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Starbucks is known as one of the many popular coffee chains – will the popularity of its reputation remain with the rise in popularity of soda-mixing companies? 

According to an article from CNN, a popular show called “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” has increased the popularity of mixing sodas with different creams and flavored syrups. In this show, it is popular among the wives to mix soda, because they cannot drink coffee or alcohol. Many viewers follow the wives on various social media platforms. The fan bases would then see that the housewives were buying soda mixes, and the popularity grew from there.  

Although there are few soda mixing companies here in Des Moines, Iowa, there is one out in the suburbs of Waukee, Iowa. This company is called Slap Soda. They mix sodas with different creams and flavored syrups to make the perfect delicious soda mixes. They started off as a catering business for events like graduation parties, company parties, birthdays, weddings, etc. 

“In 2023 we started catering and we hit multiple farmers markets. We started out small,” Rebekah Walker, the manager of Slap Soda, said. 

It was not until this past year that they finally got a permanent location out in Waukee. They have a soda trailer that they park in the parking lot of a Goodwill, which draws attention from the younger generation who already enjoys thrifting, as it is a popular trend right now. 

I think of it as a snow cone trailer that you would see in a parking lot in the summer, except it is year-round in one location and they could come to your graduation party or wedding.  

Enjoyers can reach for soda mixing and dirty sodas depending on their own preference. Coffee shops like Starbucks do not have to compete with one another since they both reach different targets, yet manage to come together for their shared love of customizable drinks. 

“Dirty sodas is a totally different concept,” Walker said when asked about the competition.  

The shop that started it all is a company that is slowly growing called Swig. 

Swig was originally founded in 2010 and is expected to open in 13 states by the end of this year. There are already plans in action to open two more shops this year. The company currently has 61 stores, mainly located in the south where dirty sodas originated from. Other soda mixing companies include shops such as FiiZ and Sodalicious. FiiZ has around 60 shops open while Sodalicious has 25.  

Walker has a big passion to be as popular as these companies or at least get close. Walker currently works seven days each week to be able to serve the drink culture that is dirty sodas.  

Coffee shops like Starbucks do not compete with Slap Soda and Swig soda-mixing shops. These audiences are made up of loyal coffee aficionados or soda enthusiasts who either stick to their own preference or enjoy both. For this reason, small soda-mixing businesses do not find the need to compete with local coffee shops. In the future will we see the popularity soda mixing continue to rise?