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Co-owner of Fizzy Sips Jeannette Tajalle makes a Tropical Fizz for a thirsty customer.
CELINA - Two best friends turned business partners are bubbling over their beverage truck - the rolling home of a popular drink trend that has taken the Grand Lake area by storm.
Jeannette Tajalle and Jo-Ellen Litmer co-own Fizzy Sips, in which they flavor an array of pops, lemonades and energy drinks with flavored syrups
"We take your base of whatever drink that you prefer," Tajalle said. "We fancy her up with flavors and creams and that is our Fizzy Sips."
For example, Salty Beach, a bestseller, combines regular or diet Dr Pepper, salted caramel, butterscotch and cream. Tidal Wave, another popular item, combines Red Bull, blue raspberry and raspberry.
"We have always kind of been talking about starting extra business ventures, especially for our future after our day jobs are over," Tajalle said. "We kind of were just keeping an eye on what's trending and we thought that this was a fun, bubbly idea to bring to our area because there was nothing like it."
The venture is loosely modeled after a drive-thru soda chain founded in Utah.
"There is very popular beverage restaurant shop that it's loosely modeled after," Tajalle said. "That's kind of how we want to look at it. It's popular and everybody knows what it is. Then, of course, 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' - they made dirty sodas just blow up because that show became so popular."
"The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" is a reality television series created for Hulu. In its second season, the show follows a group of Mormon mom influencers as tensions flare when some stars get caught in the middle of a swinging sex scandal, jeopardizing the community's faith, friendship and reputations, per the streaming series.
Fizzy Sips has on offer The Beach Plz!, left, The Sun-Kissed Shore and The Blue Hawaiian.
The menu options at Fizzy Sips include pop, such as regular or diet Coke, Dr Pepper, Mountain Dew and Sprite; lemonade; and energy drinks like Alani and Red Bull. The business also offers iced coffee. It may expand to offer a root beer-based drink.
The drink creations are the duo's inventions. Tajalle said she is a barista, and together she and Litmer experimented and perfected the flavor profiles.
In the span of less than two months, business has exploded for Fizzy Sips.
On May 10, the duo purchased a white trailer from Facebook Marketplace and renovated it into what it is now - a beach-themed traveling beverage cart. The venture had its first pop-up event on May 29. Since then, it has traveled to events in the surrounding area as well as New Knoxville, Greenville and Van Wert.
Co-owners of Fizzy Sips Jeannette Tajalle and Jo-Ellen Litmer serve a customer at their truck.
The women, both 53, have known each other for 25 years - since Tajalle moved to the area from California. They met at church and have been friends since.
The duo is already looking into a storefront, as business is booming.
"It's exceeded our expectations beyond whatever we could have even thought," Litmer said.
If the women pursue a storefront option, they said it would give them more flexibility and availability, allowing them to experiment more. Regardless, they won't give up their truck, they said.
"We're having to turn events down because we're already booked, so we thought about a Fizzy Sips 2 for a trailer, but then you've got the logistics of everything," Litmer said. "That's when we thought, 'It's going over so well, maybe we will open a storefront.'"
Litmer and Tajalle will explore partaking in seasonal events, like the Halloween parade in Wapakoneta and the Reindog Parade in Celina. For now, their summer is jam-packed with events.
The women thanked their friends and family for the support behind the scenes.
"Our families are into it too," Litmer said. "Our friends are very supportive. It's just been great. We have a support group of our girlfriends, and they are always posting for us and sharing and have always been really supportive."
To stay updated on where to get your next dirty soda fix, follow the business on Facebook or email fizzysips25@gmail.com.
Fizzy Sips offers a variety of sodas, lemonades and energy drinks with the addition of flavored syrups.
