A new handcrafted soda and mocktail shop is coming to the Crescent Hill neighborhood next month.
Fizz District is scheduled to open at 3130 Frankfort Ave., near the Frankfort Avenue Beer Deport (F.A.B.D.) Smokehouse, by early November.
Co-owners Chris Ratterman and MichaelAaron Flicker developed the concept for Fizz District over two years.
Ratterman, who also is founder of Simpsonville-based eyewear company Shady Rays, said Fizz District is a throwback to the days when soda shops served drinks made by hand and served them without a can.
The brand is targeting emerging trends in the drink sector like mocktails, alcohol-free cocktails and "Dirty Sodas" — soft drinks spiked with cream, flavored syrups or fruit juices.
“We are the alternative to canned sodas that have sometimes chemicals, sometimes dyes, a lot of sugar and don't use real ingredients,” Ratterman said. “We're all about ditching the can and giving you fresher soda. We build these drinks entirely from scratch. We've got fresh filtered water out of stainless-steel taps, carbonated right here on site to our specific carbonation levels.
"And then, once we do that, we add real few fruit purees, we add clean-label syrups and other things to create what we think is a new category of fresh soda — the opposite of dirty soda because it is fresh.”
Fizz District customers will be able to drive up to the business and be greeted by an employee with a tablet to order. The store also has an app that can be used for ordering.
Health-conscious patrons can customize their drinks to limit caffeine and sugar or add things like vitamins and infusions to aid in hydration.
In addition to homemade sodas and zero-proof cocktails, Fizz District offers fruit seltzers, ice tea, lemonade and espresso drinks. The restaurant also will serve breakfast and snack items.
Prices range from $4.95 to $7.45.
Flicker said cocktail culture has changed the way people gather, and Fizz District is a way to extend the trend in a family-friendly, nonalcoholic environment.
“There's something inherent about going to the nostalgia of America's soda shop past and making it modern," Flicker added. "It's something elevated that you can share with your kids."
Fizz District is in a more than 600-square-foot building formerly occupied by James’ Fruit Market. The property is owned by Kamal Fathalizadeh, according to Jefferson County Property Valuation Administrator records.
The Fizz District founders worked with New York-based Method-1 Interiors on the design of their flagship store. Miranda Construction handled the buildout.
Ratterman declined to reveal how much he and Flicker invested in Fizz District, which will have about 25 employees.
Fizz District does have some competition in the craft soda market like Swig Soda, a chain with locations in Indianapolis and Tennessee.
Swig announced plans to open a Louisville location on Poplar Level Road, but Ratterman said he is not worried about competition.
“We have a meaningfully different offering,” he said. “Yes, both are carbonated drinks, but we’re leaning into the freshness and leaning into more ability to customize ingredients to make you feel your best — which is why we think we're different and we're a more premium option.”