Nantucket Nectars facts for kids

A typical 16 fl. oz. bottle of Nantucket Nectars

Nantucket Nectars is an American drink company. It was started by two friends, Tom First and Tom Scott. They began their business by selling different things to boats in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Later, they started selling special juice blends. Tom First got the idea for these juices from a peach drink he tried in Spain. Today, Keurig Dr Pepper owns the brand, and you can find Nantucket Nectars in many yummy flavors.

At first, the drinks came in glass bottles that held 16 fluid ounces. The bottle caps even had fun facts about Nantucket! Now, the drinks are sold in 15.9 fluid ounce (470 mL) bottles. These new bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic, which is great for the environment.

The story of "Tom and Tom," as they were called, is a famous business success story. Their company was on the Inc. 500 list for five years in a row. This list features the 500 fastest-growing companies in the U.S. How they built their brand is even studied at Harvard Business School!

How Nantucket Nectars Started

Tom First and Tom Scott first met at Brown University in 1985. After they finished college, they went to Nantucket. There, they started a business called Allserve. It was like a floating convenience store! They delivered everything from newspapers to laundry to boats in Nantucket Harbor.

In 1989, Tom First tried to make a special peach drink for a cooking contest in Nantucket. He had enjoyed this drink a lot during a trip to Spain. He managed to make it taste just right! After that, the two friends began mixing the juice in a blender. They also pasteurized it, which means heating it to kill germs. Then, they bottled the juice themselves to sell from their boat.

They first sold their juice for $1 in old wine bottles. It was later that they decided to call their new drink "Nantucket Nectars."

Growing the Juice Business

One of their first big helpers was Michael Egan. He had helped make Alamo Rent a Car a successful company. Nantucket Nectars quickly grew! They reported $1 million in sales in 1993. This jumped to $6 million in 1994, and then to $15 million in 1995.

By 1994, Tom and Tom decided to focus only on making and selling their juices. They moved their business to Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In 1997, a company called Ocean Spray bought most of Nantucket Nectars. Then, in 2002, Ocean Spray sold it to Cadbury Schweppes PLC, a company based in London. Later, the brand was owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group. Now, it is owned by Keurig Dr Pepper. The original founders, Tom and Tom, are no longer involved in the daily work. However, they still help with marketing and even voice the radio ads! They often call themselves "The Juice Guys" in their ads.

Popular Nantucket Nectars Flavors

Nantucket Nectars comes in many different flavors for you to enjoy. Here are some of them:

See also

• The Nantucket Project