A four year plan becomes a reality
Brittany Meyer
Contributing Writer
After 4 years of rumors and intense discussion, a Sonic drive-in has finally been constructed on Route 40. Locals are very excited for this addition, which opens next week.
The wait is finally over. A Sonic drive-in is finally making its way to Ellicott City. Since 2010, rumors of constructing a new location of the popular fast food joint have been swirling and locals have been anticipating its arrival.
A lumberyard called 84 Lumber, located on Bethany Lane on Route 40, was torn down. Howard County residents became curious as to what would take its place.
Quickly after the remnants of 84 Lumber were demolished, a large sign took its place reading “Sonic: Coming soon!” Residents became ecstatic about finally being able to get the iconic burgers, fries, slushies and unique milkshakes delivered to patrons by Sonic’s iconic roller skating servers.
To help patrons enjoy the current fall season, Sonic offers some autumnal specials like the pumpkin milkshake.
According to Ellicott City Patch, a local online newspaper, the reason for the many delays was due to multiple other projects at the site. In many cases, problems arose during construction.Sonic was slated to be open by the summer of 2013. Unfortunately, that particular release had to be pushed back.
This delay made locals very antsy. The general consensus of Facebook comments and Tweets about the subject was that Ellicott City residents couldn’t wait any longer for the new Sonic.
Recently, Route 40 was also supposed to get a Glory Days bar and grille across from where the Sonic would be. The construction of Glory Days never went through, and instead an ice cream parlor and a sushi restaurant took its place.
This made locals question whether the plan of getting a Sonic would actually go through. The suspense was palpable.
Although Glory Days never went through with their project, locals will finally have their long-awaited Sonic. It’s about time—they’ve been waiting for four years.
People will now have the opportunity to enjoy the retro 1950’s style drive-in that, according to Business Insider, got ranked the fourth most popular fast food burger restaurant in the nation.
Thursday, Oct. 16 is the grand opening. Everyone is counting down the days. Since Howard County is known as one of the more crowded and congested counties in the state, it will be interesting to see what the turnout will look like for the first weekend of business.
