TROY — Downtown Fizz, a new dirty soda shop, opened on a Saturday in Troy, Miami County, introducing a first-of-its-kind brick-and-mortar business to the city. Co-owner Kristen Weber said she expects these soda shops to gain more popularity in the area.
The new establishment specializes in dirty soda, which Weber describes as similar to gourmet coffee but with a soda base instead of coffee. These unique dessert drinks have gained significant popularity on social media platforms.
Weber noted that she drew inspiration for the concept after observing the success of popular chain restaurants, such as Swig, on social media and reality television.
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Weber is a mother of five who had always wanted to open a business. She anticipated a busy opening weekend for Downtown Fizz due to the excitement she saw on social media. “I did have a feeling it was going to be busy because of the excitement that I’ve seen on social media, but I don’t think I expected it to be that busy,” Weber said.
She emphasized creating a welcoming atmosphere for customers beyond just ordering drinks. “You go in, you order, and you leave. But we wanted to create an environment where everybody felt welcome, and they can come and just hang out, go on a first date, do homework, have meetings, hold interviews, things like that,” Weber said.
Troy’s development director confirmed that Downtown Fizz is the city’s first dirty soda shop of its kind.
While a quick search shows limited brick-and-mortar options in the Miami Valley, Sips Soda Shop in Miamisburg opened this month, and Fizzy Sips and Sweets in Franklin opened in 2023. Other dirty soda vendors in the area primarily operate as mobile trucks.
Weber highlighted the unique aspect of their business model. “There is a lot of like pop-up carts and different like food trucks that sell dirty sodas in the area, but there’s nothing like brick and mortar around here,” she said.
Weber said opening a second location is a future goal if the initial shop proves successful. “We have discussed if this goes well, opening a second location. We don’t want to get too over our heads too soon, but that is a future goal,” Weber said.
She added that opening a brick-and-mortar business is challenging but rewarding.
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