The Hulu series “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” has sparked a surge of popularity in dirty soda throughout the country. Next month, an Utah-based specialty soda business will bring its first location on the East Coast to Connecticut.
FiiZ Drinks will hold its grand opening on March 7 at 782 Federal Road in Brookfield offering more than 10,000 varieties of pre-made and custom-made drinks.
FiiZ Drinks was founded in 2014, and the bulk of the company’s locations are in Utah. The Connecticut location will be managed by Brookfield resident David Baulsir, who has years of experience in the beverage industry. He previously owned and operated his own brewery, the Redding Beer Company, in Redding.
“I saw this dirty soda concept as a little bit more family friendly and more of an open industry and a bit more fun,” Baulsir said. “This opportunity came to me and I bought into it. I went up to Utah to try the dirty soda and learn how to make the drinks and I absolutely fell in love with the soda.”
FiiZ Drinks will hold its grand opening on March 7 at 782 Federal Road in Brookfield. (Courtesy of FiiZ Drinks)
Baulsir described himself as a lifelong soda lover and said FiiZ Drinks has tapped into that nostalgic love for old-school soda shops.
“We used to have soda fountains here in New England for decades and they have disappeared in the last 30 years or so. Dirty soda and FiiZ Drinks are the return of that, and I think it’s really something special,” Baulsir said.
Brookfield will be FiiZ Drinks’ 69th location. According to a company release, FiiZ Drinks has expanded to over 70 locations nationwide since its launch in 2014. The company’s goal is expand to more than 500 locations around the U.S. and more than 100 in Canada over the next 10 years.
“Brookfield is a great town and is perfect for our first Connecticut location. Federal Road is one of our main arteries here in town,” Baulsir said. “People will be stopping by on their way to work every day for their morning caffeine instead of the same old boring coffee.”
FiiZ Drinks offers more than 10,000 varieties of pre-made and custom-made drinks. (Courtesy of FiiZ Drinks)
FiiZ Drinks has served more than 200 million ounces of soda in 2025. Custom sodas use combinations with Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Coke, Pepsi, Root Beer, Monster, FiiZ Fuel, non-carbonated beverages and frozen drinks.
“Customers can get something unique to them because we don’t have drinks that are just pre-mades. We have so many custom options,” Baulsir said.
Baulsir said the Chandler Bing, which is Mountain Dew, strawberry, pineapple and coconut, is one of his favorites.
“We have 200 pre-made drinks and then you can make whatever you want,” Baulsir said. “When I was in Utah, people were ordering all sorts of whacky things like the Dr. Pepper, huckleberry and vanilla one of the workers showed me. I thought, ‘Are you crazy? That sounds awful.’ But it’s really good. Another favorite is Berry Bad Doctor that is Dr. Pepper, coconut, vanilla, raspberry puree and cream. It’s one of our biggest sellers.”
“There’s nothing like this in the area and it’s really exciting to bring it to Connecticut,” Baulsir said. “In Connecticut, I think we have a little bit of an overdependency on coffee, which is not a bad thing, but I think that there is room for other things on people’s palates.”
Baulsir said FiiZ Drinks has continued to gain momentum because “it’s really good soda.”
A sample of one of the thousands of varieties of drinks offered at FiiZ Drinks. (Courtesy of FiiZ Drinks)
“The regular soda that you have just doesn’t cut it anymore. Connecticut is a great place for it to expand,” Baulsir said. “I think it is something that has been sorely lacking in Connecticut for the last 30 years. People have such fond memories, but nostalgic, of a soda fountain. It’s something that we’re bringing back, and it’s a little bit faster. There’s no ice cream. It’s really something that once people try, they instantly get hooked on.
“When I was in Utah, FiiZ was everywhere,” Baulsir added. “Instead of coffee, they were drinking soda. Each store I went in, people were smiling. Everyone was happy and that’s something that I want to replicate here as well. … Because at the end of the day if we can bring a smile through a drink to somebody, then it’s all worth it to me.”
Baulsir said the drink prices are comparable to a large coffee at Starbucks or Dunkin’ in the $4 or $5 range. In addition to the drinks, FiiZ Drinks will also offer dough bites, pretzels and cookies.
The varieties of cookies include cookies and cream, chocolate chip and frosted sugar. The dough bites include chocolate chip and Reese’s and there are also churro bites and cinnamon sugar pretzels.
Baulsir said the plan is to open more locations in Connecticut, and he is eyeing other potential spots throughout the state.
The Brookfield location will be open seven days a week. The hours will be 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.