Thirst press & company facts
Thirst is a Utah drinks and bakery business founded in September 2016 in Salt Lake City. Its menu brings custom dirty sodas and Vibe Energy together with scratch-made soft pretzels, fresh-fried beignets and cookies. Thirst also provides event catering.
Founder background
Ethan Cisneros co-founded Thirst with Sierra McCleve. He was a University of Utah student when the original store opened at 38 E 1300 S in September 2016. Read Thirst’s founding story and bakery background.
Thirst fast facts
- Founded
- September 2016, at 38 E 1300 S in Salt Lake City.
- Utah stores
- 12 locations, with store-specific hours.
- Food and drinks
- Dirty sodas, Vibe Energy, scratch-made soft pretzels, beignets and cookies.
- Bakery
- Dough made from scratch at the Thirst bakery, finished fresh in stores.
- Ordering
- Choose a store for Toast online ordering, or order in the Thirst app.
- With every order
- Complimentary popcorn and dog treats, as listed on our menu.
In the news
As featured in
City Weekly — Best of Utah · 2022
Best Dirty Soda Shop: Thirst Drinks — "Utah's most beloved beverage broker"
Read the story
The New Yorker · 2024
The Unexpected Pleasures of a Dirty Soda
Read the story
Tasting Table
Here's Why There Are So Many Soda Shops In Utah
Read the story
The Salt Lake Tribune · 2024
Utah's iconic 'dirty soda' has gone national. Why, and why now?
Read the story
The Salt Lake Tribune · 2024
More of Utah's 'dirty sodas' are coming to the Salt Lake City airport — along with other new shops, restaurants
Read the story
FOX 13
Thirst serves up happy drinks and treats
Read the story
KUTV · 2020
Salt Lake City soda shop adapts to thrive amid coronavirus
Read the story
KUTV
All KUTV coverage of Thirst Drinks
Read the story
KUTV Taste Utah
Taste Utah Bytes: Thirst Drinks in Salt Lake County
Read the story
KUTV Inside the Story
Teen entrepreneur opens his fourth business, complete with flavored soda
Read the story
ABC4
U of U college student opens successful soda shop in Salt Lake City
Read the story
ABC4 · 2026
Thirst will give away free energy drinks with any purchase on Sept. 30
Read the story
ABC4
U of U student-founded business opens location in Vivint Smart Home Arena
Read the story
Daily Utah Chronicle · 2017
Ethan Cisneros: quenching Salt Lake City's thirst
Read the story
Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute
Thirst Drinks: a soda mixology store serving superior customer service
Read the story
Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute
Thirst Drinks now on campus
Read the story
Female Foodie Podcast
Ethan Cisneros, founder of Thirst
Read the story
Female Foodie
How Thirst Drinks founder Ethan Cisneros built a soda empire
Read the story
Utah Business · 2026
Utah dirty soda shops: Swig, Thirst, Bevvy, Soda Retreat, Pop'n Dot, Sizzurp, Fiiz, Quench It
Read the story
Utah Business · 2022
How the Thirst NFTs project began
Read the story
SLC International Airport
Thirst — official airport dining
Read the story
Visit Utah
Utah: Home of the 'Dirty Soda'
Read the story
Utah Stories · 2026
Why Utah loves dirty soda: the story behind the state's sweetest craze
Read the story
St. George News · 2022
"We want to give Swig a run for their money": Thirst Drinks and Wetzel's Pretzels open in St. George
Read the story
KSL
Thirst donating percentage of sales to Red Cross Friday
Read the story
Yahoo News · 2026
Thirst will give away free energy drinks with any purchase on Sept. 30
Read the story
Deseret News · 2022
Swig, Sodalicious: The 'dirty soda' war that could consume the West
Read the story
ABC4 Everything Utah
Why is Utah so obsessed with dirty sodas? It may be traced back to LDS health guidelines
Read the story
Bake Magazine
Wetzel's Pretzels partners with Thirst on co-branded location in Utah
Read the story
Tooele Online
Tooele gets Thirst
Read the story
KSL · 2022
"We want to give Swig a run for their money": Thirst Drinks-Wetzel's Pretzels opens in St. George
Read the story
Yahoo News
A visit to Thirst will help LA fire relief efforts
Read the story
Deseret News · 2022
The Soda Wars: Which Utah soda shop is the best?
Read the story
Facebook — Utah Restaurant Reviews · 2023
Locally owned Thirst Drinks in Bountiful treats teachers
Read the story