Sonic Joins Burger King in Adding Beer to Menu

Sometimes the soft drink that comes with your burger just doesn’t cut it, or at least that’s what chains such as Sonic and Burger King are hoping. Two Sonic stores in Florida will soon be selling beer and wine, part of what could be the start of a new trend in the fast-food industry, reports USA Today. Three Burger King "Whopper bars" in the US already sell alcohol, as do a handful of Starbucks locations.

"You don't want someone downing a quick beer, then getting into their cars and driving off," says a Boston University expert. "It's a delicate balance of risk and reward." The director of an alcohol industry watchdog puts it more bluntly: "Fast food plus fast alcohol equals fast drunks." (Click to read about another unlikely place to open a bar.)