Sonic Drive-In controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2021
Judge allows Sonic data-breach lawsuit to proceed
Ruling
In litigation brought by financial institutions over the 2017 Sonic data breach, a U.S. district judge denied Sonic Drive-In's request for summary judgment and found that the chain's affirmative acts put consumers' banking details at risk. The article reports allegations and a court finding, not a final resolution of the lawsuit.
Source excerpt
On the other hand, investigators also said that the data had been stolen in a cyber-attack, which involves online criminals installing malware on a point-of-sale system.
The litigation was filed by various financial institutions, which were affected by the recent Sonic Drive-In 2017 data breach.
Because of this, Gwin turned down the request of Sonic Drive-In to grant summary judgment.
2020
Bellevue, Nebraska restaurant shooting
A mass shooting at a Sonic restaurant in Bellevue killed two people and injured two others. The accused later pleaded guilty to murder, attempted murder, and arson charges.
2019
Ohio employee resignations and pay dispute
Employees at three Ohio locations resigned en masse amid reported management changes and allegations that hourly pay had been cut by 50 percent. Sonic denied the pay-reduction claim.
2010
Animal-welfare sourcing commitments draw criticism
Sonic announced plans involving cage-free eggs, gestation-crate-free pork, and alternative poultry-stunning practices. The company later changed or withdrew parts of those commitments, leading to public criticism.