Popular soda stop opening new location in old auto maintenance shop
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ST. ANTHONY — What once was used as a spot for an oil change will soon be a place to fill up on yummy sodas.
Soda Vine, known for its flavored sodas, pretzels and sweet treats, is opening its second location in eastern Idaho. Owners Robyn and Eric Eastin are putting the new soda shop inside a former auto maintenance shop — The Lube Bay on Bridge Street in St.Anthony.
“I know a lot of the people that live there have known The Lube Bay for a long time so I thought we’d keep those memories alive,” Robyn Eastin says of the location.
Eastin says she’s had her eyes on the building for about three years, and in January they had the opportunity to lease the building.
“I was drawn to St. Anthony because I grew up in Newdale and spent a lot of my childhood in St. Anthony,” Eastin says.
Eastin says they began remodeling the building in April and this week they’re wrapping up their work.
“It definitely needed the remodel where it was a former lube bay,” Eastin says. “We’ve gotten rid of all the things that represent oil.”
Eastin says she thought it would be fun to call the new treat shop “Soda Vine at The Lube Bay,” and she wanted to leave the old sign up on the front of the store.
Although they’ve transformed the oil change bay, she wants to fill the building with memorabilia of The Lube Bay to retain the retro feel.
“I know a lot of the people that live there have known The Lube Bay for a long time so I thought we’d keep those memories alive,” Eastin says.
Eastin says like her Rexburg location, the shop will have a drive-thru and will seat 12. She says there will also be seating underneath an awning north of the building.
Locals can look forward to the opening on May 18 with names of menu items that represent St. Anthony.
“We’ll have a separate menu from our regular Soda Vine menu that will be tailored just to St. Anthony folks and for the area,” Eastin says.
Eastin says she’s taking suggestions for the names of those menu items now.
“I just wanted another place to employ young people,” Eastin says. “Just allow people a place to gather and have fun.”