Swig, the Utah-based dirty soda chain, hosted a soft opening over the weekend for its first Fort Myers location, bringing the fast-growing customizable beverage concept to Southwest Florida.
The 1,200-square-foot shop is at 13401 Summerlin Road, Suite 1, in a retail center near the intersection of Summerlin Road and Cypress Lake Drive. The store is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The opening marks Swig’s debut in Fort Myers and its continued expansion across Florida, with additional locations in Bradenton, Clermont and Lutz, as well as a planned site in Cape Coral.
A map shows the location of Swig’s first Fort Myers shop at 13401 Summerlin Road, Suite 1, in a retail center anchored by Publix near the intersection of Summerlin Road and Cypress Lake Drive. The Utah-based dirty soda chain hosted a soft opening Feb. 14 as it expands across Southwest Florida.
LQ Commercial
Swig specializes in “dirty soda,” a sweet, highly customizable drink that combines traditional soft drinks with flavored syrups, fruit purees and cream or coconut cream. The beverages are marketed as a caffeine alternative to coffee and have gained popularity for their dessert-like flavors and near-endless personalization.
Common combinations include cola mixed with coconut cream and lime, Dr. Pepper blended with vanilla or coconut, and lemon-lime soda paired with raspberry syrup and cream. Customers can adjust sweetness levels, ice, flavor blends and add-ins, creating drinks tailored to individual tastes.
The concept, long popular in Utah and surrounding states, recently gained national attention through social media and the Hulu reality series “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” which features Utah-based influencers and prominently showcases the drinks. Within Mormon communities, where alcohol and coffee are discouraged, soda-based caffeine has become a common alternative.
Dirty sodas typically start with cola, lemon-lime or Dr. Pepper, layered with fruit, syrups and cream or coconut cream.
Swig
“Customers are flocking to get their fix of flavored soda blends topped with creams, fruit, and syrups,” said Tom Strauss, principal of LQ Commercial Fort Myers, which represented Swig in securing the Fort Myers location in December. “This overwhelming response proves one thing: Southwest Florida is ready for a full-scale dirty soda experience and Swig, the brand that started it all, saw the opportunity to fill that gap.”
Jessica McEvoy, senior associate of LQ Commercial, said the brand’s popularity reflects broader consumer trends.
“Many people are turning to dirty sodas as their new way to get a caffeine boost, and Swig has made this an exciting experience,” McEvoy said in December. “The brand’s rise in popularity has mirrored the kind of growth Starbucks saw in its early years — it has become a cultural phenomenon, and Fort Myers is ready to join in.”