Due to rationing restrictions in the 1940’s, a small cola bottler could receive as much sugar as larger companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Sensing an opportunity, my great-grandfather Benjamin J. Frink switched from tobacco to soda pop and opened a small storefront bottling operation called Bob’s-Cola in 1940. From those humble beginnings he expanded his cola business into a $250,000 state of the art factory and distribution center by 1947.

Bob’s-Cola churned out half a dozen flavors to hundreds of thousands of thirsty customers throughout the Southeast, Midwest, and Texas. However, by 1955 Bob’s-Cola had ceased production and over the next 40 years many of the bottles, advertising paraphernalia,and merchandise disappeared.

This site represents the repository of all Bob’s-Cola merchandise found over the last decade. While memories of the cola itself have long since faded, I believe the images within this site help show a small snapshot of life in postwar America - from the artistic style of the advertisements to the smaller, more personal nature of what you could find in the general store icebox.

                                - Benjamin Austin