SoDak Soda opens this weekend in Sioux Falls with 'endless' flavor possibilities

SoDak Soda is a new gourmet soda bar opening this Saturday in southern Sioux Falls. The shop, located at 2305 W. Trevi Place, is run by Sioux Falls local Katy Rees and her family.

The grand opening is Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The first 50 people will get a free cookie with their soda purchase, and flavor add-ins will be free all day.

“We’re excited about it, but also a little nervous,” Katy Rees laughed. “Sioux Falls seems to show up big for things, which is a good problem to have.”

The Rees family first went to a soda shop while traveling to Utah four years ago, and after seeing another one on a family trip to Yellowstone in 2020, they started talking about owning their own.

“We thought,’ ‘Wouldn’t this be fun?’" Rees aid. "It’s something new, something different around here. Now we're finally doing it."

SoDak Soda features a variety of flavors and add-ins

The soda shop features a variety of Pepsi and Coca-Cola products, diet options, still or sparkling water and energy-drink bases, not to mention the nearly 50 flavor add-ins.

SoDak Soda not only has typical syrups like blackberry, vanilla and orange, but also less-common flavors like chocolate Milano, coffee, huckleberry, guava, pomegranate and toasted marshmallow.

The puree add-ins are made with real fruit and are thicker than the syrups, and the creams have the consistency of coffee creamer, Rees said.

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“It changes the consistency and flavor and makes it a real dessert treat instead of just your regular soda,” she said.

Customers can also add fresh lemon or lime to their drink, too.

“The combinations are ultimately endless,” Rees said.

SoDak Soda will also sell snacks like cookies, Krispies, chips and soft pretzels. The cookies and Krispie treats will be made fresh in-house.

Create-your-own and popular combinations

Drink sizes range from 16 ounces to 44 ounces. Customers will first choose their size, then their base and add-ins. The employees, whom Rees calls “mixologists,” will then make the drinks behind the counter.

SoDak Soda's menu includes a list of readily-designed favorites for people who don’t know what to create on their own.

A Dark Night drink is lemonade with peach puree and blackberry, for example, and a Poolside is Sierra Mist with passionfruit and blue curacao.

“Some of them were menu items that we have tried. Some of them were ideas we came up with, and others are just really popular menu items,” Rees said.

One of the most popular flavors at other soda shops across the country, said Rees, is what she calls the OG. Also known as a dirty diet Coke, the OG is Coke with coconut and lime.

Wizard’s Brew is another fun flavor meant to resemble the Harry Potter drink, butterbeer, and features a root beer base with butterscotch and double vanilla.

Rees's personal favorite is the raspberry dream, which is either a Coke, Pepsi or Dr. Pepper base with raspberry puree and coconut cream.

Her 15-year-old daughter, Abby, even created her own favor – the Abby Lou – which is Coke with salted caramel and French vanilla.

A fun space for customers

Abby is also designing and painting the “selfie wall” so customers will have a nice backdrop for taking photos.

All the drinks will be served in to-go cups, but there will be enough seating in the lobby for 24 people with a mix of lounge chairs, tables and bar stool counters. There will also be USB outlets for people to come and do their work or hang out.

"The goal is to have an inviting space for the customers  — show them what a fun place this is," Rees said.

It took the family a while to find a location since having a drive thru was really important, but Rees said she loves the place they found.

“We feel like the growth in the south end of Sioux Falls is really taking off, so we're excited to add to all the news businesses that are coming to the side of town," she said.

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She also said they plan to open up the drive thru after about a week or so of being open once everyone is comfortable with the job.

"We're just really excited to bring this new trend to Sioux Falls," she said, "and we hope that everyone loves it as much as we do."

Normal hours for SoDak Soda are Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls' SoDak Soda to feature variety of custom soda flavors