Sonic Rooftop HVAC Replacement, Kingfisher, Oklahoma

In November 2022 I replaced a failed gas/electric packaged rooftop unit at the Sonic Drive-In in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, set the new Trane Precedent with a crane while the restaurant kept running, and billed it straight to the corporate operator that runs the store.

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The Job

The Sonic in Kingfisher is run by Sonic Castleberry Investments Inc, a corporate operator that owns stores across western Oklahoma, including Fairview and the Kingfisher location at 1201 S Main St. A drive-in restaurant cannot shut the kitchen down for a day, so when the old rooftop unit gave out in November 2022, the fix had to happen fast and clean while cars were still pulling into the stalls.

I went up on the roof, pulled the old packaged unit, built a curb adapter so the new cabinet seated tight to the existing opening, and craned the new Trane Precedent gas/electric packaged rooftop unit into place. We tied it into the existing ductwork, ran a new main drain line, set 2-inch filters, wired the controls and the smoke detector, and checked it out before we left. The restaurant stayed open the whole time.

This is light commercial work, not a house. A rooftop package unit carries the cooling and the gas heat in one cabinet up on the roof, and swapping one means a crane, a curb, and a crew that has done it before. I have been doing this kind of work for 47 years, and I ran a year of national-chain commercial accounts in Dallas before I came back home to Kingfisher and opened my own shop.

Equipment Used

• Trane Precedent gas/electric packaged rooftop unit (5-ton), Trane light commercial line with ReliaTel controls. I run Trane Precedent on these drive-in roofs because the cabinet is built for outdoor commercial duty and parts are easy to get in Oklahoma.
• Curb adapter, fabricated to seat the new cabinet to the existing roof opening, no re-cut of the deck.
• New main drain line and 2-inch filters.
• Standard thermostat, control wiring, and a roof smoke detector with audible per code.
• Crane set by Kline Sign LLC, old unit removed and new unit landed the same morning.

Note: these are the brand and product-line facts straight off the job record. The exact Trane model and serial live on the unit nameplate up on the roof. If you need the full nameplate string for a warranty or a facility file, call me and I will pull it.

On the Roof

Why It Mattered

A restaurant rooftop unit is not about comfort, it is about staying open. If the cooling or the heat quits, food safety and the dining room go with it, and a corporate operator is watching the downtime on every store. I treat a chain location the same way I treat my neighbors here in Kingfisher: show up, do it right the first time, and leave the roof cleaner than I found it.

I have kept this relationship going for years across more than one of their stores, which is the part that matters for a chain. They do not want to re-explain their building to a new contractor every time something breaks. They want one shop that knows the equipment, knows the roof, and answers the phone.

Commercial and National-Accounts FAQ

Do you service corporate and chain restaurant locations in Oklahoma?

Yes. I service corporate-operated chain locations, including the Sonic Drive-In here in Kingfisher, which is run by a multi-store operator. I handle rooftop package units, split systems, walk-in and refrigeration-adjacent HVAC, and routine commercial maintenance. I serve Kingfisher, Canadian, Oklahoma, Garfield, Logan, Major, and Blaine counties.

Do you work with facility-maintenance vendors and third-party work-order platforms?

Yes. I spent a year handling national-chain commercial accounts in Dallas before I opened my own shop, so I know how facility-maintenance vendors and work-order systems run. I can take a dispatched work order, document the visit, send photos and a written report, and bill to your standards.

Can you handle multiple stores and NTE (not-to-exceed) work orders?

Yes. I already cover more than one store for the same operator. I can work an NTE work order, call before I go over the cap, and give you a written estimate for anything beyond the not-to-exceed amount before I do it. One shop, one point of contact, every location.

How fast can you respond when a restaurant rooftop unit goes down?

Same-day is usually available, and I keep commercial diagnostics moving because a down unit at a restaurant is lost revenue. A commercial diagnostic gets you a written report with the problem, the fix, and the cost before any repair starts. Call 405-375-4822 and tell me which store.

What does a commercial rooftop unit replacement cost in Kingfisher, Oklahoma?

A single-cabinet gas/electric packaged rooftop unit replacement at a small commercial building like a drive-in typically runs $15,000 to $25,000 per unit, crane and curb adapter included. Every roof is different, so I give a free written estimate for new equipment. Oklahoma utility rebates may apply, and financing is available through Synchrony, Wells Fargo, Wisetack, Klarna, and JB Financing.