After a nationwide evaluation of over 3,100 SONIC drive-ins, the Kahului SONIC ranked in the Top 12, earning an invitation to the Dr. Pepper SONIC Games held in Nashville, Tennessee.

While the team did not win the overall prize, the competition proved to be a success, with one of Kahului’s own team members, Melissa Diaz, winning the Bronze Medal for the Grill Station category. This places Melissa as the third-best grill cook in the nation within SONIC’s extensive network.

“Melissa’s achievement underscores the hard work and dedication of the local Kahului team, many of whom are high schoolers experiencing their first job at SONIC. Their consistent performance, both in speed and service, helped place the location among the nation’s elite,” according to the announcement.

In honor of this accomplishment and as a gesture of gratitude to the Maui community for their incredible support, the SONIC Foundation made a $10,000 donation to fund classroom projects for local schools.

“The donation, which was allocated to various educational initiatives through DonorsChoose, highlights the team’s commitment not just to service excellence, but to community involvement,” SONIC Maui reports.

“It’s been an incredible experience for our team to represent Maui on a national stage at the Dr. Pepper SONIC Games,” said Jesse Neumann, General Manager of SONIC Maui. “While we didn’t come away with the top prize, we’re extremely proud of what we accomplished, especially with Melissa’s bronze medal. We’re also thrilled to give back to the community that has supported us since day one, and this donation is just a small way of saying thank you for making all of this possible.”

The Dr. Pepper SONIC Games bring together SONIC drive-in teams from across the country to compete in various challenges simulating a busy lunch rush, showcasing speed, quality, and service.