Leaving comfortable corporate jobs to chase a dream, the Kings' company is growing in rural Utah
Colton and Brooker King of Beachin’ Co. are owners of a local drink business with an "aloha" spin. They serve mixed sodas with energy drink options, fruit waters, fresh-baked cookies and pretzel bites. Over the past seven years, they have grown their company from a single location without plumbing to three locations with 52 employees. Their cookie output averages about 10,000 per month and they currently serve between 40,000 and 60,000 drinks per month from the 1,000 bottles of syrup they produce themselves. They also created a branded Beachin’ Co. line of goods — from reusable tumblers to custom cups and cookie boxes.
The key to their success has been their determination to follow their dream. Colton and Brooker King were both working in corporate offices in Utah County when they decided to leave their successful careers and secure jobs, along with their new home, and return to their rural roots. They started their own company with the $1,000 they had in their savings account after moving in with Brooker’s parents. They gave their new business everything they had. Colton took orders from 6:30 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. while Brooker baked cookies to sell with their mixed soda drink menu items. Colton hauled 25 five-gallon jugs of water every day to their drive-through and hauled out all the wastewater each night.
The Kings saw a local need and provided a tasty treat — and loyal customers responded. They expanded their menu offerings and began hiring employees. Within a year, Beachin’ Co. relocated to a larger space with running water and two drive-through windows. Their company has become a rural hub for refreshments in their community. They mirrored their success in neighboring communities and now have locations in Vernal, Roosevelt and Manti. They spend much of their time focusing on their employees and customers and giving back to the rural communities they call home.
Colton King said, “The SBA helped us grow our bakery, purchase new custom packaging and add on to one of our buildings. All these changes have improved our performance and sales. We couldn’t have done it without these lines of credit. Tim (Negus) at Zions in Vernal really helped us get things done and walked us through everything we needed to do to get things taken care of.”
Beachin’ Co. was honored as the Vernal Chamber’s 2021 Business of the Year, the Uintah Basin Standard’s “Best Drink Place” seven years running, and most recently, Sanpete County’s best drink place. Beachin’ Co. donates more than 20,000 free drinks per year in its community in support of local events, high school sports teams and charitable causes.
Colton King said, “When I first found out we were selected for Rural Business of the Year, I was shocked. I don’t win anything! For the longest time, I could only see the flaws or things I wanted to fix in our business. This made me look at things from a different perspective and helped me see all the good things we do every day at Beachin’. It made me proud of our business for the first time in seven years.”