Sonic drive-in has busy first day in Ferndale

ZOE FRALEY - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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FERNDALE - Excitement and the salty smell of onion rings were in the air on Main Street Thursday, Feb. 12, as Sonic Drive-In opened its first northwest Washington outpost.

The fast-food restaurant had its official grand opening at 11 a.m. Thursday, with cars already lined up around the Ferndale Station parking lot at about 10:45 a.m. Employees wearing headsets directed cars to a traffic-staging area around the corner and let them in three at a time to keep parking-lot confusion to a minimum.

Mike and Rachel Fahey of Ferndale brought their kids out to give the drive-in a try on opening day.

| KATIE BARNES | THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

Sonic opens in Ferndale
IN OTHER BURGER NEWS
A week before the Ferndale Sonic opened, construction began on another Sonic site in Puyallup, the first one in the greater Seattle area.
And for fans of another burger chain, Burgerville, the president and CEO told The (Tacoma) News Tribune that the company plans to expand into the Olympia-Tacoma-Seattle area this year.
Burgerville, known for local, seasonal items and sustainable practices, is an Oregon-Washington chain with its nearest location in Centralia.
Watch slideshow of Sonic carhop training

"We were sad that Grant's closed down," Mike Fahey said, in reference to a longtime drive-in restaurant in Ferndale that closed last year. "But we're excited that they put something similar in."

Carhops on roller skates kept them entertained while they waited for their food. It's a feature that they're sure will bring them back in the future.

"I'm excited to bring our parents here because of the roller skates," Rachel Fahey said. "It's kind of like what they grew up with in high school."

For Joan Currie, 77, of Blaine, the carhops offer a bit of nostalgia.

"It's been a long time, years and years," she said. "It's really nice to see."

For students in the area, Sonic provides a welcome new option for off-campus lunches.

"There is so much hype about Sonic," said Windward High School junior Alison Daugherty. "It is worth the wait."

Windward senior Mikel Thomas got a sneak peak at the restaurant during a friends and family event Wednesday, during which Sonic donated 30 percent of all sales to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County.

"It was really good," he said of the food, which runs the gamut from chili dogs and burgers to shakes and sundaes.

Carhop Angela Denney was in good spirits Thursday as she took and delivered orders on her skates.

"It's different because we're trying to be the friendliest and be personal, not just, 'Here's your food,'" she said. "I really like it. It's kind of difficult being on the skates, but it's just something you've got to get used to."