America runs on caffeine.
According to a report from the International Food Information Council, 93% of Americans consume caffeine regularly, and 75% consume it daily.
If you’re anything like me (or the 25% of Americans who admit to consuming caffeine 3 or more times a day), daily consumption doesn’t just stop with a morning cup of coffee, but continues throughout the afternoon and early evening with energy drinks, crispy Diet Cokes, and espresso shots.
But every once and a while, I find myself in need of a smaller boost, something to put a little pep in my step without delivering heart palpitations.
With its newest menu launch, Sonic is making it easier than ever to grab that mid-level afternoon pick-me-up.
Sonic adds Refreshers to its menu
On March 16, the quick service chain announced it would be adding “a new, crave-worthy lineup of hydrating beverages made with real fruit and green tea for a naturally uplifting boost” to its menu.
With 45 milligrams of caffeine, these permanent additions perfectly straddle the line between giving you enough energy to complete your afternoon “to do” list and being able to fall asleep before midnight.
Available in both still and sparkling options, the refreshers come in three unique flavors:
- Strawberry passionfruit
- Mango Peach
- Berry Citrus
Ringing in at just $2.99 for a 20 ounce, the drinks are much more wallet-friendly than similar offerings at chains like Starbucks or Dutch Bros.
While the Refreshers won’t officially be added to menus nationwide until March 23, Sonic app users get early access starting on March 16.
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Beverages are a core part of Sonic’s business
From its earliest days, drinks have been a core component of Sonic’s menu.
Sonic started out as Top Hat, a drive-in chain where diners could order root beer via an intercom system and have it delivered directly to their vehicles. As time went on, founder Troy Smith added more items to the menu, but the beverage selection was never an afterthought.
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Today, the restaurant offers more than 1 million drink combinations. Customers can mix and match sodas, slushes, teas, and lemonades with flavored syrups, real fruit additions, and creamers to achieve a thirst quencher perfectly suited to their individual palates.
Some of Sonic’s best marketing campaigns have also centered on their drinks lineup. For years, customers have been able to partake in the restaurant’s daily happy hour, where they can swing by during off-peak afternoon hours to pick up their favorite beverages at half-price. More recently, Sonic made the happy hour pricing an all-day perk for people who ordered through the app.
The caffeinated beverage market is booming
With a massive consumer base and such high purchase frequency, it’s no surprise that the caffeinated beverage market is booming. Experts predict a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) somewhere between 5.2% and 7.78%.
Sonic is just one of a growing number of companies scrambling to add non-coffee caffeinated beverages to their offerings in an effort to capitalize on increased consumer demand.
Last year, Taco Bell rolled out its Refrescas, a line of energy drinks caffeinated with either green tea (52 mg of caffeine) or Rockstar Energy (200 mg of caffeine). A few months later, Wendy’s unveiled its Sparkling Energy drinks (80-120 mg of caffeine). And earlier this month, Panera Bread announced it would be returning to the energy drink scene with two new Refreshers (28-42 mg of caffeine), after the discontinuation of its Charged Lemonades.
More retail:
- Coca-Cola brings exclusive new soda to Walmart
- Popular coffee chain closes all 20 locations after sale
- Starbucks rival launches coffee shops in cult favorite chain
Mark Wasilefsky, head of TD Bank’s restaurant franchise group, says he doesn’t see this beverage boom easing up any time soon.
“I don’t think there’s any stop to that,” Wasilefsky told Restaurant Dive earlier this year. “I think the market is huge.”
The way you deliver the caffeine is expanding in many, many different directions,” he continued. “It’s really not just coffee.”
