Regular hours return at eatery after outbreak linked to Hillsboro prom sidelines five employees

By MINDY KEPFIELD

Staff writer

Hillsboro’s Sonic Drive-In has recovered from a surge of COVID-19 that sidelined nearly half of its staff, but its manager said he is still looking for help.

Christian Walls was forced to close at 6 p.m. this past week after two of its crew members contracted the virus and three others were placed in quarantine.

The two positive cases were Hillsboro High students who attended prom.

Walls said he simply didn’t have the ability fill shifts with five of Sonic’s 12 employees unable to work.

“It was the perfect storm,” said Walls, who has managed Sonic six years. “It was tough to be able to make it.”

All of Sonic’s employees have returned to work and the drive-in has returned to normal operating hours, which is good because they are busy, he said.

Not surprisingly COVID-19 shortened hours at other area eateries when employees became infected or were exposed to the virus.

“This past year, we doubled or tripled our numbers,” he said. “Everybody just started coming here.”

What Sonic needs right now are more employees, and Walls is hiring.

“We need as many as we can get,” he said. “Not that we are looking to drag people in.”

Six have applied for jobs, but none of them showed up to interview.

“We are fine the way it is right now, but we could use some more people,” he said. “It would run a little more smoothly — especially in emergencies.”