The unincorporated town of Dew, about 90 miles south of Dallas, would receive some perks in exchange for changing its name.
DALLAS — The town of Dew, located south of Dallas off Interstate 45, is a tiny town that’s been presented with a hard choice.
Hard Mountain Dew, a registered trademark of Pepsico, has a proposition for the unincorporated community: Change your name to Hard Dew, Texas, and in exchange, enjoy a brand new welcome sign, a roadside attraction-sized Hard MTN Dew can, a happy hour at a “local watering hole,” and a community enhancement fund to refresh the newly-renamed town.
Hard MTN Dew is an alcoholic beverage currently sold in many states, but not Texas, in four flavors: Classic, livewire, watermelon and Baja Blast. The renaming of Dew would mark Hard MTN Dew’s entrance into the Texas market.
Natalia Roldan, the owner of a La Tejana snack shop in Dew, is all for the change.
“That’s pretty cool,” Roldan said after learning about Hard MTN Dew’s proposal.
Some of the town’s older residents may need some convincing, though, Roldan added.
When contacted by WFAA about the possible name change, Freestone County officials were not aware of the proposal. Since Dew is unincorporated, there is no mayor or city manager to ask about the process of changing the town’s name. It’s unclear exactly how the name change would be made official.
However, to start the process of changing the town’s name, the company created a Change.org petition that needs 10,000 signatures by Feb, 28, according to a press release from Hard MTN Dew.
“Renaming Dew, Texas, to Hard Dew, Texas, would be the ultimate way to celebrate, while also giving back to the community and creating a piece of iconic history that’s as bold as the brand itself,” Erica Taylor, senior brand director for HARD MTN DEW, said in the release.
Roldan opened La Tejana about two years ago. Today it is the only restaurant in Dew, and might be the “local watering hole” that receives the Mountain Dew happy hour described in the release. Currently, most of Roldan’s customers are motorists traveling on I-45 and people who work in the area, she said.
“Dew is such a small town… having something new come in would be a great change,” Roldan said.
Roldan has a head start aligning with the Mountain Dew brand. One of her most popular drinks is made with blue curacao, coconut cream and… you guessed it, Mountain Dew.
