Dateline: January 12, 2006

New Sonic could bring forty jobs to Clarendon

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

A new Sonic Drive-in could bring as many as 40 new jobs to Clarendon later this year.

Gary Davis of Blanchard, Okla., told the Enterprise this week he intends to build the new restaurant west of the Pizza Hut on US 287 with construction to start in either March or April.

An opening date hasn’t been set, but Davis said he anticipates closing on the property this month, and the business will open as soon as he can get the facility built.

“It’s not going to be a shabby thing,” Davis said. “We’re going to go in there and spend some money.”

The drive-in will have 24 stalls, a large patio, and a drive-thru; and the main building will be finished with brick.

Sonic’s hours will be from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. in winter and from 7 a.m. to midnight in summer.

Davis said he and his wife and daughter have been in the business for 20 years and have climbed up through the ranks.

“We started on the grill, worked hard, and tried to do better,” Davis said. “At one point we got an opportunity for ownership, and we took it.”

Davis now owns 10 drive-ins, and most of them are located in smaller towns. He is currently preparing to open a Sonic in Anson, which will start with 43 employees.

Clarendon first drew Davis’ interest two years ago in February while his daughter, Amber, was coaching for Vernon College. He attended a college softball game here and said he saw an opportunity. He pursued the rights for a local franchise and secured those rights last summer.

“The big determining factor (for locating in Clarendon) was there’s just so much traffic,” he said. “If we can get just five percent of the traffic, we’re happy. And, of course, we want to serve locals, too.”

Davis said he’s looking forward to doing business in Clarendon and bringing jobs to the community.

“I think the main thing we’ll bring is the jobs,” he said. “We’ll have 35 to 40 positions from management on down. Right now I’m running a help wanted ad, and I’d really like to find three or four from that area to train for management.”

Davis also said he likes his stores to get involved locally.

“We’re not in business to put anybody else out. We just want to be part of the community. We support local sports, we give two scholarships to the high school – one for a boy and one for a girl, and we just try to get involved in everything we can.”