The “king of pop” is coming to town. No, we’re not talking about a resurrected Michael Jackson. Up-and-coming soda operation Popdod recently opened its first North Texas location. What is a “popdod” you ask? It’s a concept unique to our city, aiming to plant customized sodas in the hands of those looking to get their PG-rated drink on.
Popdod is the creation of co-founders James Favero, Brian Blain, and Brady Jones. They decided to bring the custom soda concept to Texas after being inspired by a popular business model rampant across the state of Utah, an area in which the three have strong ties. In those parts, the soda business has reached cult status. Folks there flock to these shops—Fiiz, Sodalicious, and Swig—for sodas and signature baked goods. The Popdod guys decided the model would work well in Texas, so they developed their own brand and opened their first location in Haltom City (2812 Denton Highway, Haltom City). They’re planning their second location in Highland Village which should open in early 2019.
Popdod is a small shop with some indoor seating, but with a heavy focus on drive-thru service. It aims to be a quick stop for thirsty patrons looking for a sugar rush after a sporting event or on a family outing.
You choose your drink size, from 16 ounces to a whopping 44 ounces, then choose your soda base, with a dozen or so options including Coke, Dr. Pepper, Fanta, Sprite, Mountain Dew, or ginger ale. Lastly, you select your syrups, creams, or purée mix-ins in a variety of fruit flavors. You can also save yourself the trouble of concocting your own creation and choose from any of their two dozen signature drinks. Here you’ll see options such as the “Bushwacker” (Coca-cola, cinnamon, cherry, grenadine), the “Scooby Snack” (Dr. Pepper, coconut cream, raspberry purée), and the “Mountain Mule” (Mountain Dew, blood orange, mango purée). They also do their own cold-brewed coffee and Italian sodas.
The second half of the menu focuses on snacks. The signature item is a thick, chewy sugar cookie with bright blue sugar icing known as the “Queen Dod.” Other items include a chocolate sugar cookie, sugar cookie pops, chocolate-dipped cookie dough bites, and whoopie pies.
You can certainly see this concept working well as we drag ourselves through the dog days of summer. Popdod hopes to eventually expand to every corner of the city. For now, go give them a sip if you’re cruising in or around Haltom City.
