In the small town of New Bern, North Carolina, local pharmacist Caleb Bradham invented the original formula of what would become Pepsi-Cola. First called “Brad’s Drink,” this popular beverage was crafted with a mix of sugar, water, caramel, lemon oil, kola nuts, nutmeg, and other additives.
As the popularity of his drink grew, Bradham decided to give it a more compelling name, eventually settling on “Pepsi-Cola.” He officially started serving Pepsi-Cola at his pharmacy on the corner of Middle and Pollock streets in downtown New Bern.
By summer, Bradham trademarked the name and started selling his soda syrup to pharmacies and other vendors throughout North Carolina.
Due to increasing demand, Bradham established Pepsi-Cola’s first bottling franchises in Charlotte and Durham.
Sales took off, exceeding Bradham’s expectations, and the company needed an official home. The Pepsi-Cola home office building opened in New Bern.
With 240 franchises spread across 24 states, Pepsi-Cola Company held their first Bottler Convention in New Bern. This event marked the moment that Pepsi’s roots were firmly established in the Carolinas.
Pepsi created the first radio advertising jingle to be broadcast from coast to coast.
Pepsi-Cola advertised on television for the first time and modernized our famous script.
We introduced our iconic Pepsi "swirl" bottle.
Pepsi-Cola became the most popular cola drink in supermarkets.
Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi announced that the annual PepsiCo shareholders meeting would move to New Bern. “We are proud to be a North Carolina company and feel at home right here,” she said.
What started out as an experimental concoction in a pharmacy on the corner of Middle and Pollock streets has become one of the most popular soft drinks in the world.
We are proud to be a part of the fabric of the community in the Carolinas, and we are committed to honoring our roots and giving back...today and every day. No matter how far we’ve been, or how far we’ve come, there’s no place like home.
Pepsi. Born in the Carolinas.
