Drink: Ohio Pop Co.'s Fizzy Biz

Let’s get one thing clear:It’s pop, not soda. And if you’re thirsty for a pop, locally owned Ohio Pop Co. is here to supply you.

The proprietors behind this 2-year-old business—Jim Ellison and Mike Cryan—began developing separate pop-focused projects several years ago. The duo met at the Food Fort, the commissary and kitchen incubator where Ellison worked as coordinator; Cryan’s food truck, The Flat Top Pizza Co., was a client.

Ellison’s inroad to pop was paved by a blistering honeymoon in Italy, where he and his wife turned to the thirst-quenching carbonated soft drink Fanta Orange. A peek at the ingredients showed real fruit juice and no high fructose corn syrup. Back home in the U.S., Ellison moved on to co-found the tour-runner Columbus Brew Adventures but mulled over ideas for an Ohio-focused pop business.

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