What’s going on with plans for a new Sonic on Antelope Road?

By Mike Hazlip—
Recent activity has been observed on a vacant lot on Antelope Road located just outside of Citrus Heights that is slated to become a gas station and Sonic location.

Although the site at the corner of Antelope Road and Roseville Road has drawn significant interest from passersby for years, construction appeared to have been stagnant until heavy equipment was seen at the site in November.

Sacramento County Associate Planner Eric Stackhouse told The Sentinel last week that preliminary permits for the project are active, but he said construction permits have not yet been issued. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved the project in 2017, he said.

The site is located in Roseville Pointe, which is part of a potential annex under consideration by the city that would expand the borders of Citrus Heights to include the lot at the corner of Antelope Road and Roseville Road, as well a strip of nearby homes located along Roseville Road.

Inspire Brands, the parent company of Sonic, did not respond to an email request for comment last month, but a representative previously told The Sentinel the location was scheduled to open in late 2024.

Inspire Brands also owns Arby’s, Baskin Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’ and Jimmy John’s Sandwiches. The company lists 32,000 restaurants and over 650,000 employees, according to their website.