_{Top photo: A wide selection of mocktail drinks is available at Fizz Rizz. Photo credit: Nick Massagli}

By Andrew Gerber

REXBURG — Bars are a typical hang out location, especially in college towns, providing a place to mingle and have fun. By adapting to the culture of Rexburg, the new Fizz Rizz Mocktail Bar has been able to offer this attraction to the town while removing alcohol from the equation.

Fizz Rizz opened in Rexburg on July 4, 2024. The “dry bar” offers various non-alcoholic beverages, food and night-life activities such as karaoke, arcade machines and billiards. Its owners, Joseph Aragon and Daniel Alworth, previous Brigham Young University-Idaho alumni, wanted to provide an environment where college students and locals could enjoy a fun evening without alcohol.

Reviews of the venue have generally been positive, with comments praising the establishment for contributing more to the nightlife of Rexburg.

Since their opening, prices of beverages and food items have increased due to credit card fees and certain fruit flavors’ prices being upscaled. However, owners said Fizz Rizz has kept their prices as low as possible. 

Aragon said Fizz Rizz understands that college students, who are frequent customers and their target audience, have very little money. The owners themselves have been in that position. Accordingly, the prices will be as low as they can.

Restaurants typically do not yield a large profit from their sale of food. It is more common for the profit to come from alcoholic beverages. However, despite not selling alcohol, Fizz Rizz has done well with its other attractions—arcades, billiards, karaoke—which are the business’s main source of profit. They have even been able to improve their equipment, include a full menu and acquire more arcade machines. Aragon even mentioned how other mocktail businesses from various parts of the country have been impressed with how successful Fizz Rizz has been.

According to Aragon, they hope to expand the activities that the establishment currently provides. They hope that they can become a venue for dry bar comedy and local live band performances as well as host tournaments for competitive e-sport clubs and communities. They streamed the recent BYU versus BYU-Idaho basketball game at their establishment and want to continue supporting local and college sport events by streaming the public games on their monitors. 

As Fizz Rizz is nearing its first anniversary, the owners are optimistic and have high hopes for the future.

_{Fizz Rizz opens at 6 p.m. every day except Sundays. Closing time is at midnight during the weekdays except for Thursday, when it closes at 1 a.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, it closes at 2 a.m. Photo by Nick Massagli}.

_{There is plenty of room for friends to enjoy drinks, food and games at Fizz Rizz. Photo by Nick Massagli.}

_{Fizz Rizz’s arcade games include classics like the original Donkey Kong and Ms. Pac-Man, shooting and racing games, and other games to play with your friends like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Mortal Kombat. Photo credit: Nick Massagli}

_{Fizz Rizz’s full menu. Photo by Nick Massagli}

_{Fizz Rizz is located at 32 College Ave in downtown Rexburg. Photo by Nick Massagli}