Photos: Mike Kemp Images
Customers revel in Sota’s unexpected taste combinations.
Imagine your favorite ice-cold soda transformed into a uniquely delectable treat—that’s exactly what you get at Sota. The Maple Grove shop is one of the first “dirty soda” shops in Minnesota, and owner Chad Taylor says he’s blown away by how happy it’s made customers. But what is a dirty soda?
“It’s taking your favorite fountain drink … and adding crunchable pebble ice, syrups, purees or creams that make it really special,” Taylor says. The dirty soda concept has been popular in the western United States, particularly Utah, for more than a decade, and although some might feel off-put by the thought of these additions, Taylor compares a dirty soda to an Italian soda. “They’ve known in Italy that cream and carbonation make fun mixtures, so it’s worth trying out,” he says.
Taylor, who has family in the western U.S. and has long enjoyed dirty soda, wondered why the beverage wasn’t popular in the Midwest; he started Sota after encouragement from his wife, Joan. Last summer, Taylor opened the Sota food truck, and it quickly morphed into its first brick-and-mortar location that opened in December of last year. “Within a few weeks, there were people waiting outside in [10 degrees below zero],” Taylor recalls.
Everything Zen
The beverage lineup includes fan-favorite sodas, such as cola, root beer and citrus, orange and pepper sodas, as well as still or sparkling water and lemonade. Mix-ins include cream, pebble ice, purees, syrups and optional natural energy shots. All of the drinks are named after ’90s songs. “My wife and I [are] children of the ’90s, and I love music, so if I could infuse my passion here … I might as well be naming the drinks after ’90s songs,” Taylor says.
Alongside its standing menu, the Sota team creates weekly flavors. “It’s a collaborative effort. Some are flavors I’ve been wanting to try, sometimes the team plays around in the shop or sometimes our fans pitch ideas,” Taylor says. Some weekly drops are so popular that they’re made into a permanent addition on the menu.
Taylor says Maple Grove and the larger Metro area has shown up in a big way for Sota. “The response keeps growing and growing, and we’re really humbled that the bulk of our growth has been by word of mouth,” he says. Nearly a year after opening, Sota still experiences weekend wait times of up to an hour. It has been so overwhelmingly positive that Sota welcomed its second location in St. Louis Park’s West End in June and its third in Edina’s Southdale Center in July. “If anyone deserves ice cold drinks, it’s the ice cold tundra,” Taylor says.
Pick Your Sip
Although more than 50 percent of drinks that go out the door are made with pepper soda, owner Chad Taylor says the vast menu has something for everyone. Here are just a few drinks on the menu.
- 1979: cola with vanilla, fresh lime and coconut cream
- Barbie Girl: still or sparkling water with strawberries, coconut and strawberry puree
- Everything Zen: citrus soda with passion fruit, blue raspberry and fresh lemon
- Juicy: orange soda with vanilla, cream and an orange wedge
- Satellite: root beer with toasted marshmallow and cream
- Stacy’s Mom: pepper soda with cherry, vanilla and cream
- The Rain: citrus soda with blue raspberry, vanilla and raspberry puree
Sota Serves
Sota is dedicated to giving back to the local community, something that owner Chad Taylor says has always been a part of the plan. “I’ve been lucky to be a part of companies that give back my whole life,” he says. “This is something we knew, from the beginning, that we wanted to do even when we weren’t making a profit.”
Taylor explains that Sota Serves was created to ensure that Sota is giving back each year through fundraisers, donating gift cards or raffle baskets, or other integrations within the community. Last winter, its Holiday Helper Giveaway encouraged customers to nominate someone who could use extra magic to make the holiday sweeter. Sota has also partnered with local school districts and hospitals. “We’re still just a little guy, but we want to be able to give back,” Taylor says.
For more information on Sota Serves, visit sotashopmn.com.
