The trip to the fast-food joint that was once all about burgers and fries is increasingly about something that could require you to flash your ID: beer and wine.
In an effort to boost business, two Sonic restaurants in South Florida soon will sell beer and wine. The move follows Burger King “Whopper Bars” recently opened in Miami, Las Vegas and Kansas City that sell beer. Starbucks recently began to serve local beer and wine in a handful of Seattle stores. Expect changes at stores in D.C. and Virginia soon.
In a tough economy, the move towards alcohol is a way to compete with casual dining — and can help boost typically slow evening business, says a restaurant consulting expert. “For consumers, it’s basically about having it your way — even if it’s having a beer with your burger.”
But critics disagree with the new trend.
“Fast food plus fast alcohol equals fast drunks,” warns Michele Simon, research and policy director at the Marin Institute, an alcohol industry watchdog group.
