Soda shops (AKA soda fountains) are making a major comeback, bringing sweet and refreshing drinks back into our lives. If you’re craving a nostalgic soda fountain vibe, Sodabox is the place to be—and lucky for you—it’s just a short, four-minute drive from Enloe High.
Sodabox has a great selection of carbonated and non-carbonated drinks at prices ranging from $3 to $10 that any high schooler can afford, even without a job. Offering a perfect spot off-campus to grab lunch and guarantee you’ll make it back in time for class, or a place for you and your friends to hang out and gossip after school with some good snacks, you should definitely give Sodabox a visit.
Soda Fountains were a staple of the late 19th century and early 20th century. They served as a neighborhood hangout spot, especially for young people that couldn’t consume alcohol. As a result, soda fountains gained popularity during the prohibition era when going to bars was simply not an option. The classic black-and-white checkered floors, long marble countertops, red swivel stools, and jukeboxes that filled the air with nostalgic music are iconic qualities of this era. These fountains were over-the-counter operations often located inside drugstores, apothecaries, and even standalone shops referred to as ‘malt shops.’
At this time, carbonated drinks like soda were associated with good health, made in an attempt to replicate mineral waters that come from the earth. People became sick of taking their awful tasting medicine and needed a sweet drink to help wash it down, hence why they were often located in the same store as pharmacies.
Charles Sumner Eaton, the so-called inventor of the first soda shop once said, “Temperance [aka the first soda shop] would be more surely advanced by encouraging places for the sale of non-alcoholic drinks, and, if possible, make the opportunity for sociability prominent.” However, soda fountains experienced an unfortunate sharp decline in the 1960s with the rise in fast food chains, bottled sodas, vending machines, and grocery stores that offered cheaper and more accessible soda.
Sodabox is bringing back something the 21st century was missing and doing it remarkably well. Their menu is endless, consisting of extremely fun names and accommodating to every customer. They offer sugar-free and diet options, energy drinks, and lemonade or juice substitutes for those that don’t like carbonated beverages. Sodabox carries delicious treats like cookies, rice crispy treats, and pretzel bites that are highly acclaimed and perfectly complement your drink. Some popular orders include Float Life (with Dr. Pepper), Pretty in Pink (with Sprite), and NC State of Mind (with Cheerwine). Visit their menu and find YOUR favorite drink.
A staple of Sodabox is their incredible customer service with generous employees. Elisa, Sodabox manager and employee, consistently demonstrates excellent customer service, a highly valued quality at the company. Elisa also attests to the company’s treatment of their employees. They give the same respect and kindness that they extend to their customers, stating that everyone deserves that level of respect. Sodabox was founded by two Mormon brothers, Brent and Scott Sorensen, both of whom are alumni of Brigham Young University. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prohibited its followers from consuming caffeine and alcohol; however, the church amended this rule by allowing followers to consume caffeine in cold drinks like soda, leading to the rise in soda shops in Mormon communities like Utah.
If you visit Sodabox enough, you might even be deemed a “regular” like Enloe student Violet Moore, who says, “The first time I went to Sodabox, I was with my friends and I didn’t order anything. To introduce me to their drinks, they gave me a free mermaid lemonade, and now I go after school a few times a month even though I’ve never even liked carbonated drinks. They’re beginning to grow on me. I love being able to mix the different syrups and flavors and try new concoctions. I have never really been considered a regular anywhere and when the employee said, ‘Here’s a free rice crispy treat because you’re my regular now,’ it made my day to be recognized. It’s a very welcoming atmosphere that is both fun and convenient.”
A place for your friend group or club to bond, Sodabox can become your second home. Crescenloe, Enloe’s A cappella group, are regulars. As Brandon Ryzoff—Crescenloe’s Vocal Percussionist—puts it: “[Sodabox is] my one true love, everything about it is perfect, the drinks are crafted to perfection and if I could live there I would, Crescenloe goes there anytime we can.”
For those who frequent Sodabox, the picture booth is an important part of the experience and a pleasant way to remember your special moments. The iconic Sodabox logo encased in a box that you and your friends can sit in, accompanied by a camera that takes boomerang-like short videos and sends them straight to your phone at no cost. Claire Michnowicz—another Sodabox regular—takes a picture every time she goes. A photo album named “In the box,” with 57 pictures, sits in her gallery.
Sodabox is headquartered in Apex, NC and is a growing business, having only been founded in 2021. Conveniently-placed with excellent service and quality drinks perfect for any soda fiend, Sodabox will give you energy to make it through each painstaking 8-hour school day.
