A brand new establishment has opened its doors to soda lovers all around the University of Missouri. 

Sips on the Go, a gourmet drink store, has made its home in the MU Student Center. Tucked away in a corridor, there’s a line of students trailing to a soda bar with tons of options beyond the compact look.

Sips on the Go, fittingly renamed to Sips at the Zou, originated as a mobile drink trailer in Nauvoo, Ill. Created by MU senior Reagan Eaves, Sips opened to the public in May of 2023 and could be found vending at local events.  It made its grand opening as Sips at the Zou at the Student Center on Aug. 19, 2024, thanks to the Griggs Innovators Nexus in the Student Center, a collaborative entrepreneurial effort that allows MU students to open their own stores and explore business opportunities.

“I heard about the Nexus here, and how they give student entrepreneurs an opportunity to open their own business and run it here,” Eaves said. “So I applied for it last March, and I ended up getting the space, and took the summer to transform it.”

I went in expecting a make-your-own soda bar of sorts, with sodas and regular fruit-flavored syrups to add. However, I was delighted with the sheer variety at Sips, from refreshing beverages to candy-inspired drinks built to satisfy the sweet tooth. The pastel logo also made the environment feel immediately modern in decoration with an underlying vintage vibe, providing a unique location from the rest of the Student Center.

Upon entering Sips, the scent of various syrups and sodas will hit you quickly, and you’ll be greeted by a menu detailing the categories of drinks Sips offers. Lotus Energy is one of these, made with Lotus Energy concentrate and its counterpart Skinny Lotus Energy, a sugar-free substitute.  Alongside these, Sips also offers Monster Drinks that contain White Monster. Finally, Sips offers soda and lemonade with various menu options alongside a make-your-own option.

Lotus Energy contains b-vitamins, amino acids and natural caffeine. “Lotus Energy is 100% all-natural, plant-based energy,” Eaves said. “They ended up finding natural energy concentrates in the lotus flower. The whole reason why I opened Sips was because of the Lotus Energy, it’s kind of like what we specialize in.” 

This diverse menu made it delightfully difficult to pick a drink as many of the options sounded delicious. As a regular patron of gas station peach rings, I opted for the “Peach Ring” Lotus Energy drink. It was equally delicious as it was accurate to the taste of peach rings, and the drink even came with a peach ring on the straw, which was a great surprise. The Starry-based “Pink Tropics” drink was also incredibly refreshing, smooth and delightfully fruity and provided a similar taste to a Starbucks Pink Drink. 

“My all-time favorite comes down to the ‘Peachy Keen,’” Eaves said. “Peachy Keen,” separate from the peach ring drink, is another delicious peach-flavored option.

The only downside to Sips is that they are now the only food and drink establishment in the Student Center that does not take MU’s dining plan as a payment option, but their prices are fairly reasonable for the size and quality of their drinks. On top of that, they recently offered a game-day deal which provided a dollar off of a large drink, making them a more affordable option for students. 

The Student Center has always had a great selection of places to eat, but I’ve frequently found myself ending up with the same paper cup at the soda fountain no matter where I go. Sips offers a unique alternative to shake things up or to just have when a normal fountain soda doesn’t quite seem like enough of a treat. 

Edited by Ava McCluer | amccluer@themaneater.com 

Copyedited by Stella Thrift and Natalie Kientzy | nkientzy@themaneater.com 

Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com