Behind The Menu: Sonic's Secret Kitchen

Karl Torp, News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY -- It's a great Oklahoma success story: Sonic Drive-Ins. The restaurant has made some changes in the way they find their next big menu hit.

So, they let News On 6 take an exclusive look inside their new test kitchen, which shows how menu items at Sonic and other restaurant chains are being marketing with a hush-hush campaign.

“This something we are working on in the '007 kitchen,'” said Clas Petersson, Sonic's Executive Chef.

It's inside the Sonic's Culinary Innovation Center located in Bricktown, where Sonic's James Bond, Swedish Chef Clas Petersson, follows one simple rule.

“That's why we are on the planet to eat,” he said. “And that's what we do, so eat and learn and cook and present products for our customers.”

Sonic's state-of-the-art kitchen is located in Bricktown and no food is off limits. From pastries to new chicken and shakes, any concoction could end up on Sonic's menu 12 months from now.

“One thing that you see us offering in a limited time offer that started as 50 or 60 ideas” said Clas.

Even the soda machine looks straight out of bond movie, offering combinations you won't find here, but have gained popularity through a sort of secret menu. Like the Dr. Van Limer, an underground drink that contains Dr. Pepper, vanilla and lime.

Sonic isn't the only one secretly offering items not seen in pictures and print. Starbuck's apparently has a 'Butterbeer Frappuccino' and Arby's has a 'Meat Mountain,' a sandwich stacked with chicken fingers, roast beef and bacon. Chick-Fil-A apparently can do a chicken quesadilla, but the location on 2nd Street in Edmond is the only one that honored the secret item.

Hackthemenu.com shows what is supposedly being offered, and we had success at Taco Bell and Panera Bread.

Back at the 007 test kitchen, we didn't have the heart to tell Clas that some of the secret menu items, like the Dr. Van Limer, were unheard of here in the metro and seem to be for his eyes only.