created a food safety and quality assurance program. Sonic’s food safety program promotes the quality and safety of all products and procedures utilized by all Sonic Drive-Ins, and provides certain requirements that must be adhered to by all suppliers, distributors, and Sonic Drive-Ins. We also have a comprehensive, restaurant-based food safety program called Sonic Safe. Sonic Safe is a risk-based system that utilizes Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles for managing food safety and quality. Our food safety system includes employee training, supplier product testing, unannounced drive-in food safety auditing by independent third-parties, and other detailed components that monitor the safety and quality of Sonic’s products and procedures at every stage of the food preparation and production cycle. Employee food safety training is covered under our Sonic Drive-In training program, referred to as the STAR Training Program. This program includes specific training information and requirements for every station in the drive-in. We also require our drive-in managers and assistant managers to pass ServSafe training programs. ServSafe is the most recognized food safety training certification in the restaurant industry.

General Operations

Management Information Systems . We utilize point-of-sale equipment in each of our Partner Drive-Ins and Franchise Drive-Ins. Certain financial and other information is polled on a daily basis from most Partner Drive-Ins and many Franchise Drive-Ins. We are continuing to develop software and hardware enhancements to our management information systems to facilitate improved communication and the exchange of information among the corporate office and Partner Drive-Ins and Franchise Drive-Ins. These enhancements primarily utilize an intranet designed for that purpose, which we refer to as PartnerNet.

Reporting . The license agreement requires all Sonic Drive-Ins to submit a profit and loss statement on or before the 20 ^th of each month. All Partner Drive-Ins and 1,772 or 70% of Franchise Drive-Ins submit their data electronically. We expect to add more Franchise Drive-Ins to electronic reporting which will reduce resources needed for manual processing of restaurant level data.

Hours of Operation . Sonic Drive-Ins typically operate seven days a week and are open from at least 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

 

  Company Operations

Restaurant Personnel . A typical Partner Drive-In is operated by a manager, two to four assistant managers, and approximately 25 hourly employees, many of whom work part-time. The manager has responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the Partner Drive-In. Each supervisor has the responsibility of overseeing an average of four to seven Partner Drive-Ins. Sonic Restaurants, Inc. (“SRI”), Sonic’s operating subsidiary, oversees the operations and development of and provides administrative services to all Partner Drive-Ins. SRI employs directors of operations who oversee an average of four to seven supervisors within their respective regions and report to either a regional vice president or a vice president of SRI. SRI’s three regional vice presidents and three vice presidents report to the president of SRI.

Ownership Program . The Sonic Drive-In philosophy stresses an ownership relationship with supervisors and managers. As part of the ownership program, either a limited liability company or a general partnership is formed to own and operate each individual Partner Drive-In. SRI owns a majority interest, typically at least 60%, in each of these limited liability companies and partnerships. Generally, the supervisors and managers own a minority interest in the limited liability company or partnership. The amount of ownership percentage is separately negotiated for each Partner Drive-In. Supervisors and managers are not employees of Sonic or of the limited liability companies or partnerships in which they have an ownership interest. As owners, they share in the cash flow and are responsible for their share of any losses incurred by their Partner Drive-Ins. We believe that our ownership structure provides a substantial incentive for Partner Drive-In supervisors and managers to operate their restaurants profitably and efficiently. Additional information regarding our ownership program can be found under Ownership Program, in Part II, Item 7, at page 31 of this Form 10-K.

Sonic records the interests of supervisors and managers as “minority interest in earnings of Partner Drive-Ins” under costs and expenses on its financial statements. We estimate that the average percentage interest of a supervisor was 17% and the average percentage interest of a manager in a Partner Drive-In was 19% in fiscal year 2006. Each Partner Drive-In distributes its available cash flow to its supervisors and managers and to Sonic on a monthly basis pursuant to the terms of the operating agreement or partnership agreement for that restaurant. Sonic has the right, but not the obligation, to purchase the minority interest of the supervisor or manager in the restaurant. The amounts of the buy-in and the buy-out are generally based on the Partner Drive-In’s sales during the preceding 12 months and approximate the fair market value of a minority interest in that restaurant. Most supervisors and managers finance the buy-in with a loan from a third-party financial institution.

