Lisey Langhus walked through the doors of Sota Shop and was met with an ocean of people, each waiting for a dirty soda. The line stretched out the door. A group of teenage girls wearing ankle Uggs and volleyball sweatshirts weaved past Langhus hoholding 32-ounce sodas. Langhus asked herself a question that everyone thinks when they first discover Sota Shop.
“Why do people wait so long for a soda?”
Sota Shop’s slogan says it’s because they “deserve it.” But how did this soda obsession start?
Dirty sodas have become increasingly popular on Tik Tok and Instagram due to “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” a reality show released in September 2024 that follows the professional and personal lives of eight Mormon women. The Word of Wisdom commands Mormons to abstain from hot drinks such as coffee and tea, so instead, the Mormon moms sip on dirty sodas in the popular series. The unique drinks are a concoction of soda, syrup flavorings and cream. Fast-food and soda-fountain chains such as Sonic and Swig have been long-established and are known for selling dirty sodas. However, Sota Shop, a newly-founded soda shop in Maple Grove, has caught Minnesotans’ attention.
After its success as a food truck, the family-owned business, established in December 2024, has been a massive hit. The shop was featured on Fox News in December 2024. The drinks, named after 90’s songs like Stacy’s Mom and Raspberry Beret, are made with bases such as soda, water or lemonade and contain syrups including lime, coconut and cherry. Despite the small building and long lines, Sota workers see countless customers a day.
Langhus, a freshman at Bethel, discovered Sota Shop through her friend from Maple Grove and online through TikTok.
Currently, Sota Shop only has one establishment; however, the business’ individuality makes it more attractive to customers. The drink prices range from $3 for a 24-ounce cup to $5 for a 48-ounce cup of soda, and there are a variety of drink choices. Langhus says that the uniqueness and price of Sota makes it worth the 20-30 minute drive from Bethel to Sota.
