Want Fries (And Beer) With That?
I get those hectic lunch hours just like everyone else, speeding away from work to pay a bill or pick up dry cleaning, then pulling over to scarf down something at a burger joint. I always feel a twinge of guilt when I order up a burger and fries rather than a healthier left-over option from home, kidding myself by adding to the mix a diet soda.
If you know what I’m talking about, get ready to hear the following the next time you’re standing in line and ordering up that Whopper with cheese: “You want a beer with that?”
You read that right. According to a USA Today article this morning, Sonic is going to add 25 types of bottled beer and 20 varietes of wine to its menu in South Florida, beginning with two soon-to-be-popular restaurants. “We look at this as an opportunity to drive evening business,” said Drew Ritger, Senior Vice President of Business Analysis for Sonic.
This is nothing new. Burger King opened up “Whopper Bars” in Miami, Kansas City and even Las Vegas, adding beer to its menu of burgers, chicken sandwiches and sides. Starbucks has revamped some of its many cafes, adding glasses of microbrewery lagers and wine alongside its cups of espressos, capucinos, frapucinos and macchiatos.
If you’re worried that alcoholic beverages will be included in the drive-up window, think again. Most states have laws against drive-up windows handing over alcohol; many hopeful customers discovered this years ago when restaurant chain Applebees added a “car-side” option, and they were denied the opportunity to drive away with a margarita and a Reuben sandwich. You are going to have to cool your heels inside Sonic or Burger King to enjoy that brewskie with your onion rings.
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