NEW BERN, N.C. (WITN) – On the corner of Middle Street and Pollock Street in New Bern, one of the biggest brands in the world was created.
In 1893, a local pharmacist named Caleb Bradham developed what would eventually become Pepsi-Cola.
“The good thing to know about Caleb Bradham is that he was just a local entrepreneur,” said Sabrina Bengel, managing partner of the Birthplace of Pepsi in New Bern. “That is the story of success across our country, across small-town America. Here is a man with an idea trying to help his customer base.”
Bradham originally set out to create a digestive aid for his customers. He first called his creation Brad’s Drink before renaming it Pepsi-Cola in 1898. As its popularity grew at the pharmacy, he turned it into a business. In 1905, the first bottling franchises were established in Charlotte and Durham.
“You know, Pepsi is this multi-billion dollar, worldwide brand today, but it started right on this corner, right in this very historic town by a very local person,” Bengel said.
Pepsi’s early growth was cut short when the United States entered World War I. The price of sugar rose dramatically, and Bradham purchased large quantities at a higher price. When the war ended and sugar prices crashed, Bradham could not recover from the expense. He declared bankruptcy in 1923 and left the business.
In 1931, Charles Guth bought the brand and recipe. Guth moved the entire Pepsi operation to New York and helped grow the brand into what it is today. One of his early moves was selling Pepsi in 12-ounce bottles for the same price — a nickel — that competitors charged for 6-ounce bottles.
“What Coke was doing, what Pepsi had been doing was they were selling it in 6 oz bottles, but he decided to sell it in a 12 oz bottle for the same price, which was a nickel,” Bengel said.
Bradham died in 1934 and never saw any of Pepsi’s modern success.
Although Guth moved Pepsi’s operations north, the brand’s connection to Eastern Carolina did not end. In 1923, the Minges family relocated to the region and entered the bottling business in Greenville.
“They were sweet potato farmers, and they migrated from Statesville, North Carolina, down to Greenville,” said Miles Minges, co-president of Minges Bottling Group. “They actually opened up a Crush company, you know, they started bottling Orange Crush.”
In 1935, M.O. Minges and his brother L.L. purchased the Pepsi brand for their bottling company and began bottling Pepsi in Eastern Carolina — including in New Bern, the brand’s birthplace.
“It kept it alive. It brought it back, in essence, to New Bern,” Bengel said. “It kept it alive for us to be able to tell this story.”
Brothers Miles and Landon Minges now serve as co-presidents of Minges Bottling Group. The company operates as a distributor for the brand across 13 counties.
“It’s unbelievable. The fact that the family can resonate with the trademark that’s almost 100 years old is pretty special,” Miles Minges said.
Landon Minges said the family remains committed to the communities where Pepsi began.
“It’s an area where we feel like we want to stay involved in and support the community, especially New Bern, the birthplace of Pepsi,” Landon Minges said.
In 1998, the building where Bradham’s pharmacy once stood was transformed into the Birthplace of Pepsi store, where it remains today. Visitors from around the world come to try the drink the old-fashioned way.
Bengel said it’s all thanks to Bradham’s passion all those years ago.
“You know, I call his name many times when I’m here by myself late in the evening,” Bengel said. “I say, ‘Caleb, if you’re here, do you know what you’ve built?’ I think he would be pretty amazed.”
The Birthplace of Pepsi store is open every day except Wednesday.
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