Soda Jerk Co. Milkshake Bar

What Soda Jerk Co. Milkshake Bar does

Soda Jerk Co. Milkshake Bar is a privately held, single-location specialty dessert and beverage retailer operating at 5350 E. High St. #109 in Phoenix, Arizona (High Street shopping center), founded and led by Dustin Smith. The business serves walk-in consumers and families seeking premium, visually distinctive milkshakes, floats, sundaes, açai bowls, and craft sodas in a retro, soda-jerk-themed environment, with menu items priced from $4.95 (Whiz Bang Sodas) to $14.15 (signature 'Killer' milkshakes, floats, and sundaes) on a pure pay-as-you-go basis. The company co-locates with The Nemesis Club, a sub-brand operating next-gen escape rooms on the same premises, creating a bundled dessert-plus-entertainment destination and a moderate cross-promotional distribution advantage.

The revenue model is straightforward point-of-sale retail: one-time transactions for food and beverage sales with add-on upsells (whipped cream, malt, dairy-free), plus stored-value gift cards processed through Square's gift card platform that provide upfront cash and repeat-visit capture. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer at the physical storefront; there is no e-commerce, no delivery, and no online ordering. Marketing is driven by organic social content on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok under @sodajerkmilkshakebar, supplemented by an email newsletter ('Get the Scoop'), with foot traffic further supported by the adjacent escape room attraction.

The underlying operating model is conventional food service with no proprietary technology stack beyond Square payment processing. The company has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no institutional investors identified in the source materials. Operating geographies are limited to the Phoenix metropolitan area. Headcount is in the 11-50 band, consistent with a small multi-shift retail operation. The company has publicly indicated plans to expand with additional locations and is actively hiring through its careers page.

Name

Soda Jerk Co. Milkshake Bar

Legal name

Soda Jerk Co.

Website

https://sodajerkco.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Soda Jerk Co. Milkshake Bar is a privately held, single-location specialty dessert bar in Phoenix, Arizona serving premium milkshakes, floats, sundaes, and craft sodas to walk-in consumers and families, co-located with The Nemesis Club escape room attraction and distributing through organic social media and Square-based gift cards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Dessert Shop

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Dessert Cafes (Coffee + Desserts) (THAFADAH)

Keywords

• Specialty milkshakes
• Handcrafted dessert beverages
• Ice cream parlor
• Artisan soda drinks
• Dessert bar

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: One-time point-of-sale transactions for milkshakes, floats, sundaes, frozen drinks, and specialty beverages. Individual item purchases with no subscription component. Add-on items (whipped cream, malt, dairy-free) provide incremental upsell opportunities.
2. Gift Cards: Gift card sales through Square payment platform, providing upfront cash flow and encouraging repeat visits when redeemed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Soda Jerk Co. Milkshake Bar is a specialty dessert and beverage shop located at 5350 E. High St. #109 in Phoenix, Arizona. The company sells handcrafted milkshakes, floats, sundaes, açaí cups, and craft sodas under Killer and Classic lines, with menu items priced between $4.95 and $14.15. The venue also operates Nemesis Club, a co-located escape room entertainment offering.

Product overview

Soda Jerk Co. Milkshake Bar operates a retro-inspired dessert and entertainment venue offering an extensive portfolio of specialty frozen desserts centered around elaborate milkshakes (both signature 'Killer' varieties at $14.15 and classic options at $8.25–$9.25), killer floats, killer sundaes, açaí bowls, and craft sodas. The company also co-locates with Nemesis Club, an award-winning escape room attraction. The business emphasizes premium ingredients, creative recipes inspired by classic soda jerks and seasonal baking, and memorable guest experiences. Add-on offerings include gift cards (via Square integration), apparel (shirts at $19.99), and customizable enhancements (whipped cream, dairy-free, malt options).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Nemesis Club: An escape game/next-gen escape rooms concept co-located with Soda Jerk Co., featuring immersive story world environments and award-winning games.

Products and services

• Killer Milkshakes Premium, indulgent handcrafted milkshakes forming the signature higher-tier line of the menu, priced up to $14.15. Targeted at individual consumers seeking elevated dessert experiences.
• Classic Milkshakes Traditional handcrafted milkshakes offered at a lower price point than the Killer line, providing an entry-tier dessert beverage option.
• Killer Floats Premium-tier soda-and-ice-cream floats mirroring the indulgent Killer milkshake concept.
• Classic Floats Traditional soda-and-ice-cream floats offered as the standard float option.
• Killer Sundaes Premium indulgent ice cream sundaes in the higher-priced Killer line.
• Açaí Cup Açaí-based bowl or cup product serving as a fruit-forward alternative within the dessert menu.
• Whiz Bang Sodas Handcrafted craft sodas offered as a beverage option alongside milkshakes and floats.
• Seasonal Menu Items Limited-time dessert and beverage offerings rotated around seasonal demand.
• Gift Cards Prepaid gift cards redeemable for in-store food, beverage, and merchandise purchases.
• Nemesis Club Escape Room Co-located escape room entertainment experience operated at the Phoenix venue, providing group entertainment alongside the dessert bar.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Premium artisanal ice cream brand known for innovative flavors and direct-to-consumer pint retail plus scoop shops. Comparable premium positioning, ingredient story, and social-media-friendly aesthetic.
• The Yard Milkshake Bar: A premium, Instagram-driven milkshake bar concept with locations across the U.S. that competes head-to-head with Soda Jerk on over-the-top milkshake presentations, premium pricing, and social-media-led discovery. Direct concept comp.
• Salt & Straw Ice Cream: Premium, small-batch, story-driven ice cream brand with creative flavors and cult following. Comparable to Soda Jerk on craft ingredients, unusual flavors, and experiential retail positioning.
• Amy's Ice Creams: Texas-based premium ice cream chain with theatrical, experiential service style. Similar to Soda Jerk on the entertainment-as-product positioning and counter-serve dessert retail format.
• Handel's Homemade Ice Cream: Premium, family-style ice cream chain with homemade-style flavors and sundaes. Comparable small-batch premium positioning and family-friendly dessert retail experience.
• Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer: NYC-born craft burger and shake concept famous for its CrazyShake milkshakes. Closest analog to Soda Jerk's premium, visual, photo-driven milkshake category and adult-casual dining positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Cold Stone Creamery: National franchise ice cream chain specializing in mix-in ice cream, shakes, and sundaes. Competes with Soda Jerk on the same premium dessert occasion but at a lower price point and much larger scale.
• Baskin-Robbins: Iconic national ice cream and shake chain with thousands of locations. Sets the baseline category expectation Soda Jerk differentiates against via premium pricing and visual presentation.
• Marble Slab Creamery: National franchise ice cream concept offering made-to-order ice cream, shakes, and sundaes. Competes in the same premium dessert retail category with broader geographic reach.

Emerging players

• Insomnia Cookies: Late-night delivery and retail cookie/dessert brand with strong digital ordering and late-night positioning. Adjacent competitor for late-evening treat occasions in the same demographic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sodajerkmilkshakebar
• Instagraminstagram.com/sodajerkmilkshakebar
• TikToktiktok.com/@sodajerkmilkshakebar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Soda Jerk Co. Milkshake Bar