The Co-Founder of Founder Brands believes we’re living through predictable seven-year cycles in the beverage world. Coffee shops dominated the 2000s. David’s Tea had an incredible decade-plus run. Smoothie bars and juice bars had their moment. Bubble tea exploded across Canada just a few years ago. And now? Adam Corrin is convinced dirty soda is next.
“Every five to seven years, there’s something new and exciting emerging within that beverage category space,” Corrin explains from his office, six weeks after opening Canada’s first FiiZ Drinks location at Toronto’s Dufferin Mall. “Dirty soda is having a real moment.”
The numbers seem to back him up. After just over a month of operation, customers are already walking up to the counter asking specific questions that surprise even Corrin: “Is this the Utah brand or is this Dirty Soda?”
When Customers Know More Than You Expected
The most telling revelation from FiiZ’s Canadian debut isn’t about sales figures or foot traffic—it’s about consumer awareness. Canadian teenagers and twenty-somethings were already consuming dirty soda content long before they could actually buy dirty soda.
“So many customers come to the counter and say, ‘Which one’s the Dirty Soda?’ And the answer is they’re all Dirty Soda,” Corrin laughs. “It just goes to show that consumers are already using Dirty Soda. They weren’t purchasing it because it didn’t exist here, but they’re already experiencing it.”
That experience comes courtesy of TikTok algorithms, Netflix shows like The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and cross-border cultural osmosis that happens faster than ever in 2025. Corrin learned about the trend not from market research, but from his brother’s teenage daughters—Gen Z Canadians who were already following dirty soda creators and craving what they couldn’t get.
“If you look at the data, Dirty Soda is one of the most trending searched items in the food and beverage category,” Corrin notes. The demand was there; the supply chain just needed to catch up.
Strategic Location Selection: The Geography of Gen Z
FiiZ’s choice of Dufferin Mall wasn’t random—it was surgical. Corrin and his team identified five high schools within a ten-minute walk of the location, creating what he calls a “captured customer” environment where their core demographic congregates naturally.
“We wanted to meet our customer where our customer is, and we believe the customer is the Gen Z customer,” he explains. “There are three high schools within a five-minute walk, and if you expand out a little bit further, there’s another two high schools within a 10-minute walk.”
The strategy is working beyond just the after-school rush. “What we’re seeing on weekends is families coming in. A family of four, a family of five. Mom may get the hydration beverage, kids may get Sharks in the Water, which is fun and has a gummy on it.”
The 200-square-foot kiosk processes orders with an average wait time of just 90 seconds—”unheard of in the food and beverage space,” according to Corrin. No ovens, no grills, no complex equipment. Just soda, syrups, creams, and what FiiZ calls “mixologists” who can craft what the brand markets as over 10,000 possible combinations from their core menu.
But the location choice also reflects a deeper understanding of retail real estate efficiency. “We chose Dufferin Mall because when you bring a brand new category or a brand new concept that doesn’t exist into a new market like Canada, we wanted it to be where the audience is. We wanted to have a captured customer and we believe being in an enclosed mall was the best way to capture that customer.”
The Freshii Formula Applied to Fizz
Corrin’s confidence in the FiiZ expansion stems from hard-won experience scaling another Canadian success story. As part of the team that grew Freshii from a single Toronto location to 500 restaurants across 17 countries—including an IPO that raised $170 million—Corrin learned the mechanics of franchise expansion firsthand.
At Founder Brands—the company he co-founded with fellow Freshii veterans Joe McCullagh, Paul Hughes, and Freshii founder Matthew Corrin—the focus is on acquiring exclusive Canadian rights to “early-stage, bricks-and-mortar global brands” that haven’t yet crossed the border.
“We’re industry agnostic,” Corrin explains, pointing to Founder Brands’ diverse portfolio that includes PayMore (electronics resale), Gem Studio (customizable jewelry), and Graze Craze (artisanal charcuterie). “We’re looking at what’s in the third inning outside of Canada that doesn’t exist here today.”
