When Mary Blanchard and her husband got married, they filled their wedding day with all of their favorite things: family, friends and dirty Diet Cokes.
Their June wedding in St. George was made complete by a stop to their favorite drink shop, Swig, for a ‘dirty’ soda, the popular twist on fountain drinks that adds coconut flavoring and fresh limes.
“It was 106 degrees on the day we got married,” Blanchard said. “After we got our pictures taken, I needed a drink. The first drink that came to mind was the dirty Diet Coke.”
This November, Provo residents will be able to ‘Swig’ it with the best of them when they open their newest location on Canyon Road.
The Swig craze started in St. George over three years ago when owner Nicole Tanner and her husband, Todd, were brainstorming business ideas. The name was inspired when Todd asked, “Can I have a swig of your drink?”
“We knew there were other people out there like us that wanted a great fountain drink,” Tanner said. “And now we have something for everyone.”
Swig’s menu includes sodas, smoothies, bubble teas and shaved ice. Swig also has sugar cookies, donuts, brownies and ice cream to satisfy any sweet tooth craving. An array of flavor add-ins are offered for the sodas, such as mango puree Mountain Dew or dirty Dr. Pepper.
The drive-thru drink stop quickly became a local favorite and a destination for travelers in St. George.
“Into its second year, sometimes you would go down there and there would be lines down the street,” Blanchard said. “People would do it all to get their soda fix. I’ve yet to go there when there’s not a line or packed parking lot.”
St. George locals rejoiced when a second location opened up in their town, making it faster to get their fix.
“We really wanted it to be a destination,” Tanner said. “Hopefully the customer service plays a part in that. We have done no advertising; it’s all just word of mouth.”
Tanner credits the customers for spreading the word and being loyal “swiggers.”
“It’s their Swig,” Tanner said. “They want to come back, and they want to come back every day.”
Swig now has two locations in St. George, one in Hurricane, one coming in Cedar City this December and another coming to Draper this January. The Provo location, opening Nov. 11, will be located minutes from campus, next to Dairy Queen on Canyon Road.
Tanner said the Provo location has always been a dream, knowing that the student population would appreciate a place to hang out and enjoy a treat. In addition to Swig’s traditional drive-thru, there will be seating inside the shop.
Provo resident Sara Wilson looks forward to trying out this new location located less than five minutes from her house.
“Drinks can get boring sometimes,” Wilson said. “So I’m excited to try different flavors and make them better.”
Imitators have since attempted to capitalize on the craze, with soda shops popping up around Utah County.
“A lot of places are really trying to sell the exact same thing,” Tanner said. “We try to focus not on the knockoffs but on what we are doing and make it the best.”
Swig is focused on delivering excellent customer service and creating an experience that can’t be beat.
“It’s really about the customers because they are the ones that made us who we are,” Tanner said. “The Swig experience is something they can only get at Swig.”