Each Partner Drive-In usually purchases equipment with funds borrowed from Sonic at competitive rates. In most cases, Sonic alone owns or leases the land and building and guarantees any third-party lease entered into for the site.

Partner Drive-In Data . The following table provides certain financial information relating to Partner Drive-Ins and the number of Partner Drive-Ins opened and closed during the past five fiscal years.

 

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*The relatively large number of drive-ins sold to franchisees in fiscal year 2003 and purchased from franchisees in fiscal years 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006 represent transactions where a majority of Sonic Drive-Ins in a certain market were sold to or purchased from a multi-unit franchisee group. In most instances where we purchased Sonic Drive-Ins, the selling multi-unit franchisee groups continued to own and operate multiple Franchise Drive-Ins.

Franchise Program

General . As of August 31, 2006, we had 2,565 Franchise Drive-Ins operating in 33 states and in Mexico. A large number of successful multi-unit franchisee groups have developed during the Sonic system’s 53 years of operation. Those franchisees continue to develop new Franchise Drive-Ins in their franchise territories either through area development agreements or single site development. Our franchisees opened 138 Franchise Drive-Ins during fiscal year 2006 and we expect our franchisees to open approximately 150 to 160 Franchise Drive-Ins in fiscal 2007. We consider our franchisees a vital part of our continued growth and believe our relationship with our franchisees is good.

Franchise Agreements . Each Sonic Drive-In, including each Partner Drive-In, operates under a franchise agreement that provides for payments to Sonic of an initial franchise fee and a royalty fee based on a graduated percentage of the gross revenues of the drive-in. Our current standard license agreement provides for an initial franchise fee of $30,000 and an ascending royalty rate beginning at 1% of gross revenues and increasing to 5% as the level of gross revenues increases. For non-traditional drive-ins, which are those Sonic Drive-Ins located in venues such as shopping mall food courts, airports, and universities, the license agreement provides for a franchise fee of $15,000 and a graduated royalty rate from 1% to 5% of gross revenues. Approximately 96% of all Sonic Drive-Ins opening in fiscal year 2007 are expected to open under the current standard license agreement, with the remaining 4% expected to open in venues that would be included under the non-traditional license agreement. The current standard license agreement provides for a term of 20 years, with one 10-year renewal option. The term for a non-traditional Sonic Drive-In is typically 10 years, with two five-year renewal options. We have the right to terminate any franchise agreement for a variety of reasons, including a franchisee’s failure to make payments when due or failure to adhere to our policies and standards. Many state franchise laws affect our ability to terminate or refuse to renew a franchise.

As of August 31, 2006, 48% of all Sonic Drive-Ins were subject to the 1% to 5% graduated royalty rate. For fiscal year 2006, Sonic’s average royalty rate equaled 3.59%. The license agreements for those Franchise Drive-Ins which currently operate under the 1% to 4% or 1% to 3% graduated royalty rate expire at various times over the next 16 years. We expect that almost all the Franchise Drive-Ins currently operating under those expiring license agreements will renew their licenses pursuant to the terms of the then current license agreement. Those renewals of the expiring license agreements to the current form of the license agreement with the 1% to 5% graduated royalty rate will contribute to an increase in our royalty revenues.

Area Development Agreements . We use area development agreements to facilitate the planned expansion of the Sonic Drive-In restaurant chain through multiple unit development. While many existing franchisees continue to expand on a single drive-in basis, approximately 51% of the new Franchise Drive-Ins opened during fiscal year 2006 occurred as a result of then-existing area development agreements. Each area development agreement gives a developer the exclusive right to construct, own, and operate Sonic Drive-Ins within a defined area. In exchange, each developer agrees to open a minimum number of Sonic Drive-Ins in the area within a prescribed time period. If the developer does not meet the minimum opening requirements, we have the right to terminate the area development agreement and grant a new area development agreement to other franchisees for the area previously covered by the terminated area development agreement.

