New mocktail bar brings active night life to downtown Rexburg
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REXBURG
Duo open mocktail bar catering to Rexburg’s nighttime crowd
REXBURG – Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name … or at least the type of environment you enjoy hanging out in.
The latter is the focus of a new mocktail bar at 32 College Avenue in Rexburg called Fizz Rizz. The non-alcoholic bar opened July 4 and offers daiquiris, pina coladas, margaritas, flavored sodas and more. It also has pool tables and arcade games. A space to have dances and live performances is in the works.
The business opens at 5 p.m. and caters to the nighttime crowd.
Joe Aragon owns the business with his colleague, Daniel Alworth. The duo held a ribbon-cutting and official grand opening with the Rexburg Chamber last week.
In the last few weeks, Aragon tells EastIdahoNews.com the turnout has been “way bigger than expected.”
“I went from having four or five staff members to now having 13 or 14. We’ve really had to up our game to keep up with orders,” Aragon says. “It’s been really beautiful to see the community’s reaction. It’s really cool to see Rexburg have a night life and a place that’s safe to hang out.”
It was that desire for an active night life in a college town where the vast majority are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — which prescribes that its members don’t drink alcohol — that prompted Aragon and Alworth to open the business.
Aragon remembers hanging out at a local fast food restaurant late at night as a Brigham Young University-Idaho student. The drinks weren’t that great, he says, and the atmosphere was lacking.
He once worked as a bartender. He hated serving alcohol but enjoyed the environment.
Similarly, Alworth, who is attending BYU-Idaho, joined the church several years ago. In his younger days, he used to drink socially and has longed for a place to hang out with friends while enjoying a nonalcoholic beverage.
“It’s something that I think every college student thinks about here,” says Aragon. “But it’s really hard to start a business (in Rexburg). We’ve seen a few come and go with all the best intentions.”
This particular location had been sitting vacant for several months when the previous occupant, The Pit Barbecue & Catering, closed down.
Aragon and Alworth thought its central downtown location with public parking and the Paramount 5 movie theater on the west side was an ideal spot for this type of business. They spent a lot of time and money building up their vision.
The bar’s aesthetic has what Aragon describes as “a 1980s vibe,” a look he’s absolutely thrilled about.
“I love the brick aesthetic of the dining room. It helps sell that bar vibe,” Aragon explains. “I think atmosphere really brings out the good side in people, if it’s done right, and we have such a fun crowd here at night.”
The duo have noticed that customers who frequent Fizz Rizz aren’t on their phones, which is a pleasant surprise to them. They enjoy seeing people engaged and interacting with each other in an intimate setting.
“People only pull out their phones to call their buddies and say, ‘Where are you?’ or to take a photo,” Aragon says.
The space is consistently packed between 10 p.m. and midnight, and seating is scarce. They own the unit next door and are looking to expand the seating area in the future.
They’re also planning to renovate the basement and turn it into a dance hall.
Aragon is pleased with the reception and looks forward to serving clients going forward.
“We’re happy to be here and that the feedback’s been so positive. We’re grateful for everyone bringing their friends. I’ve done almost no advertising, and I’ve had to triple my staff because of word-of-mouth. It’s been phenomenal,” he says.
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