A friend of mine who lives in a suburb of Houston often goes to Sonic. There are a whopping 943 Sonic Drive In locations in the state of Texas.

We all know the fast food drive-in chain here in Massachusetts. We’ve all seen the commercials. We all know the drinks. We all know the carhops. And yet there are only four locations in Massachusetts.

Sonic is in the category of fast-food chains that we need more of here in the Bay State. I can understand why Arby’s (there are only two locations in Massachusetts) might not be a big hit here, since the places are so crowded for “Boston-style” roast beef sandwiches.

• Peabody, Massachusetts
• Stoughton, Massachusetts
• Somerset, Massachusetts
• Springfield, Massachusetts

The first thing that comes to mind when I hear Sonic is the roller skating carhops from the 1950s. Some locations still have them, but you certainly won’t find them in all restaurants. There’s a drive-through option or a drive-in option, and speed is always a priority at Sonic locations.

The popular chain apparently has thousands upon thousands of drink combinations, many of which are the creations of employees. Sonic is best known for its drinks, burgers, fries and onion rings.

Sonic has been seen in New England since about 2006 and had plans to build a lot more. According to an article published in 2015, the plan was to have a total of 40 Sonics in Massachusetts by 2020. However, that plan never came to fruition.