Pepsi-Cola Memphis Bottling Company Sold to WP Beverages After 96 Years of Local, Family Ownership

By Editor | November 12, 2025

By Emily Bontrager

A nearly century-long era of local, family-owned business in Memphis is ending. Pepsi-Cola Memphis Bottling Company, founded in 1929 and operated by three generations of the Johnson family, has been sold to WP Beverages, a Midwest-based Pepsi bottler and distributor. The transition in ownership took effect on November 3, 2025.

The business began when J. Harold “Pop” Johnson and his wife, Muriel, opened Memphis Bottling Works in a small building at 204 S. Market Street. In the early days, the company bottled its own line of flavored soft drinks known as “Johnson’s Target Beverages.”

After securing a Pepsi-Cola franchise on October 31, 1936, the company later incorporated on November 1, 1956, and changed its name to Pepsi-Cola Memphis Bottling Company. In 1958, their son John joined the business. He and his wife Gayle continued to operate the business while raising their three children, Mike, Lori, and Dana.

In 1964 a new building was completed, and the business moved to its current location at 520 E. Grand Avenue. The business grew over the years, and they have maintained a small facility in Keokuk, IA since 1946.

For the past several decades, the business has been led by Pop’s grandchildren, Mike Johnson, Lori AlJundi, and Dana Bondurant, who made the decision to sell as they approached retirement.

“We would like to thank all the communities we served for their loyal business and invaluable friendship,” the family shared in their announcement. “We would also like to thank the long-time employees who dedicated their careers to making the business what it is today.”

Pepsi-Cola Memphis Bottling Company has long been a fixture in northeast Missouri, serving multiple counties across the region.

New owners, WP Beverages, a subsidiary of Wis-Pak, already have a longstanding connection with the Memphis operation. Memphis Bottling Company has been a member and shareholder in the co-op for more than 30 years.

WP Beverages President Kevin Lemanski said the acquisition aligns with the company’s focus on continued regional investment.

“This acquisition reflects our long-term strategy of growth while staying true to our core values: putting our people, customers, and communities first,” Lemanski said. “Pepsi- Cola of Memphis has a proud history of serving northeast Missouri and southeast Iowa, and we are excited to build on that legacy.”

All employees will be integrated into the new company’s network, which includes more than 700 team members and distribution centers across seven states.

With the sale, Pepsi- Cola Memphis Bottling Company becomes the 10th Pepsi franchise that WP Beverages has acquired since 2004. Although ownership will shift, one thing, the family says, is expected to stay the same: the familiar faces stocking shelves and delivering Pepsi products throughout the region, still leaving customers “Thirsty For More.”