FLORENCE, Ky. — The entrepreneurial energy is fizzing as a new soda shop in Northern Kentucky.
Owner Robin Farney opened Drinkology on Route 18 last month. The soda shop has offerings of both Coke and Pepsi products, and the menu encourages customers to create their own creations or choose from one of the specialty items.
But this is not your average soda beverage. Check behind the counter, and you’ll find 20 different flavors of syrups that employees mix into the sodas.
“Our number one seller so far is the ‘Dr. Berry,’” Farney said. “It’s Dr. Pepper, raspberry puree and vanilla cream.”
Cream in soda is a “don't knock it until you try it kind of thing,” she said.
The store is inspired by the “dirty soda” online trend, where people mix soda with various flavors. The concept originated in Utah, where soda is a popular alternative to coffee and alcohol.
“I wanted to do something for people that either wanted something different than coffee in the afternoon … or get a fun drink,” Farney said.
Business has been steady so far, she said, crediting her family and employees for all the help.
“We’re just figuring out as we go,” Farney said. “It’s gone well so far.”
Drinkology is a new business application in Northern Kentucky, but the region overall lags behind the rest of the state.
According to an analysis of Census Data by economic development company BE NKY, there were 3,409 business applications in Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties in 2022, the most recent year available.
That is a 66.8% increase in Northern Kentucky applications from 2012, but it’s far below the remainder of Kentucky's counties, which saw an 88.5% increase during the same amount of time.
In 2022, there were 8.47 business applications for every 1,000 people in Northern Kentucky, compared to 10.50 for the rest of the state.
Aviatra Accelerators helps women entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses.
“There’s a really strong ecosystem in the Northern Kentucky-Greater Cincinnati area of entrepreneurial support,” said President and CEO Jill Morenz.
The nonprofit is focused on helping more women start their own businesses. Morenz hypothesizes that one reason why Northern Kentucky’s application may be lower is because people wanting to start their own business aren’t aware of the resources available to take the first steps. She said a low unemployment rate in the area may also play a role.
“We encourage people to start small,” Morenz said. “If you want to start as a side hustle and you can either keep it as a side hustle or grow it into something full-time later, that’s a really great way to get started.”
The nonprofit connects entrepreneurs to mentors, experts and funding sources. It also offers classes and programs to learn the beginning or intermediate steps for running your own business.
Perhaps most importantly, Morenz said, it also offers connection and community. Morenz said one of the biggest challenges for women entrepreneurs is isolation.
“They don’t necessarily have a peer network. When they don’t have somebody around them to kind of bounce their ideas off of and get feedback and support, it’s so much harder,” said Morenz. “We always want to share the message to women entrepreneurs that you can do this, and you don’t have to do it alone.”
