Dublin Dr Pepper fans scouring North Texas store shelves for the last sips of the Texas favorite are instead finding disappointment.
The Soda Gallery in the Bishop Arts District has been out of stock since the legal battle between Plano-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group and the Dublin bottler began.
The soda feud ended Wednesday with DPS' purchase of the Dublin company's distribution operations, distribution rights and other assets.
The Dublin bottler, now renamed Dublin Bottling Works, no longer makes or distributes Dr Pepper products.
“It’s a huge loss for people who are purists in the Dr Pepper-drinking, and ... they believe that Dublin Dr Pepper tastes better than anything else in the world,” said Jonathon Aranda, co-owner of the Soda Gallery.
In fact, the only bottle you’ll be able to find here is the one on display as a part of the store’s collection.
“It sucks, man," said Kaleb Moore, who walked in hoping to score some of the last Dublin bottles. "We need to have Dublin. This is Texas. You can’t have true Dr Pepper without the option, the choice, of Dublin Dr Pepper."
“Growing up, my mom always used to have Dublin Dr Pepper,” Moore said.
A couple of bottles are taking refuge in her fridge, he said.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to drink those, either," Moore said. "She’ll put those up. Those will go to the attic now."
He said he's hoping that as the bottles transition into history, they’ll also turn from pop to profit.
“It’s gold now, man, yeah," Moore said. "A few years, I’m sure we’ll be selling that for a mortgage, I’m sure."
For now, he’s stuck figuring out how to let go.
“You kind of hope you say goodbye by having one last glass and, in this case, I guess the only way to say goodbye is by going into every single store that you can find and walking away disappointed,” Moore said.
