Man Turns Mom-And-Pop Shop Into Soda Haven With 750-Plus Varieties Of Fizzy Drinks

HIGHLAND PARK (CBSLA.com) — A Southern California man has turned his mom-and-pop shop into a soda haven, offering more than 750 varieties of fizzy drinks.

"The almond cream is absolutely sensation," said John Nese, the owner and operator of Galco's, Los Angeles' one-stop shop for pop.

He's tried just about every one of the hundreds of kinds of soda he serves at his Highland Park storefront.

The taste bud tour of brands and flavors, in fact, will take patrons around the globe with flavors from the Republic of Georgia to Brooklyn, New York, to Australia, to name a few.

Nese started creating his niche about 16 years ago when he saw his and other small groceries getting pushed out by the corporate chains.

He took a note of the growing craft beer industry and built his carbonated mecca sourced exclusively from small, independent bottlers.

He does not utilize plastic or cans, and says it's not only what you put in the bottle but what kind of bottle you put it in.

"The way a product goes into a glass bottle is the way a product comes out of a glass bottle," he said.