Swig (restaurant)

Swig
Founded2010 (2010)St. George, Utah
FoundersNicole RobisonTodd Tanner
Headquarters
Sandy, Utah
Number of locations
124 (Aug 2025)
Area served
United States of America
Key people
  • Alex Dunn (CEO)
  • Chase Wardrop (COO)
  • Dylan Roeder (CMO)
Productssoft drinks, cookies, pretzel bites
Number of employees
500+ (2020)
ParentLarry H. Miller Company
Websitewww.swigdrinks.com

Swig is a drive-throughsoda-fountain chain primarily located in the western United States. The company was founded in April 2010 by Nicole Robison and her then-husband Todd Tanner in St. George, Utah. The brand is known for its popular "dirty sodas", soft drinks mixed with add-ins such as cream and flavored syrups. As of June 2025, the company operates locations in fifteen states. Swig's majority owner is Larry H. Miller Company (LHMCO), with the Savory Fund having a minority interest.[1][2][3] As of 2018, the company headquarters was located in Lehi, Utah.[4]

History

Nicole Robison and her then-husband Todd Tanner founded Swig in 2010 as a drive-through specialty soda chain.[5][6] The first location, a small space near Utah Tech University in St George, Utah, initially charged $1 to promote the unique style of soda.[1][7][8]

In 2015, Swig sued competitor Sodalicious over their use of the term "dirty soda", which Swig claimed to have trademarked in 2013.[9][10] Sodalicious argued that the term was generic and thus could not be trademarked.[9] The lawsuit ended with an undisclosed settlement in 2017.[10]

By 2017, Swig had 16 locations and more franchise offers from outside of Utah.[11] The same year, Robison sold the chain to the restaurant management firm Four Foods Group.[11] Also in 2017, Savory Fund acquired a majority stake in the business. Within five years of the ownership change, Swig expanded to 40 locations.[1] In 2021, Swig expanded into Idaho, Oklahoma, and Texas.[11][3]

Rian McCartan was named CEO of Swig in October 2022. McCartan had previously held an executive position at See's Candy.[12] The following month, the Larry H. Miller Company (LHM) became the majority owner of Swig, with Savory Fund retaining equity and an operational role in the business.[13] Robison, Chase Wardrop, and Dylan Roeder also retained minority equity in the chain.[14]

Alex Dunn, a managing partner at LHM, succeeded McCartan as Swig's CEO in 2024.[1]

As of June 2024, Swig had 81 locations in seven states.[15] As of 2024, Swig had contracts to open about 500 stores within five to seven years. The company planned to open new locations in Idaho, Texas, the Midwest, the Carolinas, and Florida.[16]

Products

Swig is known for their "dirty" sodas, which are made by mixing base name-brand sodas such as Coca-Cola or Dr Pepper with add-ins such as flavored syrups, creams, and fruit-purees.[17] Swig also sells non-soda beverages and energy drinks fortified with extra caffeine. The chain has a limited food menu that includes sugar cookies, pretzel bites, and limited time offer treats.[9][18][19]

Franchises

In 2023, Swig announced that it would open 25 corporate-owned locations and start a franchising program.[20]Megaplex Theatres began selling Swig products in 2023.[14] As of September 2023, Swig had plans to open roughly 250 new locations in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri and Idaho.[21][22]

In late 2023, Swig announced that it was expanding into San Antonio, Texas with two locations.[23] In early 2024, Swig announced the opening of a third San Antonio location in the Alamo City neighborhood.[24] In 2023, Arkansas opened its first franchise location in Rogers.[25]

As of 2024, opening a Swig shop demanded an initial investment between $504,900 and $1.1 million, as detailed in its franchise disclosure document. In 2023, company-owned store revenues ranged from $574,553 to $1.65 million. In 2023, Swig launched 14 new stores, including two franchised locations.[16]

In culture

In December 2021, pop singer Olivia Rodrigo posted a photograph of herself holding a Swig cup to Instagram, causing the brand to go viral on various social media platforms, including TikTok.[26][27] In 2024, Swig experienced another surge in popularity due to its prominence on the television show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. The chain was initially surprised by the attention from the show, but quickly leveraged it for marketing purposes.[28][29][1]

