After more than two decades as a fixture on the American event circuit, Wild Bill’s Craft Beverage Co. is more than just a beloved soda brand. In 2025, the veteran-founded company also strengthened its franchise model by shifting more control to franchisees, laying a strong foundation for a franchise-focused push in 2026.
“This was a big transition year for us” said Chief Growth Officer Michael Russo. “This was when we shifted our focus to franchising in a meaningful way.”
Having built a strong brand at events, fairs, festivals and more, the shift marks a deliberate evolution for the heritage soda brand. While events remain a core element of its brand, Wild Bill’s spent 2025 restructuring how the event-based activations can drive further franchise growth.
“Events have been our core since 2002, for 23 years, and they always will be. And as a system, we’ll have done about 500 events this year,” Russo said. “But the brand has evolved beyond events. The big focus next year is selling more franchises while staying authentic to who we are: veteran-owned and operated, doing this for veterans and turning them into business owners.”
Wild Bill’s has famously focused on a veteran-first approach to its business, a model that remains at the heart of the current franchising efforts. This year, the company converted veteran employees into franchise owners and added additional new operators through its military network, including an Air Force veteran in Las Vegas and a pair of Army veterans in Phoenix.
That momentum will be even more visible moving forward. One franchise is slated to open in Utah under a West Point graduate and another will be launched by a Marine Corps veteran in the San Diego area in early 2026.
The company is also expanding franchisee support, a key selling point for many veterans transitioning into franchise ownership. In an effort to better aid growth while supporting franchise owners, Wild Bill’s has invested heavily in operational infrastructure, including promoting Army veteran Chris Norvold to vice president of operations.
“One of the biggest wins this year was converting veteran employees into franchisees. We’ve also built a pipeline,” said CEO Michael Quilty. “Veteran entrepreneurship is part of our foundation. But we also include first responders and people who share our values. Not all franchisees are veterans. Cultural fit and shared values matter most.”
This year, Wild Bill’s returned to the New York Comic Con and made its company debut at The Oceana Air Show. But 2025 saw retail growth as well, with the brand adding new retail locations.
“We added about 15 to 20 new retail trading partners, including direct retailers and distributors. 1,500 new locations,” Russo said. “We have canned soda available nationally online through Amazon and we’re in about 4,000 retail stores across the country.“
Product innovation also played a key role in that evolution, with Wild Bill’s introducing a zero-sugar line featuring root beer, key lime, pineapple and blueberry flavors. The lineup is intended to address changing consumer trends without sacrificing authenticity.
Behind the scenes, Wild Bill’s invested significantly in marketing, training and infrastructure, consolidating both its headquarters and warehouse at a larger facility in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The marketing efforts resulted in a substantial growth of presence on social media.
“We invested heavily in marketing this year,” Russo said. “Our Instagram following grew from under 20,000 to over 35,000.”
Wild Bill’s is eyeing an exciting 2026, one focused on disciplined franchise expansion by carefully vetting potential franchise owners to ensure proper alignment. With plans to add another 10 franchise locations, Wild Bill’s will support potential franchise owners through the rollout of new equipment, new product offerings, updated marketing materials, and enhanced backend support, including IT and accounting services, prioritizing markets like San Jose, Portland, Denver, Louisville, West Virginia and the Carolinas.
“Starting a business is hard,” Quilty said. “We’re building infrastructure to provide strong support, especially on the financial side. We’re focused on finding the right people in the right markets at the right time, not just signing a lot of franchisees.”
That growth philosophy reflects Wild Bill’s broader mission to create opportunity through service, camaraderie and shared values, especially within the veteran community. As the brand moves with momentum into 2026, Wild Bill’s stands at the intersection of tradition and transformation as a heritage-driven Americana brand building a modern franchise system rooted in purpose, discipline, nostalgia and long-term vision.
“Our four core values are commitment, integrity, growth and service,” Russo said. “We’re committed to our franchisees, focused on their growth as business owners and individuals and dedicated to serving our communities.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/wild-bills.
About Wild Bill's Craft Beverage Co.
Wild Bill's has been crafting premium, non-alcoholic craft sodas for over 20 years, serving customers at events nationwide. With a focus on creating nostalgia-evoking flavors, Wild Bill's sodas are available online, at local retailers, and at hundreds of events annually.
As a veteran-owned and operated business, Wild Bill's is dedicated to supporting veterans through meaningful employment opportunities and partnerships with veteran-focused non-profits.
Wild Bill's Craft Beverage Company
SPONSORED
As the handcrafted soda brand expands its retail footprint and nationwide presence, it enters 2026 with stronger distribution, new partnerships and a solid foundation for further growth.
After more than two decades as a fixture on the American event circuit, Wild Bill’s Craft Beverage Co. is more than just a beloved soda brand. In 2025, the veteran-founded company also strengthened its franchise model by shifting more control to franchisees, laying a strong foundation for a franchise-focused push in 2026.
“This was a big transition year for us” said Chief Growth Officer Michael Russo. “This was when we shifted our focus to franchising in a meaningful way.”
Having built a strong brand at events, fairs, festivals and more, the shift marks a deliberate evolution for the heritage soda brand. While events remain a core element of its brand, Wild Bill’s spent 2025 restructuring how the event-based activations can drive further franchise growth.
“Events have been our core since 2002, for 23 years, and they always will be. And as a system, we’ll have done about 500 events this year,” Russo said. “But the brand has evolved beyond events. The big focus next year is selling more franchises while staying authentic to who we are: veteran-owned and operated, doing this for veterans and turning them into business owners.”
Wild Bill’s has famously focused on a veteran-first approach to its business, a model that remains at the heart of the current franchising efforts. This year, the company converted veteran employees into franchise owners and added additional new operators through its military network, including an Air Force veteran in Las Vegas and a pair of Army veterans in Phoenix.
That momentum will be even more visible moving forward. One franchise is slated to open in Utah under a West Point graduate and another will be launched by a Marine Corps veteran in the San Diego area in early 2026.
The company is also expanding franchisee support, a key selling point for many veterans transitioning into franchise ownership. In an effort to better aid growth while supporting franchise owners, Wild Bill’s has invested heavily in operational infrastructure, including promoting Army veteran Chris Norvold to vice president of operations.
“One of the biggest wins this year was converting veteran employees into franchisees. We’ve also built a pipeline,” said CEO Michael Quilty. “Veteran entrepreneurship is part of our foundation. But we also include first responders and people who share our values. Not all franchisees are veterans. Cultural fit and shared values matter most.”
This year, Wild Bill’s returned to the New York Comic Con and made its company debut at The Oceana Air Show. But 2025 saw retail growth as well, with the brand adding new retail locations.
“We added about 15 to 20 new retail trading partners, including direct retailers and distributors. 1,500 new locations,” Russo said. “We have canned soda available nationally online through Amazon and we’re in about 4,000 retail stores across the country.“
Product innovation also played a key role in that evolution, with Wild Bill’s introducing a zero-sugar line featuring root beer, key lime, pineapple and blueberry flavors. The lineup is intended to address changing consumer trends without sacrificing authenticity.
Behind the scenes, Wild Bill’s invested significantly in marketing, training and infrastructure, consolidating both its headquarters and warehouse at a larger facility in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The marketing efforts resulted in a substantial growth of presence on social media.
“We invested heavily in marketing this year,” Russo said. “Our Instagram following grew from under 20,000 to over 35,000.”
Wild Bill’s is eyeing an exciting 2026, one focused on disciplined franchise expansion by carefully vetting potential franchise owners to ensure proper alignment. With plans to add another 10 franchise locations, Wild Bill’s will support potential franchise owners through the rollout of new equipment, new product offerings, updated marketing materials, and enhanced backend support, including IT and accounting services, prioritizing markets like San Jose, Portland, Denver, Louisville, West Virginia and the Carolinas.
“Starting a business is hard,” Quilty said. “We’re building infrastructure to provide strong support, especially on the financial side. We’re focused on finding the right people in the right markets at the right time, not just signing a lot of franchisees.”
That growth philosophy reflects Wild Bill’s broader mission to create opportunity through service, camaraderie and shared values, especially within the veteran community. As the brand moves with momentum into 2026, Wild Bill’s stands at the intersection of tradition and transformation as a heritage-driven Americana brand building a modern franchise system rooted in purpose, discipline, nostalgia and long-term vision.
“Our four core values are commitment, integrity, growth and service,” Russo said. “We’re committed to our franchisees, focused on their growth as business owners and individuals and dedicated to serving our communities.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/wild-bills.
About Wild Bill's Craft Beverage Co.
Wild Bill's has been crafting premium, non-alcoholic craft sodas for over 20 years, serving customers at events nationwide. With a focus on creating nostalgia-evoking flavors, Wild Bill's sodas are available online, at local retailers, and at hundreds of events annually.
As a veteran-owned and operated business, Wild Bill's is dedicated to supporting veterans through meaningful employment opportunities and partnerships with veteran-focused non-profits.
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