SONIC Drive-In to hold ribbon cutting at new Charleston location Monday

CHARLESTON, Ill. (WAND) - SONIC Drive-In will officially open in Charleston Tuesday.

The location will be at 107 West Lincoln Ave. next to the Eastern Illinois University campus. It will be owned and operated by SONIC franchisee Mike James, CEO of Guernsey Holdings, who recently opened a SONIC location in Taylorville this past spring.

At 9:00 a.m. on Monday, July 22, the new SONIC Drive-in will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony alongside Charleston Mayor Brandon Combs and members from the local Chamber of Commerce. Following the ribbon cutting, the Charleston SONIC will be open with limited hours with live music from a local DJ before officially opening the following morning.

The new SONIC will be open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. It has five drive-in stalls, four order-ahead pickup stalls, and patio dining that seats up to 20 guests.

The Charleston Drive-In will employ approximately 60 to 80 team members from the local area. Those interested in joining the Charleston SONIC team are encouraged to apply at https://careers.sonicdrivein.com/us/en.

"Our team is thrilled to announce our expansion throughout Illinois and even more excited to serve the student body at Eastern Illinois,” said James. “Whether it’s grabbing a quick bite between classes or hosting families in the area, we look forward to bringing our guests the SONIC menu offerings they know and love.”