Florida Sonic Drive-In Shut Down After A State Inspection - 19 Violations

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It's probably safe to say that not all Floridians remember a time when getting restaurant food "to go" meant pulling into a drive-in where wait staff would walk (or skate) to your car and take your order. Many today think a drive-through is where you pull your car up to a box and dictate your order. Fortunately, there are chains like Sonic that still offer a vintage drive in drive-in. However, one Sonic location, in Quincy, was recently temporarily shut down after a state inspection.

About Sonic In Florida: This chain actually is vintage, starting in Texas in 1953 as a beer stand. It has since expanded to become a large chain of drive-ins known for car hops and its comfort foods like burgers, tater tots, milkshakes, and extensive soda mixes.

Florida currently has 99 Sonic locations. The location in question, at 1321 W Jefferson Street in Quincy, earns only 1 out of 5 stars on Yelp. Some cited poor customer service. A reviewer with the handle A.C. wrote:

"Sorry service! Worst! Teens playing around not working. (The) slushy machine stays broken. Zero stars if it were (an) option."

What Happened At Inspection?: According to data from a database maintained by the publication The Tallahassee Democrat, an inspection occurred on July 26, 2024, At that time, 19 violations were noted.

Examples of basic violations were equipment and utensils "wet nesting" and not being dried properly, walls behind a fryer with grease accumulation, a mold-like substance on a wall behind the hand washing sink, and the observation of "black substance/grease/food debris" on the interior of a microwave.

High-priority violations came because of the observation of flying insects and foods like cheese and hot dogs being held at too high temperatures - over 41 degrees.

As a result of some of the above violations, the restaurant was temporarily shut down.

Although a follow-up inspection on July 27th yielded 1 violation, it was not considered a threat to the public so the restaurant was free to reopen.

Please note that an inspection is one glimpse in time and not necessarily indicative of how a restaurant conducts itself every day.