FAIRFIELD, Calif. —
There's another choice for people who drink soda and sparkling water, and it's made right here in Northern California.
The Fairfield company Daytrip created a healthy organic alternative focusing on its California roots, and now it's getting exposure in one of the country's biggest stores: Costco.
It's a different kind of drink pouring into the state.
The sparkling water and prebiotic soda company is growing its customer base in a popular place.
"Our prebiotic soda is going into Costco tomorrow," said cofounder Bill Kerr at its Fairfield warehouse.
It wasn't a day trip, though, that took the company to Costco.
The journey started in Berkeley in 2019 when friends Kerr and Sean and Leigh Biega created the low-calorie beverage while looking for a natural option infused with CBD.
"We didn't even have a warehouse, and we kind of grew organically in the Bay area in the last four or five years," Kerr said.
Daytrip moved from the Bay and expanded it's distribution space five fold to 16,000 square feet in Fairfield and to an even bigger bottling operation in Modesto.
"It's like a real living, breathing heartbeat. There's a pulse to it," Kerr said.
Friday the product will be on the shelves in the new Costco in Napa.
The big box warehouse club first put the drinks to the taste test with their loyal members.
"The Costco member is smart. I think consumers are very smart. Some brands think, 'Oh, they don't pay attention to details.' They do, and especially the Costco membership does," said Joey Cannata, president and cofounder.
The product comes in different flavors, from root beer to blackberry to coconut pineapple, with berry citrus being the most popular.
"Somebody that has actual hard inventory, that's incredible growth. They're definitely doing something right," said Tim Taylor.
Taylor is with the National Federation of Independent Business. He said it's the ultimate goal for small businesses to turn into big businesses.
"This is one of those unique partnerships where you have the broad reach of Costco because they are what we consider obviously a big business, partnering with a small business, so it's outstanding for the small business," he said.
Daytrip also markets a healthy California lifestyle, which is something owners hope will quench the thirst of new customers in other parts of the country.
"We're proud of our California roots, absolutely," Cannata said.
Daytrip plans to be available in 64 Costco stores by spring, including the ones in the Sacramento area.
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