During fiscal year 2006, we entered into 36 new area development agreements calling for the opening of 128 Franchise Drive-Ins and amended 10 existing area development agreements calling for the opening of an additional 13 Franchise Drive-Ins, all during the next five years. As of August 31, 2006, we had a total of 152 area development agreements in effect, calling for the development of 576 additional Sonic Drive-Ins during the next six years. We cannot give any assurance that our franchisees will achieve that number of new Franchise Drive-Ins for fiscal year 2007 or during the next six years. Of the 183 Franchise Drive-Ins scheduled to open during fiscal year 2006 under area development agreements in place at the beginning of that fiscal year, 94 or 51% opened during the period. During fiscal year 2006, we terminated 28 of the 163 area development agreements existing at the beginning of the fiscal year. The terminated area development agreements called for the opening of 28 Franchise Drive-Ins in fiscal year 2006 and an additional 73 Franchise Drive-Ins in the next three fiscal years. All of these terminations were as a result of the franchisee failing to meet the development schedule under the area development agreement.

 

 

Our realization of the expected benefits under various existing and future area development agreements currently depends and will continue to depend upon the ability of the developers to open the minimum number of Sonic Drive-Ins within the time periods required by the agreements. The financial resources of the developers, as well as their experience in managing quick-service restaurant franchises, represent critical factors in the success of area development agreements. Although we grant area development agreements only to those developers whom we believe possess those qualities, we cannot give any assurances that the future performance by developers will result in the opening of the minimum number of Sonic Drive-Ins contemplated by the area development agreements or reach the compliance rate we have previously experienced.

Franchise Drive-In Development . We assist each franchisee in selecting sites and developing Sonic Drive-Ins. Each franchisee has responsibility for selecting the franchisee’s drive-in location, but must obtain our approval of each Sonic Drive-In design and each location based on accessibility and visibility of the site and targeted demographic factors, including population density, income, age, and traffic. We provide our franchisees with the physical specifications for the typical Sonic Drive-In.

Franchisee Financing . Other than the agreements described below, we do not generally provide financing to franchisees or guarantee loans to franchisees made by third-parties.

 

We had an agreement with GE Capital Franchise Finance Corporation (“GEC”), pursuant to which GEC made loans to existing Sonic franchisees who met certain underwriting criteria set by GEC. Under the terms of the agreement with GEC, Sonic provided a guaranty of 10% of the outstanding balance of a loan from GEC to the Sonic franchisee. The portions of loans made by GEC to Sonic franchisees that are guaranteed by the Company total $2.7 million as of August 31, 2006. We ceased guaranteeing new loans made under the program during fiscal year 2003 and have not been required to make any payments under our agreement with GEC.

We have an agreement with Irwin Franchise Capital Corporation (“IFCC”) pursuant to which IFCC has agreed to make loans to existing Sonic franchisees who meet certain underwriting criteria set by IFCC to finance the equipment and improvements for our retrofit program as described under Restaurant Design and Construction - Retrofit of Item 1 of this Form 10-K.  Under the terms of the agreement with IFCC, we will provide a guaranty to IFCC of the greater of (i) 5% of the outstanding balance of a loan from IFCC to the Sonic franchisee or (ii) $250,000, provided that in no event will our maximum liability to IFCC exceed $2,500,000 in the aggregate. Since franchisees are not scheduled to begin the retrofit program until January 2007, they have not yet entered into any loan agreements with IFCC.   

Franchisee Training . Each franchisee must have at least one full time employee at the Sonic Drive-In who has completed the Sonic Management Development Program before opening or operating the Sonic Drive-In. The program consists of a minimum of 12 weeks of on-the-job training and one week of classroom development. The program emphasizes food safety, quality food preparation, speed of service, cleanliness of Sonic Drive-Ins, management techniques and consistency of service. We also require our management teams to pass ServSafe training programs. ServeSafe is the most recognized food safety training certification in the restaurant industry.

