If recently opened Sip ‘N Slide reminds you of slip-and-slide, you’re spot on. The modern soda shop includes an indoor playground, so it’s a fun play on words, according to general manager Devin Winstanley.
The business officially opened on March 31 (it took the former spot of Jeans Warehouse), per Winstanley.
“We wanted to make a family friendly place where parents could come with their kids and maybe get a little bit of a relaxing break,” he says. “We thought, ‘What’s an activity that kids could do independently?,’ so we thought of a playground. It’s (mixed drinks and sodas) taken off in other places, so we wanted to bring it to Lāʻie and the North Shore; it’s been a tremendous success.
“It all came together very nicely,” Winstanley adds. “We wanted it to feel high-end and classy, while keeping the prices affordable so anyone could come in. We wanted everything to be bright and light — a comforting, warm place for people to come to.”
The business features a variety of mixed sodas. Three drink sizes are available — choose from 12-ounce ($3.50), 22-ounce ($4.25) and 32-ounce cups ($4.75). Soda base choices range from Dr. Pepper and Coke to Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Sprite.
The RR4L flavor — Red Raiders for Life — along with Kahuku Cooler, have been some of the most popular flavors. RRFL features Dr. Pepper, vanilla, strawberry puree and coconut cream, while Kahuku Cooler includes Dr. Pepper, vanilla and coconut cream.
“My personal favorite has been Catching Lighting (Mountain Dew, raspberry, peach and cream),” Winstanley says.
Other photogenic, refreshing options include Over the Rainbow — an orange-yellow hued mix of Mountain Dew, guava, strawberry and coconut cream — and Blue Hawaiʻi (Sprite, curacao and peach). If you don’t see your desired flavor combo, you can always take advantage of the build-your-own-soda option.
“The Blue Hawaiʻi with Sprite is probably our most popular among the kids,” Winstanley says.
The biz also offers refreshers, protein drinks, energy drinks and juices. The protein drinks ($6 each) — dirty protein shake (vanilla protein with Diet Dr Pepper and sugar free raspberry), protein dream (vanilla protein, orange soda and sugar free peach) and berry swoll (vanilla protein, raspberry, blueberry and fresh lime) — have also been popular, according to Winstanley.
“The protein drinks have been a huge hit, especially since there’s a gym next door,” he says. “We have lots of people coming over for that.”
Sip ‘N Slide primarily offers drinks, but customers can also enjoy popcorn, available in individual ($2.50) or family sizes ($7), with seasonings (50 cents) like white cheddar, salt and vinegar, ketchup and dill pickle.
“Our most popular flavors have been the white cheddar and salt and vinegar,” Winstanley says.
The indoor playground is designed for children ages one to eight years to enjoy. It costs $5 per hour (per child), and an unlimited monthly fee ($40 per child) is also available. The play place area includes a variety of rules for safety, including required adult supervision, no food or drinks in the play area, required socks and no rough play.
“We just want to be a blessing for the community — for anyone to come, have fun, get a nice, cold beverage and relax and let the kids get out a little bit of energy in a fun, safe place,” Winstanley says.
CONTACT
Sip ‘N Slide
Lāʻie Village Center
55-510 Kamehameha Hwy., Lāʻie
Instagram: @sipnslide_laie
Open 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, closed Sundays
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
