While the pandemic shut down or closed many restaurants and bars, soda shops were able to stay open and thrive during the first few months of the pandemic, largely because of their through lanes.
“It became a nice little escape being stuck at home all the time,” said Ms. Durfey.
As a nod to her hometown of Atlanta, Olivia Diaz, who is 27 and lives in Orem, Utah, likes to order Life’s a Peach – Dr. Pepper with peach and vanilla syrup flavors, and half-and-half to make it “extra gross.” .” (The term “dirty” refers to the flavor add-ins, and its use in marketing was the basis of a trademark lawsuit in 2015, when Swig sued Sodalicious.)
Mrs. Diaz started going to the soda shop once or twice a week after her sister started working at one. Now she only goes a few times a month. “I just realized it probably wasn’t best for me to drink that much soda,” she said.
Many of the dirty sodas, which come in sizes up to 44 ounces, can have up to 1,000 calories.
Rebecca Fronberg, a program manager with the Utah Department of Health, said that “drinking our calories isn’t exactly great” and that sugar in the diet “is always a concern for diabetes, heart disease, and all sorts of other things.”
Despite this, many are looking for soft drinks as a pick-me-up, a small indulgence.
In Clinton, Utah, Nichole Richins, 42, lives within 10 minutes of 10 different soda stores. Her usual order is a Polar Punch from Swig, a mixed energy drink with blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, ginger ale, and vanilla cream. She visits the store about once a week, “but if it’s a rough week, it’ll be more.”