Specialty soda and mixer shop
Open a small neighborhood shop selling craft sodas, mixers and hard-to-find drinks to locals, cafés and bars.
- $20k-90k
- Full-time
- Own premises
- Licence or permit needed
Estimates for a small start in the US, not guarantees.
What it is
A small retail store stocked with craft and regional sodas, imported soft drinks, ginger beers, tonics and cocktail mixers. You curate the range, offer single bottles and gift packs, and can supply local cafés and bars with cases.
Your first three steps
- Scout a few retail spaces and check foot traffic, rent and local competition
- Contact craft soda makers and regional distributors to ask about minimum orders and wholesale prices
- Pitch five nearby cafés or bars on a trial order of specialty mixers and sodas
Who pays
Local shoppers, soda fans and gift buyers, plus cafés, restaurants and bars that want a better range of mixers and sodas.
How it makes money
You buy from distributors or craft makers at wholesale and sell at a markup per bottle, pack or case. Bulk orders from cafés and bars add steadier income.
Skills that help
- Choosing products customers want
- Inventory and ordering
- Friendly customer service
Watch out for
- Business license, sales tax registration and a resale certificate, check with your city, county and state
- Whether your state or health department requires a retail food permit for packaged drinks
- Local rules on bottle deposits or sugary drink taxes, which vary by place
- General liability insurance, and a lease you can afford if sales are slow at first
- Do not sell alcohol without the proper state liquor license
Deep research report · US
Everything you need to start: specialty soda and mixer shop
Researched with live web search for United States: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to open a specialty soda shop?
Startup costs are typically around $20,000 to $90,000, depending on your lease, fit-out, opening inventory and insurance. These are estimates, so make sure you can afford your lease if sales are slow at first.
How much can a specialty soda shop make?
Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $8,000 to $35,000, depending on location, range, foot traffic and whether you supply cafés and bars. That is revenue before costs, with about 30 hours a week or more.
What licenses and rules apply to selling craft soda?
Check with your city, county and state about a business license, sales tax registration and a resale certificate. Also check whether a retail food permit is required, local bottle deposit or sugary drink taxes, and never sell alcohol without a state liquor license.
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