History

MAY 1893

Where we started

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

AUG 1898

Pepsi-Cola

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.

JUN 1903

Let's Make It Official

By summer, Bradham trademarked the name and started selling his soda syrup to pharmacies and other vendors throughout North Carolina.

JAN 1905

Growing To Greatness

Due to increasing demand, Bradham established Pepsi-Cola’s first bottling franchises in Charlotte and Durham.

JAN 1908

A Place to call home

Sales took off, exceeding Bradham’s expectations, and the company needed an official home. The Pepsi-Cola home office building opened in New Bern.

JAN 1910

Expansion

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.

JAN 1939

Radio Jingle

Pepsi created the first radio advertising jingle to be broadcast from coast to coast.

JAN 1950

Modernized Script

Pepsi-Cola advertised on television for the first time and modernized our famous script.

JAN 1958

Swirl Bottle

We introduced our iconic Pepsi "swirl" bottle.

JAN 1977

#1 Cola Drink

Pepsi-Cola became the most popular cola drink in supermarkets.

JAN 2012

Modernized Script

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.

JAN 2019

Today

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.