Sonic Drive-In

Troy Smith opened a root beer stand called the Top Hat Drive-In in Shawnee, Oklahoma, in 1953. After seeing a restaurant in Louisiana where customers ordered through speakers, he wired up intercoms at every parking stall, and sales tripled. In 1959 he renamed it Sonic, promising “service with the speed of sound”.

Sonic is still one of the last big chains where you do not go inside at all: you park, press a button, order through the speaker, and a carhop brings the food to your window, sometimes on roller skates. The drinks and slushes get most of the attention, but the burgers are a real part of the ritual.

Around 3,500 drive-ins across the United States, most densely in the South.