Franchisee Support . In addition to training, advertising and food purchasing as a system, and marketing programs, we provide various other services to our franchisees. Those services include: (1) assistance with quality control through area field representatives, to ensure that each franchisee consistently delivers high quality food and service; (2) support of new franchisees with guidance and training in the opening of their first three Sonic Drive-Ins; and (3) assistance in selecting sites for new Sonic Drive-Ins using demographic data and studies of traffic patterns. Our field services organization consists of 17 field service consultants, 14 field marketing representatives, four regional marketing directors, two senior marketing directors, two   consultants for new franchises, five   regional vice presidents, all with responsibility for defined geographic areas, one   director of new franchise services, and two   vice presidents of franchise finance. The field service consultants provide operational services and support for our franchisees, while the field marketing representatives assist the franchisees with the development of advertising cooperative and local market promotional activities. New franchise consultants support the successful integration of new franchisees into the Sonic system from training  

 

through the first months following the opening of each of the franchisee’s first three Sonic Drive-Ins.  One director, nine field trainers and four training consultants provide training to franchisees in such areas as shift management, customer service, time management, supervisory skills, and financial controls. We also have a vice president of franchise real estate and six real estate directors who assist the franchisees with the identification of trade areas for new Franchise Drive-Ins and the franchisees’ selection of sites for their Franchise Drive-Ins, subject to Sonic’s final approval of those sites. We also have a staff of six architect and engineering personnel to design, plan and permit new stores. A senior director of construction with two construction managers also assists in constructing new drive-ins.

Franchise Operations . Sonic’s franchisees operate all Franchise Drive-Ins in accordance with uniform operating standards and specifications. These standards pertain to the quality and preparation of menu items, selection of menu items, maintenance and cleanliness of premises, and employee responsibilities. We develop all standards and specifications with input from franchisees, and they are applied on a system-wide basis. Each franchisee has full discretion to determine the prices charged to its customers.

Franchise Advisory Council . We have established a Franchise Advisory Council which provides advice, counsel, and input to Sonic on important issues impacting the business, such as marketing and promotions, operations, purchasing, building design, human resources, technology, and new products. The Franchise Advisory Council currently consists of 18 members selected by Sonic. Currently we have six executive committee members who are selected at large. The remaining 12 members are regional members who represent four defined regions of the country and serve three-year terms. We have five Franchise Advisory Council task groups comprised of 46   total members who serve two-year terms and lend support on individual key priorities.

Franchise Drive-In Data . The following table provides certain financial information relating to Franchise Drive-Ins and the number of Franchise Drive-Ins opened, purchased from or sold to Sonic, and closed during Sonic’s last five fiscal years.

 

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* The relatively large number of drive-ins purchased from Sonic in fiscal year 2003 and sold to Sonic in fiscal years 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006 represent transactions where a majority of Sonic Drive-Ins in a certain market were sold to or purchased from a multi-unit franchisee group. In most instances where Sonic purchased Sonic Drive-Ins, the selling multi-unit franchisee groups continued to own and operate multiple Franchise Drive-Ins.

Competition

We compete in the restaurant industry, a highly competitive industry in terms of price, service, restaurant location, and food quality. The restaurant industry is often affected by changes in consumer trends, economic conditions, demographics, traffic patterns, and concerns about the nutritional content of quick-service foods. We compete on the basis of speed and quality of service, method of food preparation (made-to-order), food quality and variety, signature food items, and monthly promotions. The quality of service, featuring Sonic carhops, constitutes one of our primary marketable points of difference from the competition. There are many well-established competitors with substantially greater financial and other resources. These competitors include a large number of national, regional, and local food services, including quick-service restaurants and casual dining restaurants. A significant change in pricing or other marketing strategies by one or more of those competitors could have an adverse impact on Sonic’s sales, earnings, and growth. In selling franchises, we also compete with many franchisors of quick-service and other restaurants and other business opportunities.

