You look around and you see everyone helping each other and making this all work.” He said despite the cold, his employees have answered the call. Reese said there were so many people at the drive-in during the orientation that some had to wait outside because the building had reached its total occupancy. They were here on the 16th and we opened on the 18th.” We had over 120 employees in orientation.

“There were a lot of contracts that fell into place. “We were thrown into the fire,” he said Reese. Reese said preparing for the opening has been an overwhelming but rewarding experience. He and Morales signed with the franchise to eventually run eight Sonic stores with exclusive rights in Stark, Wayne and Ashland counties, and toward Columbus. “And we got the ball rolling.”Īfter a long talk with his wife, Reese decided to leave the grocery chain and take the entrepreneurial leap into the fire. “When we talked about it, they said they wanted to bring (Sonic) home,” Reese said. They introduced Reese and Morales to the idea for a Sonic in the area. Reese, a former 20-year employee of Marc’s, and Morales were contacted by Jeff and Mike Elliott, who owned four Sonics in North Carolina. Putting the fast-food store together, Reese said, was a year and a half process. The store, located off of Wales Avenue near Nobles Pond, so far has been a hit with the locals considering the three nearest Sonics are located an hour north in Streetsboro, two hours south in Health (near Columbus), and out of state in Wexford, Pa.

Since last Wednesday, Jackson Township has been home to the first Sonic restaurant in Stark County. Former Washington High schoolmates Mike Reese, Manuel Morales and brothers Jeff and Mike Elliott wanted to achieve a goal for the Sonic Drive-in franchise.

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