As COVID-19 swept the world and businesses were forced to close in hopes of flattening the curve, Southwest Soda Pop Shop faced the possibility of going under and closing down completely.
The Black-woman owned shop, located in DC’s Wharf, had only been open for two years before this reality hit. Opened by four sisters, the women decided to create a GoFundMe page in hopes that the community’s donations would help them stay afloat during the pandemic.
The GoFundMe account went viral and the donations began pouring in. After Blackout Tuesday, the ladies have seen even more customers stopping by their waterfront shop.
“We’ve gone from having 35 maybe 36 customers on a weekday to now seeing 350,” Brittany Jones, co-owner of Southwest Soda Pop Shop said in an interview.
The shop sells over-the-top ice cream creations as well as an assortment of other sweet treats. They are open seven days a week from 11am- 7:30pm. Address: 1142 Maine Ave SW.
You can also find them on Instagram at: @swsodapopshop.