The methodology is deliberate: find American concepts that have proven multi-market viability but haven’t yet expanded internationally. FiiZ, founded in 2014 in Bountiful, Utah, by the Morgan and Anderson families—”the original mixologists”—fits that profile perfectly. What began as a passion project to bring a modernized 1950s soda shop experience to their local community has grown to over 70 locations across 10 states, with plans to reach 400 US locations by 2027.
“Dirty soda originated in Utah and it was really for the Mormon community. But they operate locations in Washington state, Ohio,” Corrin notes. “That gave us a lot of confidence that you could take a concept that originated in one market, take it to a new market and rinse and repeat that over and over again.”
The 80/20 Philosophy Goes National
With confirmed expansion talks happening in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, and the greater Toronto area, FiiZ is preparing to scale its “80/20” menu philosophy across Canada. Eighty percent of offerings remain consistent with the proven American formula, while twenty percent gets localized for Canadian tastes and trends.
“We could do something unique and exciting and very micro and local,” Corrin says, already plotting Toronto-specific creations that could include everything from Raptors-themed drinks to maple-infused variations.
But the real Canadian innovation lies in FiiZ’s influencer strategy. Every two weeks, the brand partners with micro-influencers (starting at 5,000 followers) to create custom drinks that get featured temporarily on the menu. Recent collaborations include British body-positive influencer Christy Collins, who developed “Christy Collins Bangin’ Sweetheart”—a Sprite-based creation with passion fruit, vanilla, raspberry, strawberry, cream, whipped cream, raspberry purée, and a cherry on top.
“It’s something new and exciting that their followers can go and experience,” Corrin explains. “But from an operational perspective, we don’t bring in any new SKUs. There’s no new ingredients, and there’s no training involved.”
The influencer drops serve multiple strategic purposes: they generate social media content, create limited-time urgency, and allow for menu innovation without operational complexity. “We have an incredible marketing team and they are so dialed in to influencer marketing,” Corrin adds. “That’s what we believe is the new way of marketing, specifically for a brand like this.”
Franchise Physics and Operational Efficiency
The business model that convinced Corrin to commit to 100+ Canadian locations over ten years isn’t just about beverage trends—it’s about operational efficiency that few food and beverage concepts can match.
“We could go as small as 200 square feet or up to a 1,200-square-foot end cap drive-through,” he explains. “Very little to almost no waste. Small footprints, flexible real estate, strong margins, good unit economics.”
For franchisees, this translates to lower overhead and faster deployment. The minimal equipment requirements—no hoods, grills, or complex ventilation systems—appeal to both landlords and prospective operators. “Landlords are excited by new opportunities. Landlords are excited by bringing something new that doesn’t exist in Canada,” Corrin notes.
The company hosts Discovery Days weekly, attracting prospective franchisees from across Canada who want to be part of what Corrin believes is a first-mover opportunity. “We want people that are passionate about entrepreneurship, about their local respective community,” he says of ideal franchise partners. “Franchising is the most entrepreneurial thing that one could do, short of starting their own business.”
Pricing strategy plays a crucial role in the expansion plans. “Our price point is purposely priced at the low price point. We want it to be very accessible to the masses,” Corrin explains. This accessibility, combined with the speed of service, creates what he sees as a sustainable competitive advantage.
Technology Integration and Customer Experience
FiiZ has already begun integrating modern convenience features at the Dufferin Mall location. Third-party delivery through Uber Eats launched recently, expanding the potential customer base beyond foot traffic. “It’s a product that travels well. It’s pebbled ice. So the ice doesn’t melt,” Corrin explains, noting that extensive testing confirmed drink quality during delivery.
Loyalty programs represent the next phase of customer engagement, though Corrin takes a data-driven approach to timing. “We want to honor and we want to reward our loyal customers. And so that will come in stagger stages. The data will tell us when we need to create loyalty.”
Customization remains central to the customer experience, building on broader consumer trends toward personalization. “We live in this era of customization and it was really the first iPod that put customization on the map,” Corrin reflects. “We have a chef designed menu that there’s 15 to 20 different beverages that you could choose from. But in reality, you can make your own beverage.”
