Forsyth County couple opens first dirty soda shop with nostalgic drinks

Forsyth County now has what local coverage describes as its first dirty soda shop, a business run by a local couple that serves custom carbonated drinks inspired by different decades. The opening turns a fast-growing beverage trend into a local experiment: whether nostalgia, customization and a bright counter-service format can become a regular stop, not just a one-time novelty.

Dirty soda has gained traction well beyond its regional roots because it fits the way younger consumers already buy food and drinks. Cornell University has described the concept as an extension of broader personalization trends in food and beverage, boosted further by social media. That matters in Forsyth County, where new retail and dining concepts compete for attention along major corridors and in lifestyle centers, and where a drink shop has to do more than pour soda if it wants repeat traffic.

The appeal is partly social. A dirty soda shop is built around choice, from flavors and creams to candy add-ins, so the drink becomes part of the experience instead of a quick grab-and-go purchase. In Forsyth County, that positions the shop as a possible after-school stop for teens, a casual outing for families and a low-pressure meeting place for young adults who want something playful and nonalcoholic. The decades-inspired theme adds another layer, giving the business a clear identity rather than a generic menu of sweet drinks.

The local opening also lands as similar concepts spread across North Georgia. Swig has planned what local coverage described as its first dirty soda shop in Georgia, in Fort Oglethorpe, showing how quickly the category is moving into the state’s retail map. In Cumming, Rocket Fizz opened at The Collection at Forsyth on Feb. 19, 2026, at 410 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 4124, adding another nostalgia-focused stop in the county’s commercial core.

Southern Soda offers another sign of where the market is heading. The North Georgia business says it began in 2024 as a treat for friends and grew into a local favorite serving customizable sodas, refreshers, lemonades and energy drinks. Together, those openings suggest Forsyth County is not just getting a trendy drink shop. It is testing whether nostalgia-driven beverages can claim a real place in the county’s social life.