Sonic adds new wraps and a value menu for $1.99

Diving certificate:

• According to a press release Monday, Sonic is launching a low-cost $1.99 menu featuring a variety of dishes from wraps to cheeseburgers.
• The inexpensive menu includes a newly introduced Bacon Ranch Cheese Wrap and Southwest Crunch Cheese Wrap, along with a quarter pound double cheeseburger, chili cheese coney, small tots and a 16-ounce shake, the company said.
• A Sonic spokesperson confirmed that the Value Menu is a permanent addition and a contrast to the limited-time offers of many other QSR Chains were launched this year.

Diving insight:

Sonic emphasized that menu items range from snack wraps to burgers and shakes, making them appealing at all times of the day and to a variety of consumer preferences. This focus on variety also contrasts with some other QSR Value promotions like Jack in the Box’s “Munchies under $4” menu, which focuses primarily on snacks.

The brand said it will continue to offer the wraps permanently, but will also “try to introduce new and seasonal flavors regularly throughout the year,” of which the two included in the Value Menu are the latest versions.

Last week, Sonic added a list of six premium drinks designed to appeal to Generation Z and younger millennial consumers. These drinks are app-exclusive and therefore more likely to appeal to the brand’s existing loyal customers, while the focus on price may attract more casual consumers for whom price is a key factor in their choice.

“Now more than ever, guests value affordable dining options, but they shouldn’t have to settle for the same old discounts or boring dishes,” said Ryan Dickerson, Sonic CMO, in the press release.

The value arms race for 2024 has intensified in recent weeks. including the official announcement of $5 meal deals at McDonald’s and Taco Bell’s $7 Luxe Box. Sonic offers a number of other budget-friendly options, including half-price cheeseburgers and slushes for app members.