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Swig CEO Rian McCartan departs the companySwig CEO Rian McCartan departs the company

The Larry H. Miller Company’s Alex Dunn will serve as interim CEO

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister, Managing Editor

March 29, 2024

1 Min Read
Swig Building Exterior
Alex Dunn, a managing partner at Swig parent company The Larry H. Miller Company, will serve as interim CEO at Swig.

Swig CEO Rian McCartan has left that brand, the company confirmed Friday.

Alex-Dunn.pngAlex Dunn, left, a managing partner at Swig parent company The Larry H. Miller Company, will serve as interim CEO at the Utah-based chain while the drive-thru ‘dirty soda’ shop conducts a nationwide search for its next chief executive.

McCartan, who has also worked for See’s Candy, American Eagle Outfitters, Williams-Sonoma Inc., and Skechers U.S.A., was named CEO of Swig in October 2022. Under his leadership, Swig has grown unit counts by more than 20%.

The Larry H. Miller Company, a real-estate and entertainment investment company, acquired a majority stake in Swig in November 2022. At that time, minority stakeholders included founder Nicole Tanner and previous owner, private-equity firm Savory Fund.

Swig, founded in St. George, Utah, in 2010 by Tanner, is known for its drive-thru shops serving “dirty sodas,” a term the company trademarked in 2014. Dirty sodas are defined as sparkling beverages with add-ins like cream, fruit, and flavored syrups. They are currently spreading in popularity nationwide after taking off in Utah.

Swig, which just started franchising, currently has 63 units and has recently expanded into new markets, including Dallas/Fort Worth and Oklahoma.

Related:How Nicole Tanner pulled from her experience as a mom to build Swig

Contact Leigh Anne Zinsmeister at [email protected]

About the Author

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Managing Editor

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister is a managing editor for Informa’s Foodservices Vertical, specifically Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality, and Foodservice Director.  Leigh Anne works on all of the brands’ special reports, including Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual Top 500 report and Restaurant Hospitality’s Best Cocktails and Best Sandwiches contests. She also manages the group’s digital engagement team, and was the managing editor for Supermarket News until December 2024.

Leigh Anne lives in New York City, but also claims Phoenix, Dallas and Cleveland as hometowns. Leigh Anne holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, where she also studied European history. 

Email Leigh Anne at [email protected] 

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister’s experience: 

  • Group Managing Editor, Informa’s Foodservices Vertical (Aug. 2021-present)

  • Group Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (Feb. 2020-Aug. 2021)

  • Digital Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (April 2018-Feb. 2020)

  • Digital Content Producer, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (June 2016-April 2018)

  • Community Moderator, Mail Online (March 2014-June 2016)

  • Wire Editor, Gannett’s Phoenix Design studio (The Arizona Republic, The Reno Gazette-Journal, The Statesman Journal, The Great Falls Tribune, The Visalia Times-Delta, The Tulare Advance Register, The Salinas Californian, The St. George Spectrum, The Desert Sun, The Coloradoan) (Jan. 2012-March 2014)

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