Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Sodalicious vs. Swig Dispute: Battle over the term “dirty” in flavored drinks between two soda chains.
- CEO Changes: Sodalicious leadership shifts with new executives in place.
- Unique Soda Mixology: Utah’s rise of “dirty soda” mixologists explained.
- Legal Battles and Public Response: Lawsuit details and customer loyalty amid the conflict.
- Soda Culture in Utah: Growing trend of specialty soda shops in the state.
Sodalicious, which started three years after Swig, contended that the word “dirty” had been used to designate drinks with flavorings added long before Swig and that the name should revoke. At Sodalicious, where bartenders pour the cocoa syrup into Dr. Pepper’s tall ships and send it out the door, another team of mixologists throws shots, says “it gets crazily heated.”
CEO of Sodalicious Company:
As a result, Sodalicious bought back the Findlays’ stock in the company. In addition to Kevin Auernig staying on as CEO, Annie Averring will stay on as CPO, and Kevin Santiago will stay on as CDO. lvaro Santiago joined the company’s upper management in 2014. Kevin Auernig expressed gratitude for Kent and Anna K’s contributions to Sodalicious and wished them well in their future endeavors.
Sodalicious as dirty soda:
One type of mixologist has arisen in Utah, where coffee and alcohol are almost universally shunned: the “dirty soda” mixologist. These new popular firms, which first appeared on the scene roughly five years ago, use soda as a base, add flavoring syrups, fruit purées, and cream before delivering them in oversized cups. Of course, it seems like something out of Idiocracy or formula for a public health disaster, but these establishments are genuine and evidently.
The conflict between Sodalicious and Swiggers:
Lawyers claimed that Swig did not create the dirty martini. He called it a smear campaign against one of the few places where Mormons may let their hair down and be a bit wicked. “That’s for a judge to answer,” he continued when asked if Sodalicious’ use of the word “filthy” was prohibited.
Cronut-Doissant showdown:
When it came to the soda wars, Swiggers will support the case while Sodalicious fans oppose it, comparable to the frozen yogurt mania, Cronut vs. Doissant, and the Vanilla Latte’s persistence.
Use of phrase:
Two major chains, Sodalicious and Swig, have been fighting over the phrase “dirty” as the stores have grown. As a result of Nicole and Todd Tanner’s 2010 launch of Swig, they claim they have patented the term “flavor-infused drinks” and are suing Sodalicious for allegedly copying their invention.
Weird soda flavors:
There have been some great and weird soda flavors created due to the legal battle between the two companies. In both Swig and Sodalicious, the emphasis is on creating your dirty sodas, while the menu items at Swig stress the use of scandalous titles. Both companies have produced beverages that you won’t find in any grocery store regardless of the name.
Luring families looking:
Recently, both soda companies have grown, luring families looking for a sugar rush in the afternoon and teenagers looking for a place to hang out. With brightly colored tables and huge umbrellas, Swig’s ten locations resemble poolside cabanas and lounges. An urban coffee shop theme pervades the eight Sodalicious locations, which are more subdued.
Encourage frequent visits:
Customers can walk inside or pass-through for both businesses, and punch cards that guarantee a free drink after a certain number of transactions encourage frequent visits. At both eateries, a 44-ounce Pepsi costs roughly $2, with add-ons costing extra. Sodalicious is accused of stealing the term “dirty,” as well as using the same soda bubble inside its logo and making its biscuits the same way — semifrozen with room-temperature pinkish frosting, according to Swig’s lawsuit.
The defendant is a non-entity:
According to the lawsuit, Swig’s nationally recognized Dirty mark was infringing upon, causing Swig considerable and irreparable loss. Ms. Warner, the assistant manager of the area Sodalicious in America Fork, said she recently dealt with a slew of Swig defectors who arrived up with large Swig cups loaded with Sodalicious fare.
Getting people to dislike Swig:
It’s a shame because they’re trying to conduct business, but I’m sure they’re nice people.” Competition Swig accused Sodalicious of stealing the “dirty” concept, right down to the frosted sweet treats sold with the sweet drinks filled with flavor shots, fruit smoothies, and cream. That was Swig’s claim.
The lawsuit against Sodalicious in 2015:
Both establishments are well-known for their skill in creating unique soda concoctions. The Tiny Turtle, a Sprite-based concoction with green apple and banana flavors, is Swig’s creations. Swig filed a lawsuit against Sodalicious in 2015, seeking damages as well as an injunction barring them from using identical terms and signage. While settlement talks were ongoing, a trial had been scheduled for this week.
Swig shop surrounded by minivans:
As if in a western epic, minivans circulated the store. A drive-through window served as a delivery route for enormous cups of coffee. The soda war of 2015 has engulfed Utah, and a woman named Taylor Warner was relishing her small part in it. According to assistant manager Ms. Even though the court battle was only five minutes away, Bronwyn Varner, the 18-year-old shift leader at a Swig shop surrounded by minivans, claimed her clients were still loyal and that Swig would win the legal case.
Mormon Starbucks:
They call it the Mormon Starbucks. ‘Oh my gosh,’ I thought. Six energy drinks and a minimum of 10 or 12 44-ounce drinks were ordered, as were numerous cookies and fruit smoothies. These mixtures aren’t exactly being consumed in moderation by the public: Swig, a purveyor in Salt Lake City, has a frequent customer who, in the 18 months before September, ordered 2,000 drinks.
Drink with coconut syrup:
It has come to light in the Times that a third person enjoys drinking Mountain Dew Fruit Loop spiked with syrups of strawberry, peach, and watermelon for breakfast and as a nightcap. Now that soda is a hot topic in California, Swig’s co-founders are suing the eight-location business Sodalicious for copying their idea of selling “dirty” sodas.
Conclusion:
As a result, Utah has a slew of so-called filthy soda shops offering beverages that aren’t spiked with but rather flavor shots. It is a viable business concept where liquor and coffee are mainly prohibitions, and sucrose is the favored sweetener. Doctors, unsurprisingly, are not pleased with the new development.
Read also: The conflict between Sodalicious and Swiggers.
