Galco’s Soda Pop Stop, Featuring 450+ Varieties of Soda

photos by Dave Schumaker

Galco’s Soda Pop Stop in Los Angeles is a converted grocery store dedicated to selling soda. From root beer to cucumber soda, they stock over 450 different types of soda and pretty much have all the bases covered. Interestingly enough, nearly every soda that you will find here does not contain high-fructose corn syrup!

Galco’s has been selling various types of soda since 1995.

The passion for soda began when John F. Nese was a child. His father’s best friend owned a soda pop bottling plant where John loved to visit in the 1950’s. At that time, he also spent his summers at Happy Camp. It was here that he would dream of how he could hook the natural, bubbling spring water, add syrup and siphon it to his elementary school’s drinking fountains. In 1995 John began increasing his assortment of sodas not only out of love, but also as a protest to some of the larger soda companies that were not offering him the same prices as his larger competitors. He figured why not support other small businesses such as his own?

CHOW interviewed John Nese, the owner of Galco’s, last year for their Obsessives video series.

I stopped by Galco’s while in Southern California last weekend and snapped some photos.