Florida Drive-In Known For Its Car Hops, Sonic, Shut Down After State Inspection

Photo byTheDapperDan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

If you are a Floridian of a certain age, you may remember nostalgic drive-ins like Dog N Suds. Florida actually still has a few independently owned drive-ins like Andy's Igloo and John's. There are also chains like Sonic. Unfortunately, one Florida location of the latter, in Palatka, was temporarily shut down after a state inspection.

About Sonic: This franchise actually started as a beer stand called Top Hat in Texas in 1953. Once the stores began to expand, the owner changed the name to Sonic to reflect the slogan “Service at the Speed of Sound.”

Today, the drive-in is known for its car hops and its comfort foods like burgers, tater tots, milkshakes, and creative soda mixes.

Reviewers for the location in question at 414 Fl 19 in Palatka give the restaurant mixed reviews with 3.5 out of 5 stars. Some praised the tasty food, but others had issues with accuracy and wait times. A reviewer named Jackie mentioned cleanliness, writing, in part:

"By far (the) worst Sonic ever! Waited over 30 minutes to receive food that was cold and missing parts. Also dirtiest (and this includes the employees slouching around, in dirty clothes and hair.) Trash everywhere, obviously no pride in their business. I love Sonic and have been to this location many times. I've watched it go downhill over the last year. Today was the end for me..."

What Happened At Inspection?: According to data from a database maintained by the publication The Tallahassee Democrat, an inspection occurred on July 8, 2024. At that time, 8 violations were noted.

Examples of basic violations were the accumulation of a "black/green mold-like substance" in the interior of the ice machine, clean dishes not being stored inverted in a safe manner, dishes being stacked in the sink wet or "wet nesting," standing water on the floor, and a cracked light shield.

A high-priority violation came from the observation of flying insects in various areas of the restaurant, including on trays, on soda syrup boxes, on a pretzel for an employee, and on the ice cream topping counter.

As a result of some of the above violations, the restaurant was temporarily closed. After two follow-up inspections, the restaurant had 1 basic violation on July 10, 2024. The restaurant still requires a follow-up, but the remaining basic violation was not considered an immediate threat to the public so the restaurant was free to reopen.

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

The author is not affiliated with Sonic or any other restaurants.