Troy Smith (businessman) facts for kids
Troy Nuel Smith, Sr. (born May 26, 1922 – died October 26, 2009) was an American businessman. He was famous for starting Sonic Drive-In. Sonic is a fast-food restaurant chain. It's known for its fun 1950s style. At Sonic, carhops often deliver food to your car while on roller skates! By the time Troy Smith passed away in 2009, Sonic had grown to 3,600 restaurants in 42 different U.S. states.
Early Life
Troy Smith was born on May 26, 1922. His hometown was Oilton, in Oklahoma. His father worked in oil fields. Because of his father's job, Troy's family moved to Econtucka, Oklahoma. Troy finished high school at Seminole High School in 1940. He married Dollie Twiggs in 1941. In December 1942, during World War II, he joined the United States Army Air Forces.
How Sonic Started
After serving in the military, Troy worked as a milk truck driver. But he wanted to be his own boss. So, he opened a cafe in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He also opened a chicken restaurant.
Later, he teamed up with Joe McKimmey. They owned two restaurants: the Top Hat hamburger drive-in and the Log House steak restaurant. One day, Troy was driving near the Texas–Louisiana border. He stopped at a fast-food place that had a cool idea. It used intercoms at each parking spot. This let customers order food right from their cars!
Troy loved this idea. He got the design for the intercom system. When he returned to Shawnee, he sold his share of the Top Hat and Log House to Joe McKimmey in 1959. He then built a new drive-in restaurant about a mile away. At his new place, customers could order from their cars. Carhops on roller skates would deliver the food within three minutes!
Troy's drive-in had angled parking spots. This gave customers more privacy. Speakers also played popular music while people ate. He opened another drive-in in Stillwater. He then renamed both restaurants Sonic. Their slogan was "Service with the Speed of Sound." To make Sonic grow, Troy decided to let other people open Sonic restaurants as franchises. This meant new Sonic locations opened almost every day in the late 1970s! However, an economic problem in the early 1980s caused about 300 Sonic restaurants to close.
Later Years and Legacy
Troy Smith stopped running the company in 1983. But he stayed on Sonic's board of directors. By the time he passed away, Sonic had about 3,600 locations in 42 states.
In 2007, Troy and his wife Dollie gave a large gift to the University of Central Oklahoma. They donated Sonic stock worth $3 million. This was the biggest cash gift the university had ever received. The couple also gave money for a new YMCA building in Shawnee. This building is named after them: the Troy and Dollie Smith YMCA.
Death
Troy Smith passed away on October 26, 2009, in Oklahoma City. He was 87 years old. He had been living with Alzheimer's disease for 20 years. He was survived by his wife Dollie, his daughter, his son, eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