 

Seasonality

 

Our results during Sonic’s second fiscal quarter (the months of December, January and February) generally are lower than other quarters because of the lower temperatures in the locations of a number of Partner Drive-Ins and Franchise Drive-Ins, which reduces customer visits to our drive-ins.

Employees

As of August 31, 2006, we had 332 full-time corporate employees. This number does not include the approximately 20,000 full-time and part-time employees employed by separate partnerships and limited liability companies that operate our Partner Drive-Ins or the supervisors or managers of the Partner Drive-Ins who own a minority interest in the separate partnerships or limited liability companies.

None of our employees are subject to a collective bargaining agreement. We believe that we have good labor relations with our employees.

Trademarks and Service Marks

Sonic owns numerous trademarks and service marks. We have registered many of those marks, including the “Sonic” logo and trademark, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property. Trademarks and service marks generally are valid as long as they are used or registered. We believe that our trademarks and service marks have significant value and play an important role in our marketing efforts.

Government Regulations

We must comply with regulations adopted by the Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”) and with several state laws that regulate the offer and sale of franchises. We also must comply with a number of state laws that regulate certain substantive aspects of the franchisor-franchisee relationship. The FTC’s Trade Regulation Rule on Franchising (the “FTC Rule”) requires that we furnish prospective franchisees with a franchise offering circular containing information prescribed by the FTC Rule.

State laws that regulate the franchisor-franchisee relationship presently exist in a substantial number of states. Those laws regulate the franchise relationship, for example, by requiring the franchisor to deal with its franchisees in good faith, by prohibiting interference with the right of free association among franchisees, by regulating discrimination among franchisees with regard to charges, royalties, or fees, and by restricting the development of other restaurants within certain prescribed distances from existing franchised restaurants. Those laws also restrict a franchisor’s rights with regard to the termination of a franchise agreement (for example, by requiring “good cause” to exist as a basis for the termination), by requiring the franchisor to give advance notice and the opportunity to cure the default to the franchisee, and by requiring the franchisor to repurchase the franchisee’s inventory or provide other compensation upon termination. To date, those laws have not precluded us from seeking franchisees in any given area and have not had a significant effect on our operations.

Each Sonic Drive-In must comply with regulations adopted by federal agencies and with licensing and other regulations enforced by state and local health, sanitation, safety, fire, and other departments. Difficulties or failures in obtaining the required licenses or approvals can delay and sometimes prevent the opening of a new Sonic Drive-In.

Sonic Drive-Ins must comply with federal and state environmental regulations, but those regulations have not had a material effect on their operations. More stringent and varied requirements of local governmental bodies with respect to zoning, land use, and environmental factors can delay and sometimes prevent development of new Sonic Drive-Ins in particular locations.

Sonic and its franchisees must comply with laws and regulations governing labor, employment and wage and hour issues, such as minimum wage, overtime, family and medical leave, discrimination, and other working conditions.  Many of the food service personnel in Sonic Drive-Ins receive compensation at rates related to federal, state, and local minimum wage laws and, accordingly, increases in applicable minimum wage laws will increase labor costs at those locations.

 

Available Information

We maintain an internet website with the address of http://www.sonicdrivein.com . Copies of the Company’s reports filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K and any amendments to such reports are available for viewing and copying at such internet website, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after filing such material with, or furnishing it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, copies of Sonic’s corporate governance materials, including the Corporate Governance Guidelines, Audit Committee Charter, Compensation Committee Charter, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter, Code of Ethics for Financial Officers, and Code of Business Conduct and Ethics are available for viewing and copying at the website, free of charge.

