Sonic Drive-In is adding a cheese sauce as a limited-time offer and promoting it with two types of queso fries.
The new white queso can be added to any order for $1 starting Sept. 2 to the general public and Aug. 27 via the quick-service chain’s app.
The two varieties of loaded fries, starting at $3.99 for a medium size and available while supplies last, both feature the crinkle-cut Groovy Fries that Sonic introduced in May.
The Bacon Ranch Loaded Queso Fries dresses the Groovy Fries in the new queso along with bacon, shredded cheese, and ranch dressing.
The Southwest Loaded Queso Fries are topped with the same queso sauce and cheese along with sliced jalapeño peppers, tomatoes, diced onions and a creamy “Southwest sauce.”
“Sonic’s hot and crispy Groovy Fries are a perfect snack on their own but imagine elevating them with creamy queso and other flavor-packed toppings — now that’s a snack that hits the spot,” vice president of culinary & menu innovation Mackenzie Gibson said in a release announcing the new menu items. “Whether you go for Bacon Ranch or Southwest, these loaded fries will get you through those midday or late-night cravings and transform them into an experience that’s both comforting and delicious.”
The new queso is part of a wave of sauces that have been added to restaurant chains recently. Just last week Bojangles added a house-made ranch dressing, Buffalo Wild Wings added a Buffalo Bacon sauce, Popeyes added a new sweet and smokey chipotle coating to its wings, and Twin Peaks came out with both a tikka sauce emulating chicken curry and a spicy chili crisp sauce, featuring a spicy-tingly Chinese condiment that has grown in popularity in recent years.
Sonic’s new items also come as the chain of more than 3,500 restaurants, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Inspire Brands, is implementing its “Live Free Eat Sonic” marketing initiative, that positions it as a fun, monotony-breaking venue that encourages its customers to try new experiences.
To that end Sonic recently announced it would give away three vacations valued at around $15,000 each in its “Fun is on the Menu Sweepstakes.”
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
