FAQs

We’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions. Let us know if you have more.

 We're here to help. You can contact Games Headquarters at 800-787-3794. Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Central Time or send us an email at info@drpeppersonicgames.com.

The Games are SONIC's premier training program offered system-wide to increase operational excellence and overall guest satisfaction through incentive driven behavior metrics and rewards. The overall mission of the Games is to train passionate SONIC brand ambassadors who deliver the best guest experience.

  1. Competing in the DR PEPPER SONIC GAMES gives your drive-in access to the TOT Zone training platform. TOT Zone provides your team with a user-friendly interface that makes training easy!
  2. Improved Results:
    • Drive-ins that participate in the Games continuously outperform those that don't.
    • Enrolled drive-ins have higher employee retention and higher KPI scores.
    • Team members involved develop greater traits in time management, responsibility, and passion for their drive-in. Managers involved develop stronger leadership characteristics and relationships with their team members.
  3. Everyone participating at your drive-in has the opportunity to win amazing prizes such as eGift cards, Dr Pepper merchandise, and the latest tech gear! 70% of enrolled drive-in team members received a prize valued between $15 and $500 in the 2023 Games. Through our Press-and-Win game, your team could even be featured in the spotlight for winning a prize!
  4. As your drive-in advances throughout the rounds, you will receive additional rewards for all your efforts. This could include DR PEPPER SONIC GAMES swag, banners to display at your drive-in, and exclusive prizes! If your drive-in advances all the way to the Final 12, you will earn a chance to compete in the 2024 National Finals Competition and an all-expenses-paid trip to the SONIC National Convention for 7 participants (1 Manager and 6 team members)!

The enrollment fee for the DR PEPPER SONIC GAMES is $299 plus tax, which can be paid for either by SONIC invoice or with your 2024 Dr Pepper funds, provided you have sufficient funds available. The overall enrollment fee amounts to less than $1 a day to train and reward your team for operational excellence.

The Games begin in January 2024. Your team will compete against 3,000 drive-ins by completing monthly online training modules and testing operational execution during monthly Mystery Shops. Your team will also earn instant eGift card rewards and monthly prizes that give you and your team the power of choice as you train and win. Come together as a team to succeed through each of the advancing rounds including the Preliminary Round, Semifinals, Top 500, and Top 50 for a chance to compete as a Final 12 team at the 2024 National Finals Competition. All your tools for success are included in your Games Kit and you can track your team's progress on the DR PEPPER SONIC GAMES website.

You can expect your kit to arrive before January 1, or shortly following enrollment. Included in your Games Kit will be a program guide outlining all program details, points flyer, and an activity tracker to track your monthly progress. Your Games Kit will also include lapel pins and a custom mouse pad to reward your team on a job well done.

Upon completion of your monthly TOT Zone module, you will have the opportunity to visit our Press-and-Win game portal. Spin the wheel to win prizes such as instantly redeemable eGift cards from our merchant gift card catalog, trending electronics such as smart TVs, and other Dr Pepper and SONIC swag. If you are not an instant winner, your name will be placed into a monthly drawing for high end merchandise such as Apple Products and Gaming consoles!

The DR PEPPER SONIC GAMES include the complete Mystery Shop excluding the skating Carhop component. This Shop will be taken directly from your regularly scheduled Mystery Shop. You will receive 5 total Mystery Shops: One Shop per month (January - May). The 4 best Mystery Shops with the highest score will count towards your final score; the Mystery Shop with your lowest score will be dropped. For drive-ins that receive multiple Mystery Shops per month, a computer-generated program will randomly select your Mystery Shop and mark it with an asterisk (*). Drive-ins will be scored on the same scale. Mystery Shop questions regarding scoring or disputes within the Preliminary Round must be submitted to Games Headquarters and Ipsos by May 31, 2024, 5:00 p.m. Central Time. If a drive-in becomes permanently closed after enrolling, the store will be removed from the competition. If a drive-in is temporarily closed (<45 days), shops will be made up using one of the following:

  1. Use next completed Shop(s) in the current month if time permits.
  2. Use next completed Shop(s) in the next month, unless the missing Shop occurs in May, then the last completed Shop of April will be used.
  3. If a drive-in only receives one Shop per month, then it will be at the franchisee's expense for an additional Shop to be conducted and that Shop will then make up for the missed Shop.

Shop disputes should be submitted to the following email: US-MYS-SonicInfo@ipsos.com.