Utah-based Swig is bringing its 'dirty' sodas to 250 more stores in 7 new states

Brooke Cook picks up her order from Henry Randle at Swig’s drive-thru window in Millcreek on June 3, 2020. Utah's largest soda shop is expanding, announcing the successful signing of 250 franchise units across seven new states.

Brooke Cook picks up her order from Henry Randle at Swig’s drive-thru window in Millcreek on June 3, 2020. Utah's largest soda shop is expanding, announcing the successful signing of 250 franchise units across seven new states. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)


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ST. GEORGE — Utah's largest soda shop operator is expanding throughout the country as Swig has announced the successful signing of 250 franchise units across seven new states.

Swig will be expanding operations to Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri and Idaho with stores in Arkansas, Idaho and Missouri opening as soon as later this year.

The signing of the 250 franchise units brings Swig to the halfway point of its goal of committing 500 franchise units by the end of the year.

"It signifies not just growth but also our commitment to bringing unique beverage experiences to new communities," said Rian McCartan, CEO of Swig. "We're looking at this as a stepping stone for Swig to become more of a household name."

Swig's growth is especially rapid when considering the fact the company launched its venture into multiunit franchising just six months ago.

The 250 new units are comprised of 12 franchise partners and a release from the company says the hope is that the smaller quantity of partners will help maintain the "quality of experience and culture" at its locations.

"We're really passionate both about our products and our customer experience and I think we nail it in the soda and in (the) custom beverage sector," McCartan said.

Swig currently has 54 locations — 36 of which call Utah home — with plans to have 70 corporate locations by the end of the year.

In April, Swig commemorated the store's 50th location in Prosper, Texas, by hosting a one-day event that offered cookies for 50 cents and drinks starting at 50 cents at every store location.

McCartan said that the company harnesses data and analytics to understand consumer behavior, which has allowed it to strategically expand into different markets in an intentional, thoughtful manner.

Of course, no one loves their "dirty drinks" quite like Utahns, but McCartan said Swig has been "pleasantly surprised" with its reception in other markets, specifically Texas, Oklahoma and Arizona.


We envision Swig will be a coast-to-coast brand — a household name — and we'll be able to deliver up more cups of joy and make positive customer experiences for many more millions of people.

– Swig CEO Rian McCartan


He sees Swig fitting into its new markets well.

"Swig locations in Utah, we call them 'hubs of fun,' where you come to have a cup of joy and have a happy moment and a great experience," McCartan said. "We take that same approach when we enter into other states. We're not just selling drinks, we're offering an experience — whether it's the Midwest, the East Coast, the South — we believe the Swig experience can become an integral part of any community, coast-to-coast."

Swig hopes that by reaching its goal of 500 franchise units by the end of the year, it will become the national leader in custom soda beverages.

"The seven new markets that we just added are just the beginning. We have a long-term vision and not just geographic expansion but also diversifying our product offerings, our assortment and adding value to the existing experience," McCartan said. "We envision Swig will be a coast-to-coast brand — a household name — and we'll be able to deliver up more cups of joy and make positive customer experiences for many more millions of people."

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Logan Stefanich is a reporter with KSL.com, covering southern Utah communities, education, business and tech news.
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