Cold comfort
A colleague recently asked me how Oklahoma City’s diet might impact Sonic, the popular drive-in restaurant company based in Bricktown. I recalled a story that Sonic CEO Cliff Hudson told during the company’s most recent shareholders’ meeting. Responding to a question about how Sonic was countering competitors’ lower-fat offerings, Hudson discussed his company’s recent marketing of a healthy product.
Sonic promoted and sold a low-fat fruit smoothie concoction that was healthy and tasty. However, Hudson said, the second most-ordered item that accompanied the fruit smoothie was a double cheeseburger.
Hudson’s conclusion: We give the customers what they want.
Now comes a front-page feature in The Wall Street Journal noting that growing popularity of a no-fat, no-calorie menu item that Sonic sells by the bagful — ice. There are some folks that just love to chew ice, and they are picky about the quality of the ice they chew.
Famous Okie Vince Gill is among the frozen faithful. His wife, Amy Grant, bought him a machine just like the ones at Sonic’s 3,400 restaurants and installed it in their garage to produce his preferred chewing ice.
From the Journal:
“I’ve chewed ice my whole life,” says the 50-year-old Mr. Gill. Growing up in Oklahoma, he says, he judged restaurants by the quality of their ice. Today, he says, when he travels outside the U.S., he finds slim pickings.
“Europe is a drag,” he says. “I ask for ice, and they give me one or two cubes. They’re stingy with their ice. I’d never survive there.”
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment