Bobby Cola

The soft drink market has increasingly made room for functional drinks promising more than refreshment. But Kristian “KJ” Johannsen saw a problem with the choice on offer: traditional sodas tasted good but came loaded with sugar, while their better-for-you alternatives too often sacrificed flavor and fun. Bobby became his small rebellion against that choice.

Johannsen had already worked in the beverage industry, including at Melbourne drinks company CAPI, when he decided to start his own soft drink company. He had also watched prebiotic sodas gain momentum in the United States and saw an opportunity to explore the concept in Australia. His answer was a range of familiar soft drink flavors with low sugar and calories and added prebiotic fiber, but with flavor given top billing. As Bobby puts it, “flavour is first and foremost.”

The first Bobby drinks went into production in the spring of 2022, and the brand launched in May with cola among its first flavors. Bobby Cola contains a small amount of sugar together with stevia and erythritol, plus Sunfiber prebiotic fiber. It is caffeine-free, and Bobby states that its drinks are vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO, with no preservatives or artificial flavors.

The range grew quickly. Within its first 12 months, Bobby had expanded to ten flavors, with later additions including Passionfruit and Doctor Bobby. Vanilla Cola has also joined the range. Bobby has since reached Australian retailers including Coles, 7-Eleven and IGA.