From Family Kitchen to $100 Million Empire: The Swig Soda Phenomenon
What began as a personal quest for a caffeine-free pick-me-up has blossomed into a remarkable $100 million business empire for Utah mother Nicole Tanner. The 49-year-old entrepreneur, navigating the bustling demands of raising five children aged six to sixteen, found herself craving an energy boost without compromising her Mormon faith, which prohibits caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco.
The Humble Origins of a Beverage Revolution
As a Colorado native residing in St. George, Utah, Tanner ingeniously started spiking her sodas with creamers, syrups, and purees, transforming ordinary Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, and Dr. Pepper into uniquely flavorful concoctions. This simple yet innovative practice quickly gained traction within her social circles, planting the seed for a groundbreaking business idea.
In 2010, Tanner and her husband courageously invested their personal savings to purchase a modest 700-square-foot commercial building in St. George, deliberately avoiding business loans to maintain financial independence. Her vision was clear: to fill a significant market gap observed within Mormon communities by establishing a store offering creative low-caffeine and caffeine-free mixed beverages as alternatives to traditional coffee shops.
The Meteoric Rise of Swig
The business, aptly named Swig, experienced explosive growth through strategic adaptation and viral social media exposure. Television programs like The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and enthusiastic Utah-based TikTok influencers prominently featured Swig's beverages in their daily vlogs, catapulting the brand into the digital spotlight.
Swig's initial operations were remarkably grassroots. Tanner leased a single fountain machine from Coca-Cola after PepsiCo initially declined her request, reflecting the common industry practice of exclusive partnerships. Undeterred, she resourcefully stocked two-liter bottles of Pepsi and Mountain Dew from local supermarkets until PepsiCo, impressed by her early success, agreed to provide a dedicated soda machine after just one month.
The store launched with fresh lemons, limes, and six distinct syrup flavors, staffed primarily by family members including her eldest daughter and niece. Her fifteen-year-old son creatively attracted customers by standing outside with promotional signs offering drive-thru drinks, leading to queues of vehicles where Swig employees efficiently took orders and processed sales directly along the line.
Strategic Pricing and Customer-Driven Innovation
Tanner implemented an ingenious pricing strategy, offering all drinks at a flat rate of one dollar regardless of size, which proved particularly appealing to students from nearby Utah Tech University. She actively listened to customer feedback, experimenting with requested flavors like pomegranate and passionfruit, which significantly contributed to menu diversification and popularity.
By 2013, demand had surged dramatically, with customers willingly waiting hours in line for their customized beverages. This overwhelming success prompted the opening of a second location that same year, marking the beginning of Swig's rapid expansion. The distinctive ordering phrase make it dirty, coined by customers requesting soda-creamer mixtures, became a cultural catchphrase that even major chains like Chick-fil-A and McDonald's have since adopted for their own beverage innovations.
National Expansion and Corporate Evolution
Ironically, the concept originally designed to provide Mormon-friendly alternatives has inspired alcoholic variations, such as TGI Fridays' dirty sodas combined with spirits like Jack Daniel's or Hennessy. While the dirty soda trend remains strongest in Utah and neighboring states, social media proliferation has fueled nationwide interest, enabling Swig to expand to approximately 140 locations across sixteen states, with independent shops like New York City's Cool Sips emerging in other markets.
Tanner's primary investor, the Larry H. Miller Co. family investment office, appointed seasoned chief executive Alex Dunn to steer corporate growth. Dunn has publicly discussed potential initial public offering plans for the chain, which generated approximately $100 million in revenue last year. We are doing what Starbucks did for coffee, but for soda, Dunn told the Wall Street Journal, highlighting Swig's ambitious market positioning.
Meanwhile, Tanner continues to focus on beverage development and new location openings, maintaining her innovative spirit while overseeing a business that has transformed from a personal passion project into a national phenomenon, attracting even celebrities like Olivia Rodrigo during her Utah filming engagements.