 

Item 1A. Risk Factors  

 

This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. A forward-looking statement is neither a prediction nor a guarantee of future events or circumstances, and those future events or circumstances may not occur. Investors should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report. These forward-looking statements are all based on currently available operating, financial and competitive information and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Our actual future results and trends may differ materially depending on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the risks and uncertainties discussed below. Accordingly, such forward-looking statements do not purport to be predictions of future events or circumstances and may not be realized. For these reasons, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise them, except as may be required by law.

 

Events reported in the media, such as incidents involving food-borne illnesses or food tampering, whether or not accurate, can cause damage to our reputation and rapidly affect sales and profitability.

 

Reports, whether true or not, of food-borne illnesses, such as e-coli, avian flu, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (commonly known as mad cow disease), hepatitis A, trichinosis or salmonella, and injuries caused by food tampering have in the past severely injured the reputations of participants in the restaurant segment and could in the future affect us. Our brand’s reputation is an important asset to the business; as a result, anything that damages our brand’s reputation could immediately and severely hurt sales, revenues, and profits. If customers become ill from food-borne illnesses, we could also be forced to temporarily close some Sonic Drive-Ins. In addition, instances of food-borne illnesses or food tampering occurring at the restaurants of competitors, could, by resulting in negative publicity about the restaurant industry, adversely affect our sales on a local, regional, or national basis. A decrease in customer traffic as a result of these health concerns or negative publicity, or as a result of a temporary closure of any Sonic Drive-Ins, could materially harm our reputation, sales, and profitability.

 

The restaurant industry is highly competitive, and that competition could lower our revenues, margins, and market share.

 

The restaurant industry is intensely competitive as to price, service, location, personnel, dietary trends, and quality of food, and is often affected by changes in consumer tastes, economic conditions, population, and traffic patterns. We compete with international, regional and local restaurants, some of which operate more restaurants and have greater financial resources. We compete primarily through the quality, price, variety, and value of food products offered. Other key competitive factors include the number and location of restaurants, quality and speed of service, attractiveness of facilities, effectiveness of advertising and marketing programs, and new product development by us and our competitors. We anticipate intense competition will continue to focus on pricing. Some of our competitors have substantially larger marketing budgets, which may provide them with a competitive advantage. In addition, our system competes within the quick-service restaurant industry not only for customers but also for management and hourly employees, suitable real estate sites, and qualified franchisees.

Changing health or dietary preferences may cause consumers to avoid our products in favor of alternative foods.

 

The food service industry is affected by consumer preferences and perceptions. If prevailing health or dietary preferences and perceptions cause consumers to avoid these products offered by Sonic Drive-Ins in favor of alternative or healthier foods, demand for our products may be reduced and our business could be harmed.

 

Our earnings and business growth strategy depends in large part on the success of our franchisees, whose actions are outside of our control.

 

A portion of our earnings comes from royalties, rents and other amounts paid by our franchisees. Franchisees are independent contractors, and their employees are not our employees. We provide training and support to, and monitor the operations of, our franchisees, but the quality of their drive-in operations may be diminished by any number of factors beyond our control. Franchisees may not successfully operate drive-ins in a manner consistent with our high standards and requirements and franchisees may not hire and train qualified managers and other restaurant personnel. Any operational shortcoming of a Franchise Drive-In is likely to be attributed by consumers to the entire Sonic brand, thus damaging our reputation and potentially affecting revenues and profitability.

 

Changes in economic, market and other conditions could adversely affect Sonic and its franchisees, and thereby Sonic’s operating results.

 

The quick-service restaurant industry is affected by changes in economic conditions, consumer preferences and spending patterns, demographic trends, consumer perceptions of food safety, weather, traffic patterns, the type, number and location of competing restaurants, and the effects of war or terrorist activities and any governmental responses thereto. Factors such as interest rates, inflation, gasoline prices, food costs, labor and benefit costs, legal claims, and the availability of management and hourly employees also affect restaurant operations and administrative expenses. Economic conditions, including interest rates and other government policies impacting land and construction costs and the cost and availability of borrowed funds, affect our ability and our franchisees’ ability to finance new restaurant development, improvements and additions to existing restaurants, and the acquisition of restaurants from, and sale of restaurants to, franchisees. Inflation can cause increased food, labor and benefits costs and can increase our operating expenses. As operating expenses increase, we recover increased costs by increasing menu prices, to the extent permitted by competition, or by implementing alternative products or cost reduction procedures. We cannot ensure, however, that we will be able to recover increases in operating expenses due to inflation in this manner.

