Swig Soda location in Millcreek, Utah. (Photo: Courtesy of Millcreek)
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) —
Utah-based lemonade store chain Swig has announced it will expand to 250 new locations across seven states.
According to a press release from Larry H. Miller Company – which acquired a majority stake in Swig in November 2022 – the seven states include: Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri and Idaho.
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The first stores in Arkansas, Idaho and Missouri are scheduled to open later in 2023.
As of Saturday, Swig locations in Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Texas and Oklahoma are already open.
“The rapid expansion of Swig’s franchise network underscores the strong market demand for our category and the effectiveness of our franchise model,” said Rian McCartan, CEO of Swig. “This success confirms Swig as a strong national brand and reliable franchise partner. This milestone is a testament to the strength of our brand, the hard work of our team and the trust our franchise partners have in us. Our growth is accelerating and we are on track to reach our goal of 500 franchise units.”
Company officials added that the 250 new locations consist of 12 franchise partners, which will help maintain Swig’s “quality of experience and culture.”
“We have carefully selected the best franchise partners who share our vision and will support us as we launch our national expansion. We are pleased that more customers and team members across the country will have the opportunity to experience Swig and its offerings,” said David Smith, managing partner of Larry H. Miller Company, which acquired a majority stake in Swig in 2022. Swig’s leadership team has developed the operational expertise and built a strong brand ready for the next stage of growth, and we are confident they can execute the plan.”
Their goal, they said, is to reach 500 dedicated franchise units and 70 company-owned locations by the end of 2023.
“Swig has always been capable of franchising, but we felt early on that our job was to build a solid team and infrastructure and have the necessary proof that this brand works in multiple regions said Andrew K. Smith, managing partner of Savory Fund, shareholder and board member of Swig. “Now we’ve done it, because Swig has performed better in new markets than any of us expected. Swig is the original pioneer of dirty lemonade, and it’s time to recreate this segment as the undisputed leader.”