Basis Of Presentation	9 Months Ended
May 31, 2016
Basis Of Presentation [Abstract]
Basis Of Presentation	1.Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States (“U.S.”) generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements of Sonic Corp. (the “Company”). In the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all adjustments of a normal recurring nature, including recurring accruals, necessary for the fair presentation of the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented in conformity with GAAP. In certain situations, recurring accruals, including franchise royalties, are based on more limited information at interim reporting dates than at the Company’s fiscal year end due to the abbreviated reporting period. Actual results may differ from these estimates. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for a full year or any other interim period. Principles of Consolidation The accompanying financial statements include the accounts of the Company, its wholly owned subsidiaries and a number of Company Drive-Ins in which a subsidiary has a controlling ownership interest. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers,” which requires an entity to recognize revenue in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The standard also requires additional disclosure regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The ASU will replace most of the existing revenue recognition requirements in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. Further, in March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net),” which clarifies the guidance in ASU No. 2014-09 for evaluating when another party, along with the entity, is involved in providing a good or service to a customer. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing,” which clarifies the guidance in ASU No. 2014-09 regarding assessing whether promises to transfer goods or services are distinct, and whether an entity's promise to grant a license provides a customer with a right to use or right to access the entity's intellectual property. All standards are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period, which requires the Company to adopt the standard in fiscal year 2019. The standards are to be applied retrospectively or using a cumulative effect transition method, with early application not permitted. The Company does not believe the new revenue recognition standard will impact our recognition of sales from Company Drive-Ins and our recognition of royalty fees from franchisees. We are currently evaluating the effect that this pronouncement will have on the recognition of other transactions on the financial statements and related disclosures and have not yet selected a transition method. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, “Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs.” This update requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a reduction of the related liability rather than as an asset. This update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, including interim periods within that reporting period, and is to be applied retrospectively; early adoption is permitted. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-15, which addresses the SEC’s comments related to the absence of authoritative guidance within ASU 2015-03 related to line-of-credit arrangements. The SEC would not object to an entity deferring and presenting debt issuance costs as an asset and subsequently amortizing the deferred debt issuance costs ratably over the term of the line-of-credit arrangement, regardless of whether there are any outstanding borrowings on the line of credit arrangement. The adoption of these updates is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-05, “Customer's Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement.” The update provides clarification on whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If a software license is included, the customer should account for the license consistent with its accounting of other software licenses. If a software license is not included, the arrangement should be accounted for as a service contract. The update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015. The adoption of the update is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements. In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, “Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes” as part of its simplification initiatives. The update requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. The update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017; however, early application is permitted. The Company adopted this standard in the first quarter of fiscal year 2016. The Company’s current deferred tax asset balance of $2.2 million was classified as noncurrent and netted with noncurrent deferred tax liabilities as of November 30, 2015, and all future deferred tax asset balances will be recorded as such. No prior periods were retrospectively adjusted. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases.” The new standard requires lessees to recognize the assets and liabilities arising from leases on the balance sheet. Accounting guidance for lessors is largely unchanged. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 with early application permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that this standard will have on its financial statements and related disclosures. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-04, “Liabilities—Extinguishments of Liabilities: Recognition of Breakage for Certain Prepaid Stored-Value Products,” which is intended to eliminate current and future diversity in practice related to derecognition of prepaid stored-value product liability in a way that aligns with the new revenue recognition guidance. The update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017; however, early application is permitted. The adoption of the update is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, “Compensation—Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting,” which simplifies several aspects of accounting for share-based payment transactions, including excess tax benefits, an accounting policy election for forfeitures, statutory tax withholding requirements and classification in the statements of cash flows. Upon adoption, any future excess tax benefits or deficiencies will be recorded to the provision for income taxes in the consolidated statements of operations, instead of additional paid-in capital in the consolidated balance sheets. The update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, however early application is permitted. The transition method to be applied varies depending on the area of update being adopted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that this update will have on its financial statements and related disclosures.

1.Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States (“U.S.”) generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements of Sonic Corp. (the “Company”). In the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all adjustments of a normal recurring nature, including recurring accruals, necessary for the fair presentation of the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented in conformity with GAAP. In certain situations, recurring accruals, including franchise royalties, are based on more limited information at interim reporting dates than at the Company’s fiscal year end due to the abbreviated reporting period. Actual results may differ from these estimates. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for a full year or any other interim period.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying financial statements include the accounts of the Company, its wholly owned subsidiaries and a number of Company Drive-Ins in which a subsidiary has a controlling ownership interest. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers,” which requires an entity to recognize revenue in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The standard also requires additional disclosure regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The ASU will replace most of the existing revenue recognition requirements in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. Further, in March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net),” which clarifies the guidance in ASU No. 2014-09 for evaluating when another party, along with the entity, is involved in providing a good or service to a customer. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing,” which clarifies the guidance in ASU No. 2014-09 regarding assessing whether promises to transfer goods or services are distinct, and whether an entity's promise to grant a license provides a customer with a right to use or right to access the entity's intellectual property. All standards are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period, which requires the Company to adopt the standard in fiscal year 2019. The standards are to be applied retrospectively or using a cumulative effect transition method, with early application not permitted. The Company does not believe the new revenue recognition standard will impact our recognition of sales from Company Drive-Ins and our recognition of royalty fees from franchisees. We are currently evaluating the effect that this pronouncement will have on the recognition of other transactions on the financial statements and related disclosures and have not yet selected a transition method.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, “Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs.” This update requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a reduction of the related liability rather than as an asset. This update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, including interim periods within that reporting period, and is to be applied retrospectively; early adoption is permitted. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-15, which addresses the SEC’s comments related to the absence of authoritative guidance within ASU 2015-03 related to line-of-credit arrangements. The SEC would not object to an entity deferring and presenting debt issuance costs as an asset and subsequently amortizing the deferred debt issuance costs ratably over the term of the line-of-credit arrangement, regardless of whether there are any outstanding borrowings on the line of credit arrangement. The adoption of these updates is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-05, “Customer's Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement.” The update provides clarification on whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If a software license is included, the customer should account for the license consistent with its accounting of other software licenses. If a software license is not included, the arrangement should be accounted for as a service contract. The update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015. The adoption of the update is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, “Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes” as part of its simplification initiatives. The update requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. The update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017; however, early application is permitted. The Company adopted this standard in the first quarter of fiscal year 2016. The Company’s current deferred tax asset balance of $2.2 million was classified as noncurrent and netted with noncurrent deferred tax liabilities as of November 30, 2015, and all future deferred tax asset balances will be recorded as such. No prior periods were retrospectively adjusted.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases.” The new standard requires lessees to recognize the assets and liabilities arising from leases on the balance sheet. Accounting guidance for lessors is largely unchanged. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 with early application permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that this standard will have on its financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-04, “Liabilities—Extinguishments of Liabilities: Recognition of Breakage for Certain Prepaid Stored-Value Products,” which is intended to eliminate current and future diversity in practice related to derecognition of prepaid stored-value product liability in a way that aligns with the new revenue recognition guidance. The update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017; however, early application is permitted. The adoption of the update is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, “Compensation—Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting,” which simplifies several aspects of accounting for share-based payment transactions, including excess tax benefits, an accounting policy election for forfeitures, statutory tax withholding requirements and classification in the statements of cash flows. Upon adoption, any future excess tax benefits or deficiencies will be recorded to the provision for income taxes in the consolidated statements of operations, instead of additional paid-in capital in the consolidated balance sheets. The update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, however early application is permitted. The transition method to be applied varies depending on the area of update being adopted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that this update will have on its financial statements and related disclosures.