Utah-born, reality show-hyped ‘dirty soda’ trend bubbling up across Sacramento
When Lucía and Tyler Cheney moved to Sacramento from Utah in 2021, they quickly noticed a 44-ounce flavored soda-shaped hole in their hearts.
Three years later, the couple opened their “dirty soda” pop-up business, Jinx Soda, after finding that the Sacramento area had very few options for the staple Utah beverage. The shop has since become a regular at the Midtown Farmer’s Market in Sacramento and the Cheneys have been able to introduce the area to dirty sodas.
Just over a year later, a number of similar pop-ups and event catering soda businesses have sprung up around the capital region, spreading the love for dirty sodas.
“It’s really caught this wave,” Lucía said. “Everyone’s doing really well. Customers and audiences (in Sacramento and surrounding cities) are responding well to the product.”
A selection of big-name fountain drinks, including Dr. Pepper, Sprite and Coke, are made “dirty” with fruity and sweet liquid syrup shots, ribbons of flavored creamer and a slew of fresh and pureed fruits. The idea hails from Utah Mormon culture, where many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, like the Cheneys, abstain from drinking alcohol in line with religious doctrine.
“In Utah ... it’s kind of like a mocktail alternative,” said Haley Jenks, founder of Palm Tree Pop, a mobile dirty soda shop from Fair Oaks. Jenks was raised in the Mormon faith in California, and despite not being immersed in Utah customs, has memories of drinking the sugary concoctions as a child.
“My mom, (when I was) growing up, would have her Diet Coke with sugar-free coconut syrup and a lime,” she said. “Even though ... we didn’t have soda shops here, I grew up knowing about (dirty soda) and having that at events.”
She considered launching her business as early as 2021 but was told there wasn’t yet enough interest in alcohol-free options.
That changed, she said, when the Hulu reality show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” gave the drinks broader visibility. The show frequently features cast members chatting over colorful, creamy sodas at Swig — a Utah-based chain often credited with popularizing the trend.
Ashlee Homen, who founded the Sacramento pop-up Fizzed in April, discovered the drink the same way.
“I had no idea about dirty soda myself until watching the show, finding out about Swig and trying it for myself,” Homen said. “Everyone loves a fun, refreshing drink ... I think it’s great that stuff like that is coming over to Sacramento.”
While dirty soda’s roots are in religious culture, its reach has expanded. Jenks said that in the months she has been running Palm Tree Pop, none of her customers or private event clients have mentioned the soda’s relation to Mormon culture, while Lucía said it comes up occasionally.
Samantha and Kellen Ralph, who launched Sips Soda Shoppe as a mobile cart in Sacramento, said they discovered dirty sodas online. They saw an opportunity to bring the drink into their own business model.
For Sips and the other soda businesses, a key part of growth has been introducing dirty soda to those unfamiliar with the drink or the culture behind it.
“That’s been kind of like the toughest piece,” Kellen said. “Once people try them, it’s pretty easy to get them to buy into (the trend).”
With no established dirty soda playbook in Sacramento, the new shops are experimenting with ingredients and health-conscious twists to stand out in a growing market.
Fizzed, for example, is entirely sugar-free.
“We’ve had some friends who have come to our booth and told us that they’re diabetic and really enjoy the fact that we are sugar-free,” Homen said. “They can enjoy the drink also.”
Though energy drinks are not a traditional dirty soda base, the Ralphs curated four different flavor combinations to be mixed into a Monster Energy Zero Ultra, also known as the “White Monster.”
Homen said she thinks Sacramento is an ideal location for growing the dirty soda trend because of the population’s willingness to adopt new food and drink trends, thanks to the city’s rapidly growing culinary culture.
“Dirty sodas are fun, customizable and nostalgic,” Homen wrote in a message. “It just clicks with people here.”
All four business owners said they hope to eventually move into permanent storefronts and see potential for the movement to grow in the capital region.
“I enjoy that the mobile shops that are popping up seem to be a lot of local people,” Kellen said. “Eventually having full shops pop up is probably what’s going to happen ... Hopefully they are local brands that expand from Sacramento originally.”
What I’m Eating
After a long afternoon browsing shelves and storefronts at the Palladio in Folsom, even the walk to a nearby restaurant can feel like a stretch. Fortunately for local book lovers, the nation’s largest bookstore chain has taken matters into its own hands.
The Palladio Barnes & Noble store is only one of two locations in the U.S. to have a dedicated kitchen and restaurant attached to the bookstore, aptly called The Kitchen at Barnes & Noble. The other restaurant is located in Scarsdale, New York.
The concept previously existed at other locations throughout the country, including in Texas, Minnesota and Virginia, but only the Folsom and Scarsdale restaurants have survived their nearly 10 years of operation, according to Nation’s Restaurant News.
According to its website, the restaurant describes itself as a “casual upscale American” concept, with a familiar range of cafe brunch and lunch classics. But diners looking for literary-themed dishes may be disappointed — the menu contains no puns or page-turner references.
Still, the offerings are cozy and straightforward. A creamy mac and cheese ($11), made with short cavatappi noodles, comes smothered in buttery cheese sauce and topped with crisp bacon crumbles for salt and crunch.
For a lighter option, the avocado toast ($16) includes mashed avocado with lemon juice, spread over toasted bread and topped with soft scrambled eggs and microgreens.
The Kitchen at Barnes & Noble
Address: 280 Palladio Parkway, Suite 913, Folsom
Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday
Phone: 916-984-4407
Website: barnesandnoblekitchen.com
Drinks: Draft beer, wine, Starbucks coffee and tea drinks, soft drinks
Vegetarian options: Plentiful vegetarian appetizers, sandwiches, salads and pastas
Noise level: Moderate
Outdoor seating: Yes, patio in front of the bookstore
Openings & Closings
Birdies Social Club, 805 Riverfront St. in West Sacramento, opened Wednesday just east of Sutter Health Park, with a soft opening event through Friday. Indoor TrackMan golf simulators are at the heart of the cocktail bar and eatery, so sports fans can practice their swing after watching the A’s line drives deep into the outfield.
East Sacramento Hawaiian restaurant Kau Kau, 855 57th St., Suite C, was officially closed as of Monday, according to an Instagram post. Owner Lynn Fu, who took over the restaurant earlier this year, said she is planning on transforming the eatery into a new Japanese spot, called Genki Kitchen.
This story was originally published August 22, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
