New Tri-Cities food truck is tapping into the customized pick-me-up beverage craze

Wendy Culverwell
·3 min read

Plain old soda gets a major upgrade at a new food truck that opened Wednesday in Kennewick.

Chug Soda, owned by Rachel and Kevin Magelsen, is tapping into the exploding afternoon pick-me-up market, a growing category focused on customized beverages made with soda, syrup, fruit, puree, cream and more.

McDonald’s is famously piloting a spinoff, CosMc’s, to test the market with 10 locations in the Chicago area and in Texas. CosMc’s is widely seen as a bid to challenge Starbucks but it is only one entrant in a market that McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski valued at $100 billion in a December 2023 presentation to investors.

CosMc’s hasn’t entered Washington, but Chug Soda echoes a trend that has brought new coffee stands and boba shops to seemingly every corner of the Mid-Columbia.

Third truck

It is the third truck to set up shop at Edison Food Park, 5222 W. Okanogan Ave., few blocks north of Kamiakin High school.

It joins Taqueria Los 3 Amigos and Local Bite & Tropic Thunder at the food truck plaza off Edison Street.

The Magensens also co-own Soda Bomb, which offers a similar menu at Summers Hub, the food truck collective off Canal Drive at Kellogg Street.

Rachel and Kevin Magelsen stand next to their food trailer called Chug Soda, while setting it up Wednesday in the Edison Street Food Park in Kennewick. They are the third mobile business to occupy a space at the venue on West Okanogan Avenue and North Edison Street. Bob Brawdy/bbrawdy@tricityherald.com
Rachel and Kevin Magelsen stand next to their food trailer called Chug Soda, while setting it up Wednesday in the Edison Street Food Park in Kennewick. They are the third mobile business to occupy a space at the venue on West Okanogan Avenue and North Edison Street. Bob Brawdy/bbrawdy@tricityherald.com

With Chug Soda, they is stepping out on their own. The all-new truck was built in Oklahoma — cheaper than the Tri-Cities, Kevin Magelsen said — and driven home to Kennewick.

Edison will serve as its home base, but Chug will regularly travel to events. It already has booked several school-based gatherings this spring.

Chug Soda features an extensive menu of nonalcoholic beverages based on Coke products, Dr. Pepper, Mello Yello, Fanta and others. There are hot and cold chocolate drinks, a frozen lemonade milkshakes and much more.

The location near Kamiakin is no accident.

“The kids love it,” said Magelsen. He and his wife own several businesses, including rental properties, in addition to his job as a nurse.

Rachel Magelsen, co-owner of Chug Soda, poses for a photo by her next-door business neighbor Rachel Lundegard while setting up her food trailer in the Edison Street Food Park in Kennewick. Lundeward’s The Local Bite and Tropic Hunger food trailer was the first one to occupy a space at the venue on West Okanogan Avenue and North Edison Street. Bob Brawdy/bbrawdy@tricityherald.com

On the menu

Mello Yello-based offerings include the “Party Animal,” made with blackberry, pomegranate and raspberry puree, the “Trigger,” with raspberry, blackberry and coconut cream.

Coke-based include the “Fres-Yes,” made with coconut and fresh lime, the “Naughty Nelly,” with blackberry, grenadine and vanilla, and “The Cali Kid,” with Irish cream and cream.

The Dr. Pepper menu offers “BFF,” with cupcake, strawberry puree and cream.

Beverages come in four sizes starting at 16 ounces. Customers can choose the diet versions of Coke, Dr. Pepper and some other sodas.

Chug Soda hours are 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday to Saturday.

Follow it on Instagram at instagram.com/chugsodas/ or on Facebook at bit.ly/ChugSoda

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