Opening day is near for the new Sonic Drive-In.
One of the most anticipated business openings in Kent’s history will happen on Monday, June 18, at the northeast corner of 116th Avenue Southeast and Kent Kangley Road.
Sonic will do a limited schedule opening from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. starting June 18 and then a full schedule starting July 1 with hours of 7 a.m. to midnight, said Rune Harkestad, vice president of Kidder Mathews, a commercial real estate firm in Bellevue, in a Tuesday email.
Sonic had expected to open last summer but a lender originally committed to the project pulled out, which set the developer back until a new lender was found, Harkestad said.
City of Kent officials announced late in 2016 a potential opening in July 2017 and then pushed that date out a couple of more times.
But now the slushes, cheeseburgers, coneys, hot dogs, tots and other items are coming to Kent. City staff worked with the developer to allow access closer to the corner at the busy intersection.
It will mark the 18th Sonic in Washington. The closest ones to Kent include Bonney Lake, Puyallup, Tacoma, Poulsbo, Lacey and Olympia, according to the company website. Sonic also plans to open in Renton.
Sonic started in 1953 in Oklahoma and has more than 3,500 locations in 45 states. It serves about 3 million customers daily and features carhops at many locations. Sonic is known by many for its funny televison commercials featuring two guys sitting in a car at the drive-in talking about their orders.
Kent will get another highly anticipated burger spot in October when Dick’s Drive-In is scheduled to open on the West Hill at 24200 Pacific Highway S.
Another Starbucks
Starbucks also is coming to the development at 116th Avenue SE and Kent Kangley and expects to open June 27, Harkestad said.
Starbucks has about a dozen Kent locations.
Other businesses are looking at locating at the corner development.
“I am talking to various potential tenants for the remainder of the site but nothing firmed up at this time,” Harkestad said.
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