In Utah, a mother’s side project has blossomed into a $100 million enterprise, and her journey is just beginning.
Nicole Tanner, at 49, was in the thick of parenting her five kids, aged between six and 16, when she felt the need for a little boost in her daily routine.
As a practicing Mormon, Tanner abstains from caffeine, along with other indulgences like alcohol and tobacco, prompting her to seek an alternative source of energy.
This quest led the Colorado native, now residing in St. George, to experiment by enhancing her sodas for that desired lift.
Her inventive approach involved mixing creamers, syrups, and purees with favorites like Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, or Dr. Pepper. The innovative concept caught on quickly, sparking the inception of a business vision.
In 2010, Tanner and her husband decided to invest their savings in a 700-square-foot commercial space in St. George, choosing this route to sidestep taking out a business loan.
Her strategy was to fill a gap in the market that she had observed within her Mormon circles and open a store that sells all kinds of crazy low/no-caffeine mixed beverages to replace traditional coffee shops.
Today, the business – named ‘Swig’ – has blown up online, thanks to the popularity of shows like ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ along with Utah’s TikTok influencers, who all tout the sodas and feature them in their ‘day in the life’ vlogs.
Nicole Tanner, 49, found herself craving a pick-me-up amidst the craze of raising her five children, now aged six to 16
The Utah mom opened a store that sells all kinds of crazy low/no-caffeine mixed beverages to replace traditional coffee shops called Swig
Tanner started spiking her soda with syrups, creamers, and more
But the business had a humble beginning. Initially, Tanner leased a fountain machine from Coca-Cola. She asked PepsiCo for the same, but it denied her request – it’s common for the two companies to encourage businesses to exclusively use either Coke or Pepsi.
Tanner, still determined to offer a wide array of fizzy beverages, stocked up on two-liter bottles of Pepsi and Mountain Dew from supermarkets instead.
After a month of great success, PepsiCo agreed to provide the business with a soda machine.
Initially, Tanner offered fresh lemons, limes, and six different kinds of syrups. Her eldest daughter and niece manned the store and her 15-year-old son enticed people in by standing outside with signs offering ‘drive thru drinks’.
Drivers lined up and Swig’s workers made their way down the row of cars taking orders and ringing up sales.
At the start, Tanner priced every drink at $1 for any size – this allured students from local Utah Tech University.
Tanner listened to the demands of her customers – when they requested new flavors, like pomegranate or passionfruit, she tried them out.
By 2013, demand was high and people waited hours in line to order their concoctions. That same year, Tanner opened a second location.
Even Olivia Rodrigo would visit Swig when she was filming the TV show High School Musical in Utah
Swig has blown up online, thanks to the popularity of shows like ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ and Utah TikTok influencers, who all tout the sodas and feature them in their ‘day in the life’ vlogs (pictured: the cast of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives)
Tanner initially priced every drink at $1 for any size – this allured students from local Utah Tech University
Customers ordered their soda-with-creamer mixes by instructing staff to ‘make it dirty’ – and the phrase caught on.
Other companies have even latched on to the saying.
Chick-fil-A launched Frosted Sodas and Icedream Floats in January – both drinks that blend classic sodas with the chain’s signature soft serve ice cream.
McDonald’s also debuted a version of Sprite that is mixed with lemon-vanilla syrup and dragon fruit.
Ironically, some companies have used the idea – initially conceptualized to replace Mormon no-go’s like coffee and alcohol – to create boozy beverages.
TGI Fridays started offering dirty sodas last year which combined fizzy drinks with shots of Jack Daniel’s or Hennessy.
Dirty sodas still thrive the most in Utah and surrounding states, but the trend has spread thanks to its social media circulation, and Swig has expanded to around 140 locations across 16 states.
New York City has its own dirty soda shop – Cool Sips, which has four locations so far.
Customers ordered their drinks soda with creamer mixes by instructing staff to ‘make it dirty’ – and the phrase caught on
Swig’s CEO Alex Dunn, who has discussed a potential initial public offering for the chain
Tanner’s primary investor, the family investment office Larry H. Miller Co., installed a seasoned chief executive with public-market experience.
The CEO, Alex Dunn, has discussed a potential initial public offering for the chain, which generated about $100 million in revenue last year.
‘We are doing what Starbucks did for coffee, but for soda,’ Swig CEO Alex Dunn told the Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, Tanner now focuses on developing new beverages and opening new locations.
