There’s a new kid in town.
Well, to be more specific: It’s a new restaurant. In Florida.
Swig quietly opened a new restaurant in Cape Coral May 4. The news didn’t stay quiet for long, and a steady stream of customers could be seen popping by the chain restaurant known for its “dirty sodas.”
➤ Swig opens in Cape Coral, bringing more ‘dirty soda’ to SW Florida
What is Swig?
Swig is a popular drive-thru drink chain that got its start in Utah, and is known for its “dirty sodas.”
Since the first restaurant opened in 2010, the company has expanded to 164 locations, including 10 open or coming soon in Florida.
The menu includes a variety of sodas already pre-mixed, revivers, refreshers, pretzel bites, cookies and hot chocolate.
You can also create your own soda, refresher and reviver:
Soda: Create your own dirty soda with soda, flavors, fruits and creams
Refresher: Create your own with water, flavors, fruits and creams.
Reviver: Create your won with reviver energy, fruits and creams.
What is a dirty soda?
Dirty sodas typically start with soda. Then comes the “dirty” part. Throw in flavored syrups, fresh fruit, purees or even cream.
The possibilities are endless and limited only by your imagination and tastebuds.
Dirty soda became more mainstream in 2022 after going viral on TikTok, according to eater.com.
An example of one of Swig’s pre-mixed dirty sodas is the Shark Attack, which has Sprite, lemonade, blue raspberry and a gummy shark.
Or you can grab a Happy Camper, with root beer, toasted marshmallow and half and half.
Does Swig sell food?
Swig offers pretzel bites and cookies.
What do dirty sodas have to do with Mormons?
When Swig first opened in 2010, its “dirty soda” became a popular alternative to coffee and alcohol in the Mormon community, whose members traditionally avoided those beverages.
In 2012, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released an official statement stating caffeinated soda is allowed.
How many Swig restaurants are there in Florida?
Swig opened its first Florida restaurant in Clermont in 2024. Since then, the company’s website shows seven Florida locations.
Current Florida locations are:
Three new locations will be opening soon:
Contributing: Robyn George, Fort Myers News-Press, Naples Daily News
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://naplesnews.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Swig opening new Florida locations, selling dirty soda