Faygo facts for kids
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Formerly
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Feigenson Brothers Bottling Works |
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Beverages |
| Founded | November 1907 in Detroit, Michigan |
| Founders | Ben and Perry Feigenson |
| Headquarters |
,
US
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| Products | |
| Parent | National Beverage Corporation |
Faygo Beverages, Inc. is a soft drink company. Its main office is in Detroit, Michigan. The drinks are known as Faygo or Faygo Pop. You can find them in many parts of the United States and Canada. Faygo Beverages, Inc. is owned by the National Beverage Corporation. The company started in Detroit in 1907. Back then, it was called Feigenson Brothers Bottling Works.
Contents
The Sweet Story of Faygo Soda
Faygo began in Detroit, Michigan, in November 1907. Two brothers, Ben and Perry Feigenson, started it. They were bakers from Russia. The first Faygo flavors were fruit punch, strawberry, and grape. These flavors were inspired by cake frosting recipes from Russia. At first, the brothers delivered drinks using a horse-drawn wagon. They even lived above their bottling plant.
Over the next 10 years, the company grew. The Feigensons bought houses and hired their first employee. They also got a second wagon and horse for deliveries. More flavors were added, like Sassafras Soda and Lithiated Lemon. Their success helped them build a new plant in Detroit.
Changing the Name and Growing Big
In 1921, the company decided to change its name. "Feigenson Brothers" was too long. So, they picked "Faygo." In 1922, they bought their first delivery truck. Home deliveries started the next year. New flavors in the 1920s included vanilla soda and seltzer water. They also made "Ace Hi" and Rock and Rye. In 1935, Faygo opened its current bottling plant in Detroit.
The Feigenson brothers ran the company until the mid-1940s. Then, their sons took over.
Fun Ads and New Ideas
In 1956, Faygo made radio and TV ads. These ads featured a cowboy called the Faygo Kid. He was an animated character. Jim Henson's Muppets, Inc. also made ads for Faygo strawberry soda. These ads starred the Muppet characters Wilkins and Wontkins.
For a long time, Faygo drinks could only be sold in Michigan. This was because they didn't last long on shelves. But in the late 1950s, company chemists fixed this problem. They added a special filter to clean the water. This made the soda last longer.
In the 1960s, Faygo became even more popular. They started advertising during Detroit Tigers baseball games. These ads reached people outside of Michigan. So, Faygo began shipping products to more places. This helped sales grow a lot. Ads in the 1970s showed people on a Boblo Boat singing the "Faygo Boat Song."
New Products and Changes
Faygo introduced low-calorie drinks in the 1960s. This line was called Ohana. In 1961, they launched the Royal Line, which was a premium product. The original strawberry flavor from 1907 was renamed Redpop in the late 1960s.
In 1978, Michigan passed a law about returning drink containers. Faygo thought people would want cans instead of glass bottles. But this was not true. It was hard for the company to switch back to bottles. This affected their profits for a few years.
In 1986, the Feigenson family sold the company. TreeSweet Products Corp. bought Faygo. A year later, in 1987, TreeSweet sold Faygo to National Beverage Corp. In the 1980s, Faygo also started making flavored carbonated water.
In 1996, Faygo added non-carbonated drinks. This line was also called Ohana. It included punches, iced tea, and lemonade. In 2007, Faygo celebrated its 100th birthday. They had a contest for a new flavor and label design. A fourth-grade teacher won with "Centennial Soda." In 2014, Faygo introduced Faygo Gold. This ginger ale drink is a rival to Vernors, another famous Detroit drink.
