King is gone and forgotten

North Park's Burger King at 2829 El Cajon Boulevard closed down late last year. The building now has a new tenant: a Sonic Drive-in.

San Diego County now has six Sonic locations: Camp Pendleton, Vista, San Marcos, Santee, National City, and Kearny Villa Road in the City of San Diego.

The building on El Cajon Boulevard is undergoing extensive renovation. According to company spokesperson Leah Spector, the restaurant “will seat 50 to 60 guests” and have “13 classic drive-in stalls.” It will open in October. As for having carhops on skates, Spector said, “It is safe to assume it will.”

The new North Park Sonic will be owned and operated by SPG Management, LLC. The company is the exclusive licensed franchisee for Sonic in San Diego County, as well as portions of Riverside, Orange, and San Bernardino counties.

Sonic is reputedly the nation's largest drive-in restaurant chain, with 3500 locations. The company is forging ahead with a major expansion, planning to open 1000 more outlets over the next ten years. In San Diego County, 15 new drive-ins are planned. The company is aiming for 300 drive-ins in California by 2020.