 

Our financial results may fluctuate depending on various factors, many of which are beyond our control.

 

Our sales and operating results can vary from quarter to quarter and year to year depending on various factors, many of which are beyond our control. Certain events and factors may directly and immediately decrease demand for our products. If customer demand decreases rapidly, our results of operations would also decline precipitously. These events and factors include:

 

 

Our profitability may be adversely affected by increases in energy costs.

 

Our success depends in part on our ability to absorb increases in energy costs. Various regions of the United States in which we operate multiple drive-ins have experienced significant increases in energy prices. If these increases continue to occur, it would have an adverse effect on our profitability.

 

Shortages or interruptions in the supply or delivery of perishable food products or rapid price increases could adversely affect our operating results.

 

We are dependent on frequent deliveries of perishable food products that meet certain specifications. Shortages or interruptions in the supply of perishable food products may be caused by unanticipated demand, problems in production or distribution, financial or other difficulties of suppliers, disease or food-borne illnesses, inclement weather or other conditions. We purchase large quantities of food and supplies, which can be subject to significant price fluctuations due to seasonal shifts, climate conditions, industry demand, energy costs, changes in international commodity markets and other factors. These shortages or rapid price increases could adversely affect the availability, quality and cost of ingredients, which would likely lower revenues and reduce our profitability.

 

Failure to successfully implement our growth strategy could reduce, or reduce the growth of, our revenue and net income.

 

We plan to increase the number of Sonic Drive-Ins, but may not be able to achieve our growth objectives and any new drive-ins may not be profitable. The opening and success of drive-ins depends on various factors, including:

 

 

If we are unable to open as many new drive-ins as planned, if the drive-ins are less profitable than anticipated or if we are otherwise unable to successfully implement our growth strategy, revenue and profitability may grow more slowly or even decrease.

Our outstanding and future leverage could have an effect on our operations.

On October 13, 2006, we completed a previously announced tender offer and repurchased 15,918,131 shares, or approximately 19%, of our outstanding common stock, for a total cost of $366.1 million. The shares were repurchased with borrowings under a new term loan facility. As of October 13, 2006, we had approximately $486 million of total long-term debt, comprised entirely of a balance outstanding   on   our term loan facility. We may in the future repurchase shares of our common stock, which may be funded by additional debt. Our increased leverage and debt service obligations could have the following consequences:

 

	•		We may be more vulnerable in the event of deterioration in our business, in the restaurant industry or in the economy generally. In addition, we may be limited in our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industry in which we operate.
	•		We may be required to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow to the payment of interest on our indebtedness, which could reduce the amount of funds available for operations and thus place us at a competitive disadvantage as compared with competitors that are less highly leveraged.
	•		From time to time, we may engage in various capital markets, bank credit and other financing activities to meet our cash requirements. We may have difficulty obtaining additional financing at economically acceptable interest rates.

 

 

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Our new revolving credit facility contains, and any future debt obligations may contain, certain negative covenants including limitations on liens, consolidations and mergers, indebtedness, capital expenditures, asset dispositions, sale-leaseback transactions, stock repurchases and transactions with affiliates.

 

Sonic Drive-Ins are subject to health, employment, environmental and other government regulations, and failure to comply with existing or future government regulations could expose us to litigation, damage our reputation and lower profits.

