BIZ Brief: New Sonic sizzles to life, old Sonic fizzles out
The new Sonic location at 1404 S. Water Street in Burnet. Staff photo by Caden Senn
A new Sonic location at 1404 S. Water Street in Burnet should be opening soon, taking the place of the old Captain D’s building that has been sitting vacant since 2024. Burnet’s old Sonic, at 904 Buchanan Drive, run by the same owners, has permanently shut down ahead of the new location’s opening.
City Manager David Vaughn told DailyTrib that the location could open the week of Thursday, May 7, and that city staff was happy to see the lot being lit up by a new tenant after it sat empty for an extended period of time.
“This is a great reuse of an existing building that was sitting dark for too long,” Vaughn said. “(It) will help ensure (U.S. 281 South) remains a vibrant and productive commercial corridor for our community.”
Of note, the location currently does not seem to include any drive-in spots typical to the chain, but does have a drive-thru window, curbside parking spots, and indoor seating.
As for the old Sonic, Vaughn told DailyTrib that it was his understanding that the owners, who are the same owners of the new location, intended to permanently shut the location down. As of Thursday, the sign at that location read, “closed, at new store.”
The old Captain D’s lot was one of two spaces on the northwestern corner of U.S. 281 (S. Water Street in Burnet) and Houston Clinton Drive to sit empty, along with the old Burger King storefront. Barring any issues along the way, both lots should be occupied by mid-2027, as an HTeaO store was greenlit to take over the Burger King building in March.