The Social Media Amplification Effect
The intersection of product design and social media culture represents a key strategic advantage for FiiZ. “These drinks are fun, colourful, and unique. Customers are constantly taking selfies or posting their drinks,” Corrin observes. “It’s organically Instagrammable, which is powerful marketing.”
This organic social amplification addresses a fundamental challenge facing new food and beverage concepts: how to build awareness without massive advertising budgets. “More than ever, coming off of what we experience with the pandemic, people are craving social experiences. I think specifically the younger generation is craving social experiences.”
The social media strategy extends beyond individual posts to broader cultural participation. FiiZ drinks have appeared in various entertainment contexts, from reality TV shows to TikTok challenges, creating awareness that precedes market entry. “Canadian consumers are already using dirty soda visa social media, whether it’s TikTok, Instagram, or watching one of those shows that they’re watching.”
Beyond The Trend Cycle
Corrin acknowledges the elephant in the room that faces every emerging food and beverage concept: trend fatigue. He’s witnessed the rise and fall of various concepts, from yogurt chains to specialty tea retailers, and understands the challenges of sustaining momentum.
His defense isn’t denial—it’s diversification and depth. The Utah-based brand has ambitious plans to reach 400 locations by 2027 across the United States, making Canada a crucial piece of their North American growth strategy. FiiZ operates across 10 states, proving the concept can travel beyond its Utah Mormon origins and appeal to diverse demographics.
“Down the road, there will be opportunities to do flagship locations,” Corrin envisions. “Think of the old soda shop, back to the sixties. Once Canadians are familiar with what the dirty soda category is, and we have enough presence across Canada, there’ll be opportunities for those experiences.”
The brand has also demonstrated adaptability through partnerships with major beverage companies like Red Bull, showing willingness to evolve the menu while maintaining core identity. Community engagement initiatives, including partnerships with Make-A-Wish Utah, suggest a brand building for longevity rather than quick profits.
Market Expansion Timeline and Targets
The next phase of Canadian expansion reflects careful market analysis rather than opportunistic growth. Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, and the greater Toronto area represent diverse demographic and economic profiles that will test FiiZ’s adaptability across different Canadian markets.
“We follow the good franchisees and like the franchise prospects,” Corrin explains. “We believe this thing is going to work across Canada. We believe Dirty Soda has a place to work across Canada. Otherwise we would not have signed for a hundred plus locations over 10 years.”
The expansion strategy balances corporate oversight with franchisee autonomy, reflecting lessons learned from the Freshii experience. Real estate partnerships, including the relationship with Primaris (Dufferin Mall’s owner), provide potential access to premium locations across multiple markets.
“We work with Tetra Reality for brokering, and we have a great relationship with our landlord at Dufferin Mall, Primaris. They have a huge portfolio across Canada. So when the opportunities do present itself, there’ll be a lot of opportunities to go after to find great real estate for Canadians.”
The Bigger Picture
As FiiZ prepares to scale across Canada, Corrin’s beverage cycle theory faces its biggest test yet. The success or failure of dirty soda’s Canadian expansion could validate or challenge his framework for understanding consumer behavior in the beverage industry.
“We hope over the next two to three years it becomes a household name and we are the pioneers of that dirty soda here in Canada,” he concludes. “We can’t wait until the US is ready to enter on their own time. We need to go and get it and bring it here.”
The seven-year beverage cycle theory is about to encounter Canadian reality—and the results will determine whether Founder Brands’ aggressive expansion timeline reflects genuine market opportunity or optimistic projection. For now, the 90-second service time and steady stream of curious customers at Dufferin Mall suggest Corrin’s bet on Canadian taste preferences may be paying off.
Dustin Fuhs is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of 6ix Retail, Toronto’s premier source for retail and hospitality industry news. As the former Editor-in-Chief of Retail Insider, Canada’s most-read retail trade publication, Dustin brings over two decades of expertise spanning retail, marketing, entertainment and hospitality sectors. His experience includes leadership roles with industry giants such as The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, Starbucks and Blockbuster.
Recognized as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024 and 2025, Dustin delivers insider perspectives on Toronto’s evolving retail landscape, from emerging brands to established players reshaping the city’s commercial districts.