 

Sonic and its franchisees are subject to various federal, state and local laws affecting their businesses. The successful development and operation of restaurants depend to a significant extent on the selection and acquisition of suitable sites, which are subject to zoning, land use (including the placement of drive-thru windows), environmental (including litter), traffic and other regulations. Restaurant operations are also subject to licensing and regulation by state and local departments relating to health, food preparation, sanitation and safety standards, federal and state labor laws (including applicable minimum wage requirements, overtime, working and safety conditions and citizenship requirements), federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination and other laws regulating the design and operation of facilities, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If we fail to comply with any of these laws, we may be subject to governmental action or litigation, and our reputation could be accordingly harmed. Injury to our reputation would, in turn, likely reduce revenues and profits.

 

In recent years, there has been an increased legislative, regulatory and consumer focus on nutrition and advertising practices in the food industry, particularly among restaurants. As a result, we may become subject to regulatory initiatives in the area of nutrition disclosure or advertising, such as requirements to provide information about the nutritional content of our food products, which could increase expenses. The operation of our franchise system is also subject to franchise laws and regulations enacted by a number of states and rules promulgated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Any future legislation regulating franchise relationships may negatively affect our operations, particularly our relationship with our franchisees. Failure to comply with new or existing franchise laws and regulations in any jurisdiction or to obtain required government approvals could result in a ban or temporary suspension on future franchise sales. Changes in applicable accounting rules imposed by governmental regulators or private governing bodies could also affect our reported results of operations.

 

We are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act, which governs such matters as minimum wages, overtime and other working conditions, along with the Americans with Disabilities Act, various family leave mandates and a variety of other laws enacted, or rules and regulations promulgated, by federal, state and local governmental authorities that govern these and other employment matters. We expect increases in payroll expenses as a result of federal and state mandated increases in the minimum wage, and although such increases are not expected to be material, we cannot assure you that there will not be material increases in the future. In addition, our vendors may be affected by higher minimum wage standards, which may increase the price of goods and services they supply to us.

 

Litigation from customers, franchisees, employees and others could harm our reputation and impact operating results.

 

Claims of illness or injury relating to food quality or food handling are common in the food service industry. In addition, class action lawsuits have been filed, and may continue to be filed, against various quick service restaurants alleging, among other things, that quick-service restaurants have failed to disclose the health risks associated with high-fat foods and that quick-service restaurants’ marketing practices have encouraged obesity. In addition to decreasing our sales and profitability and diverting management resources, adverse publicity or a substantial judgment against us could negatively impact our reputation, hindering the ability to attract and retain qualified franchisees and grow the business.

 

Further, we may be subject to employee, franchisee and other claims in the future based on, among other things, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and wage, rest break and meal break issues, including those relating to overtime compensation.

 

We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property, which could decrease the value of our brand and products.

 

The success of our business depends on the continued ability to use existing trademarks, service marks and other components of our brand in order to increase brand awareness and further develop branded products. All of the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property may not be adequate.

 

Ownership and leasing of significant amounts of real estate exposes us to possible liabilities and losses.

 

We own or lease the land and building for all Partner Drive-Ins. Accordingly, we are subject to all of the risks associated with owning and leasing real estate. In particular, the value of our assets could decrease, and our costs could increase, because of changes in the investment climate for real estate, demographic trends and supply or demand for the use of our drive-ins, which may result from competition from similar restaurants in the area, as well as liability for environmental conditions. We generally cannot cancel the leases, so if an existing or future Sonic Drive-In is not profitable, and we decide to close it, we may nonetheless be committed to perform our obligations under the applicable lease including, among other things, paying the base rent for the balance of the lease term. In addition, as each of the leases expires, we may fail to negotiate renewals, either on commercially acceptable terms or at all, which could cause us to close drive-ins in desirable locations.

 

Catastrophic events may disrupt our business.

 

Unforeseen events, including war, terrorism and other international conflicts, public health issues, and natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, or other adverse weather and climate conditions, whether occurring in the United States or abroad, could disrupt our operations, disrupt the operations of franchisees, suppliers or customers, or result in political or economic instability. These events could reduce demand for our products or make it difficult or impossible to receive products from suppliers.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

 

None.