A crowd gathers for the grand opening of Sonic Drive-In on Monday morning in Kahului, now home to the very first Sonic in the state. Sonic is the latest major fast-food branch to make its debut on Maui — Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers opened its doors in August, and Chick-fil-A followed days later. Both are also located along Hookele Street. Like Sonic, Chick-fil-A in Kahului was the first in the state. Photos courtesy of Sonic Drive-In
Crowds packed the drive-thru and a line of cars waited to get into parking lot of the new Sonic Drive-In on the morning of its grand opening Monday in Kahului, which is now home to the very first Sonic in the state.
A blessing was held for the newly opened restaurant, and Sonic Drive-In Hawai’i Managing Member Edwin Prather cut the ribbon alongside Glenn Awong of award-winning Maui reggae band Maoli. The drive-in opened to customers at 11 a.m.
In addition to longtime menu items like burgers, chicken, hot dogs and limeade, the restaurant debuted a teriyaki burger made especially for Maui’s Sonic, featuring a 100 percent pure beef patty topped with teriyaki sauce, American cheese, teriyaki aioli, onions, lettuce and tomatoes, served on a toasted bakery bun.
“We’ve had our mind set on bringing the SONIC brand to Hawai’i for a number of years, and we’re so proud of this amazing new location,” Sonic Chief Operating Officer Tanishia Beacham said in a news release ahead of the grand opening on Maui. “Our franchisees at SONIC Drive-In Hawai’i worked hard to make this location a reality and to weave elements from Hawaiian culture into the design. We’re eager for the Maui community to get a taste of the delicious SONIC menu and our one-of-a-kind dining experience.”
Edwin Prather (left), managing member of Sonic Drive-In Hawaii, and Glenn Awong of award-winning reggae band Maoli perform the ribbon-cutting at Monday’s grand opening.
Founded in 1953, Sonic drew its name from the restaurant’s ordering process that allowed customers to place orders from their car using curbside speakers, spawning the slogan “Service at the Speed of Sound,” according to Sonic’s website. The restaurant’s founder, Troy Smith, changed the name of the restaurant from Top Hat to Sonic Drive-In in 1959.
Sonic now has more than 3,500 locations in 47 states.
The restaurant at 1110 Hookele St. is owned and operated by North Shore Provisions LLC, doing business as Sonic Drive-In Hawai’i. It will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. The building is equipped with a solar power system that will provide much of the drive-in’s power needs, and is decorated with custom murals created by Hilo artist Kristie Fujiyama Kosmides.
The Maui branch employs more than 100 full- and part-time employees. It’s the first of several locations that the company plans to bring to the state in the coming years, according to the news release.
To mark the opening, last week the Sonic Foundation funded the needs of some local public school teachers. In total, 48 classroom project requests totaling over $35,000 were fully funded, including at Kahului Elementary, Lihikai Elementary, Maui High, Maui Waena Intermediate and Pomaikai Elementary.
A crowd gathers for the grand opening of Sonic Drive-In on Monday morning in Kahului, now home to the very first Sonic in the state. Sonic is the latest major fast-food branch to make its debut on Maui — Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers opened its doors in August, and Chick-fil-A followed days later. Both are also located along Hookele Street. Like Sonic, Chick-fil-A in Kahului was the first in the state. Photos courtesy of Sonic Drive-In 
A blessing is held for Sonic Drive-In during its grand opening on Monday in Kahului. 
Edwin Prather (left), managing member of Sonic Drive-In Hawaii, and Glenn Awong of award-winning reggae band Maoli perform the ribbon-cutting at Monday’s grand opening.
A blessing is held for Sonic Drive-In during its grand opening on Monday in Kahului.
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