Prior to reaching internet virality, "dirty soda" brands like Swig had already gained a strong following in the mountain states. The drink's popularity in the region is partly due to the fact that many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints abstain from alcohol and coffee, making soda a common alternative.[16]

References

  1. ^ abcdeKlein, Danny (January 6, 2025). "QSR's Breakout Brand of 2024: Swig Pioneers a Beverage Revolution". QSR Magazine. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  2. ^"Swig". swigdrinks.com. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  3. ^ abPetersen, Victoria (December 6, 2021). "In the Mountain West, the 'Dirty' Soda Rush Is On". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  4. ^"New Look for Beloved Utah Custom Soda Chain". www.businesswire.com (Press release). October 25, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  5. ^"I was reminded last week what a special milestone getting that first driver's license is when I went in to renew mine to reflect my new married name. Getting a license makes you feel "so official" as… | Nicole Robison | 13 comments". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  6. ^"In Utah Feud over 'Dirty' Sodas, Flavored Darts Are Fired (Published 2015)". The New York Times. November 30, 2015.
  7. ^"How This Entrepreneur Built and Sold Utah's 17-Store 'Dirty Soda' Empire".
  8. ^"Person 2 Person: Nicole Tanner". November 12, 2017.
  9. ^ abcTurkewitz, Julie (November 30, 2015). "In Utah Feud Over 'Dirty' Sodas, Flavored Darts Are Fired". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  10. ^ ab"Utah's 'dirty soda' war ends in a settlement". KSTU. November 8, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  11. ^ abc"Swig Shoots for Soda Supremacy". Silicon Slopes Newsroom. February 4, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  12. ^Jennings, Lisa (October 20, 2022). "Rian McCartan named CEO of drive-thru beverage chain Swig". Restaurant Business. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  13. ^Guszkowski, Joe (November 22, 2022). "Swig gets new majority owner in Utah's Larry H. Miller Co". Restaurant Business. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  14. ^ abWilliams, Carter (November 22, 2022). "Larry H. Miller Company acquires majority stake of Utah 'dirty soda' chain". KSL.COM. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  15. ^Chandra, Fiona. "Everything You Should Know About Dirty Soda Chain Swig". Chow Hound. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  16. ^ abcWentland, Emillee (July 10, 2024). "Swig Makes a Splash in Dirty Soda Space". Franchise Times. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  17. ^"Why Swig is One to Watch". QSR magazine. September 21, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  18. ^Thompson, Myron (July 3, 2024). "Swig brings its 'dirty sodas' to Tennessee for the first time. Here's where it is open". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  19. ^Parker, Lara. "People Across Utah Are Obsessed With "Dirty" Sodas. Here's Everything You Need To Know". Yahoo!. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  20. ^Coley, Ben (November 22, 2022). "Rising Beverage Chain Swig Sold to the Larry H. Miller Companies". QSR. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  21. ^Garcia, Juliana (June 26, 2023). "Swig, a 'dirty' soda company, wants to open a Mission shop". Shawnee Mission Post. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  22. ^Stefanich, Logan (September 2, 2023). "Utah-based Swig is bringing its 'dirty' sodas to 250 more stores in 7 new states". KSL. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  23. ^Rocha, Polly Anna (December 27, 2023). "Dirty soda franchise plans second location before first one even opens". MYSA. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  24. ^Stinson, Katherine (February 20, 2024). "Swig Soda is adding a third location in San Antonio. Here's where". My San Antonio. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  25. ^Staff (November 3, 2023). "Swig Opens First Franchised Store in Arkansas". QSR. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  26. ^"Olivia Rodrigo Made 'Dirty Soda' Trendy on TikTok — and We Tried It". People.com. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  27. ^Conley, Elise (June 6, 2022). "How Olivia Rodrigo Brought National Attention To 'Dirty Sodas'". Mashed. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  28. ^Walker, Julie (October 4, 2024). "'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' gives dirty soda shop Swig unexpected publicity". PR Week. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  29. ^"Meet Dirty Soda: The 'It' Drink of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives". Allrecipes. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swig_(restaurant)&oldid=1330736139"