A BELOVED national diner with over 3,500 stores has closed down another, with only a note to say goodbye to customers.
It is still unclear why this closure happened, and if more could be on the horizon.
Sonic has just closed one of its Drive-In locations in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The restaurant was located at 317 E. Fillmore St., east of Nevada Avenue, and shut down on June 19.
Customers trying to enter the diner were met with a short note informing them of the closure.
It said: “This location is permanently closed. Please visit our nearest location at 5955 N. Academy Blvd.”
The notice concluded: “Sorry for any inconvenience.”
In addition, the drive-thru board was empty, and billboards and drive-in stalls were removed.
While it is still unknown if more Sonics are set for closure, more in the Colorado Springs area have fallen.
Three more restaurants have been closed, including drive-ins in southwest Colorado Springs and one about 6.5 miles north on the city’s far west side.
A third location in northeastern Colorado Springs was also noted to have closed down.
SONIC THEORIES
Social media was set ablaze with theories as to why the Fillmore Sonic was forced to shut.
On Reddit, some suggested that the company had been struggling since the pandemic hit.
In the comments of a thread, one person wrote: “They’ve been dying this way since Covid hit.
“That’s when I noticed the shift and it seems it hasn’t gotten better.”
Another person agreed: “I feel like they were actually thriving for a little bit during Covid because it was on of the few restaurants that’s prepared for not having a dine in area and having people separated.
Restaurant closures in 2025
Denny’s – Denny’s has confirmed that up to 150 locations are set to close in the US by the end of the year as many of them are no longer profitable.
Red Lobster – The chain has said that it plans to close over 100 stores across the country this year as new CEO Damola Adamolekun takes over.
TGI Friday’s – TGI Friday’s is still being forced to shutter locations thanks to a bankruptcy filing, including 30 in April alone.
Applebee’s – This chain is projecting a loss of 20 to 35 Applebee’s spots in 2025 but is teaming up with IHOP to introduce dual-branded locations with a curated menu of the two’s best items.
Noodles & Company – This emporium is set to close between 17 and 21 locations in 2025 following a difficult 2024.
“Either way, post Covid they’ve been going downhill quick.”
A year ago, customers also noticed that a Sonic had shut down at the Chapel Hills Mall in Colorado Springs.
In this instance, people on Reddit suggested that the writing had been on the wall due to the low staffing reported just before it closed.
One person said: “My son noticed it was closed last week.
“I went a couple weeks back and they were extremely short staffed-only one person working in the afternoon.
“So maybe it has something to do with that?”
Someone else wrote: “I don’t know why, but I swear every single sonic in this city is understaffed.”
It is important to note that these comments do not come from verified sources and are only theories.
Sonic is part of Inspire Brands, which owns several other big names like Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’ and Jimmy John’s.
Per its website, Sonic has more than 3,500 restaurants in 46 states, including seven still standing in Colorado Springs.
Sonic has one location each in the nearby communities of Falcon, Fountain, Security and Woodland Park.
The US Sun has reached out to Sonic for comment on the recent Fillmore closure, but did not hear back immediately.
Sonic has just closed one of its Drive-In locations in Colorado Springs, Colorado[/caption]
