Dirty sodas have gained popularity across social media as their refreshing, sweet, and creamy combinations quickly become addictive. The various viral beverages seen popping up on screens are now just a few miles away in One Loudoun at the new soda shop, CloudFizz. Opened on Dec. 6, 2025, the store offers customizable drinks with a mix of soda, cream, flavored syrups, and toppings along with delicious food offerings like soft pretzels.
After making a good impression at farmers markets and other community events, the CloudFizz brand gained a following for its unique take on the popular Utah “dirty sodas.” At their storefront location, customers can make their own custom drinks, choosing their base from soda flavors like Coke, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Mountain Dew, or sparkling water. From there, customers can top off drinks with more than 30 premium flavors, signature cold foams, and tasty add-ins, items like bursting bubbles, drizzles, and candies. Customers can also choose from the variety of CloudFizz-original creations on the menu or try the company’s seasonal menu as a quick convenience.
Founder and Air Force veteran Dewayne Tao created CloudFizz as a passion project that quickly earned a following for bringing vibrant Mountain-West dirty sodas to Ashburn.
“CloudFizz started as something I was just doing for fun at farmers markets as a second source of income back when I was still a federal contractor,” Tao said. “I had a small DIY soda setup at home that I’d bring out at parties, and people loved the idea of customizable drinks. The farmers markets were my way of testing it out, and people kept coming back, bringing friends, and sharing it online. It grew naturally without any big plan behind it.”
Like many small businesses made from scratch, it isn’t easy for one person to manage all aspects of a growing business. Whether it’s developing new flavor combinations, dealing with the shop’s physical maintenance, operating social media accounts, or hiring and training new employees, Tao is giving his all to sustain CloudFizz’s success.
“I do everything,” Tao said. “Hiring, training, inventory, scheduling, creating drinks for seasonal menus, marketing, social media, maintenance, dealing with vendors, reading every TikTok comment and Google review–all of it. People see the front of the store and the fun cloud designs, but behind the scenes it’s constant problem solving. Right now, I’m focused on building a team I can trust so I can step back and grow the business instead of just running it day to day.”
Operating in the bustle of One Loudoun has benefited CloudFizz by attracting many customers and offering a convenient product for local teens. To help keep up with the premium rental costs of a coveted space in One Loudoun, CloudFizz offers event packages for businesses or large gatherings, which can range from $600 to $1,200.
“Having clear standards and procedures matters a lot,” Tao said. “Every mistake an employee makes matters. Wrong drinks mean wasted product, wasted time, and lost money. I’m constantly working to improve training and processes to reduce those mistakes. Every customer interaction also matters because we rely heavily on customer reviews, and one bad experience can impact a growing business early on.”
“We know not every drink will hit for every person, so we make sure to let our customers know that if they don’t like any of our signature drinks that we will swap them out for something else,” Tao said. “We want people to always leave happy even if it costs us a little now. Hopefully, we get a customer that will like the experience and come back.”
CloudFizz has not only brought delightful drinks to the community, but also job opportunities for many teenagers in nearby high schools. The shop has had over 300 applicants since its opening, mainly from Loudoun County high school students. Although hiring and training can be difficult, it has benefited CloudFizz and teens looking for a job.
“Hiring is tough because we need people who can move fast, pay attention to detail, and think on their own,” Tao said. “Everyone says they can, but the job shows pretty quickly who actually can and who can’t. As we get busier, we’ve had to be more selective. We need people who can keep up, work well with the team, and have real availability.”
CloudFizz is a rewarding and fast-paced experience for the many teen employees working there. With a strong business model that has capitalized on viral Reels and TikToks, sales can easily reach to around 800 and 900 drinks in just one day. Still, workers cite the positive atmosphere and welcoming community of the store. The connections built between coworkers and customers have created long-lasting memories and have made the employee-experience feel different from the typical stressful image often associated with work.
“It’s like my second home,” junior Nikki Yarbrough said. “I love everyone there. It is so nice. My boss is big about being clean and being nice, like the first time I was interviewed, those were his two biggest things. ”
As its popularity continues to increase, CloudFizz is now making appearances beyond its corner at One Loudoun by catering large events such as high school proms, beginning with Heritage High School on April 10. CloudFizz will also be offered at Stone Bridge’s prom on May 9.
Much like the concept behind “dirty sodas,” the brand hopes to bring a fun and unique twist to otherwise traditional experiences.
“We’re still new, and a lot of people are just discovering what a dirty soda is,” Tao said. “It’s been fun introducing people to something different and seeing them come back. But I’ve built something from nothing, and I’m figuring it out as I go as a first time business owner. Some days are great, some are rough, but overall I think it’s moving in the right direction. At the end of the day, the goal is to build something that spreads joy, keep improving, and continue growing the business over time.”
