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Arby’s owner buys Sonic Drive In chain

A Sonic Restaurant is pictured in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008. With the high cost of gasoline, hurricanes that forced the temporary closure of hundreds of stores and even a recent shot at the company by presidential hopeful John McCain, Sonic Corp. is facing some challenges as it looks to expand its franchise. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
A Sonic Restaurant is pictured in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008. With the high cost of gasoline, hurricanes that forced the temporary closure of hundreds of stores and even a recent shot at the company by presidential hopeful John McCain, Sonic Corp. is facing some challenges as it looks to expand its franchise. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) A Sonic Restaurant is pictured in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008. With the high cost of gasoline, hurricanes that forced the temporary closure of hundreds of stores and even a recent shot at the company by presidential hopeful John McCain, Sonic Corp. is facing some challenges as it looks to expand its franchise. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

By Staff and wire reports 2 min read

Arby’s boasts that it has “the meats” and on Tuesday the owner of Arby’s got a lot beefier by buying the hamburger drive-in chain Sonic.

Atlanta-based Inspire Brands, which owns Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings and other restaurant chains, is buying Sonic in a $2.3 billion deal that will dramatically boost its size and reach.

Sonic operates a chain of 3,500 restaurants with hundreds of franchisees, including 11 restaurants in Hamilton County, three in Cleveland, Tenn., three in Dalton, Ga., and others in nearby Fort Oglethorpe, Rossville, Ringgold, Chickamauga, Dunlap, South Pittsburg, Tullahoma, Athens, Tenn., Chatsworth and Lafayette, Ga.

In a statement, Inspire officials called Sonic “an ideal fit for Inspire’s multi-brand portfolio.”

They praised Sonic for its “unique brand positioning,” as well as its innovation – especially in its use of digital technologies – and its solid financial performance.