Short answer
Merchant Fund Express funds existing Sonic owners with a business loan, a merchant cash advance, revenue-based financing, a line of credit, equipment financing or working capital, from $5,000 to $5,000,000. Owners ask for ice machines and beverage equipment, stall ordering systems and canopies, carhop and crew payroll, and kitchen gear for tots and burgers. Send the application and three months of business bank statements; a decision usually comes within 2–4 hours.
Every way to fund your Sonic location
Already running a Sonic location and need capital? Merchant Fund Express funds existing franchise owners with every structure below, from $5,000 to $5,000,000, on one application. Terms depend on the business's revenue and history.
| Product | What it does at a Sonic location |
|---|---|
| Business loan | A fixed sum for a canopy, lighting or lot project. |
| Merchant cash advance | Fast capital repaid from card sales when the ice machine dies in July. |
| Revenue-based financing | A share of monthly sales, so winter payments shrink with traffic. |
| Line of credit | A limit for syrup, ice-bag and food orders ahead of a hot spell. |
| Equipment financing | Ice machines, beverage towers, stall ordering systems, fryers and grills. |
| Working capital | Carhop and crew payroll and the costs of a slower season. |
What Sonic owners call about
Ice and drinks drive the ticket
Drink combinations sell all day. A failed ice machine or beverage tower shows up in the till by the afternoon.
Stalls and canopies
Each stall's ordering box, menu panel and canopy lighting has to work, and there can be up to twelve of them.
Carhop payroll
On-lot service takes more staff than a drive-thru alone, and that payroll is due whatever the weather.
Summer peaks, winter dips
Outdoor service means a hot afternoon fills the lot and a cold one empties it.
Fastest fit for each Sonic need
| The need | Usually fits | Send with the application |
|---|---|---|
| Ice machine or beverage tower | Equipment financing | Vendor quote |
| Stall ordering boxes and menu panels | POS upgrades | Technology quote |
| Canopy lighting and lot repair | Business loan | Contractor bid |
| Winter payroll for carhops | Seasonal cash flow | Statements covering winter |
| Summer stock before a heat wave | Inventory funding | Supplier order |
What a Sonic drive-in's deposits say
Sonic lists a 5% royalty and a 3.25% advertising contribution, and its parent, Inspire Brands, provides shared services and a franchise business consultant to each owner. The drive-in model runs five dayparts, so card batches come in from morning drinks through late-night snacks.
What the specialist mostly watches is weather. A drive-in with outdoor stalls can see a sharp seasonal pattern, and products tied to sales keep winter payments proportional. Merchant Fund Express subtracts franchise draws and existing payments from the store's deposits, then sizes the funding. A complete file usually gets a decision in 2–4 hours.
How fast it moves, and what to send
- Apply in about 4 minutesName Sonic as the brand, the amount and the job the money does.
- Send three months of statementsBusiness bank statements for the entity that owns the location, plus photo ID for each owner.
- Decision in 2–4 hoursA specialist reads deposits and current payments, then returns the fit.
- FundsSame-day funding is available; funding often lands the next business day.
A Sonic file, start to finish (hypothetical)
A Sonic owner heading into summer has an aging ice machine and four stall ordering boxes that keep failing. They ask for $32,000: $12,000 for the ice machine and $20,000 for the stall hardware, both on vendor quotes. A specialist could fund the whole package with equipment financing, sized on the drive-in's spring deposits and existing payments.
Illustration only. It shows how a request gets sized; it is not a past deal or an offer.
Sonic at a glance (public sources)
From Sonic's official franchising pages and its 2026 disclosure document. The franchisor legal entity is not shown because we could not confirm it on an official page.
Sources: franchising.inspirebrands.com (sonic). Checked Oct 2026. Figures change with each disclosure year; confirm current terms with the franchisor. Anything we could not verify is left out.
Owner questions, answered
How quickly can a Sonic drive-in be funded?
Most complete files get a decision in 2–4 hours. Same-day funding is available.
Can I finance stall ordering systems?
Yes. Stall boxes, menu panels and canopy lighting at an operating drive-in are standard equipment requests.
Will a slow winter hurt my application?
No. Seasonality is normal for drive-ins. Revenue-based financing keeps payments in line with sales.
Can Spanish-speaking owners apply?
Yes. Spanish-speaking support is available, and ITIN applicants are accepted.
Are you affiliated with Sonic?
No. We have no business tie to Sonic or the company that franchises it, and neither has endorsed us. The name is on this page only so Sonic owners can find funding written for their locations.
Keep going
Not affiliated with or endorsed by Sonic or its franchisor. Merchant Fund Express is a separate, independent company; the brand appears here so its owners can find this page. Terms depend on the business's revenue and history.