Wild Bill’s Craft Beverage Co. is a Western-themed mobile “soda saloon” that turns fairs, festivals and fan conventions into high-throughput days for owner-operators. Guests buy a stainless-steel mug and receive unlimited refills of nostalgic craft sodas, creating lines, value and a take-home reminder.
Wild Bill’s began in 2002 as Wild Bill’s Olde Fashioned Soda Pop Co., carving out a national following by showing up where crowds gather before expanding into e-commerce and retail cans. The event DNA stayed central even as the brand modernized its look and product line.
Leadership grew out of the field. CEO Michael Quilty, a U.S. Navy veteran, and Chief Growth Officer Michael Russo (known affectionately at Wild Bill’s as “Mike & Mike”) started as franchisees and acquired the company in 2018, bringing an operator’s lens to growth and support.
Longevity shows up across mainstream and niche circuits. “It’s amazing with 23 years of history, what’s become of Wild Bill’s,” Russo said. “You’d be amazed — Renaissance fairs, fantasy fairs, steampunk events, things you’ve never heard of.”
Live events remain a durable draw, and Wild Bill’s model is built for that rhythm: recognizable wagon, fast setup, quick service and a clear value proposition. “We had an Army veteran reach out to us about franchising,” Quilty said. “He said, ‘Oh, I buy your soda … I scanned the QR code (on the can) and I saw it on your website.’”
The initial investment for a Wild Bill’s franchise ranges from $155,800 to $214,700, with a franchise fee of $40,000 for a territory of 2 million people. The format is designed to scale from a single wagon to multiple stands in a market as relationships and demand grow.
Continuous hardware iteration underpins consistency and speed. “It’s the 23-year overnight success,” Quilty said. “We’re on our fifth version of a stand and have our sixth one in development.” Access is another moat, earned over time. Russo cited relationships with “almost 100 convention centers and expo centers and arenas across the country.”
Discipline around value keeps the brand sharp. “Everybody’s your competition,” Quilty said. “You have to position yourself in all these ways to produce outsized value. These relationships we’ve put in place are hard to get.”
Wild Bill’s has used the business as a path into entrepreneurship for veterans, pairing mission with mentorship. Quilty points to early hires from a veterans’ retreat who moved into ownership and to the system’s resilience when it mattered most. “We’re really proud that all of our franchisees made it through COVID … an event business where our revenue went to zero and we were able to get everybody through that,” he said.
Operators lean on corporate resources and each other. “We have a lot of corporate resources, and we also have our franchisees support each other really well,” Quilty said. “You have to be the type of person that reaches out and asks for help.” Russo encourages candidates to see a wagon in action: “You can’t understand it until you see it … we encourage anyone we speak to to come experience an event. And you gotta try a soda … you gotta try a birch beer.”
Awareness from cans on store shelves and online channels is translating into franchise interest, while deliberate pacing protects support. “We’re very focused on making sure that folks are successful,” Quilty said. “Right now we have 15 franchisees, and we’re in the process of doubling that over the next year … continuing to add franchisees, continuing to grow geographically.”
Seasonality is typical — heavy spring through fall with winter slowdown — though indoor venues extend activity in cold markets. “Things get slow around Thanksgiving, and then things start up again in March and April,” Quilty said. “Indoor venues let people do events in the winter in a cold market.”
This is a hands-on concept for people who like live events, logistics and leading small crews. “It’s really a weekend warrior type of job,” Russo said. “It’s very much an owner-operator concept.” Scaling requires team building and delegation. “If you’ve got three stands and you’re going out with one stand, you have to hire and train people to operate those other two stands,” Quilty said. “People, people, people is the hard part.”
Wild Bill’s is currently prioritizing candidates in Salt Lake City, UT, Denver, CO, San Jose, CA, Portland, OR, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Alabama, Calgary/Edmonton, Canada. Those markets pair strong event density with the brand’s long-standing venue relationships, giving new owners a path to book, set up and serve quickly.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://drinkwildbills.com/pages/franchise-opportunity.
Wild Bill's Craft Beverage Company
SPONSORED
Western-themed mobile soda saloon pairs unlimited refills with refined wagons, venue ties and a veteran-led culture to turn live events into a scalable owner-led business.
Wild Bill’s Craft Beverage Co. is a Western-themed mobile “soda saloon” that turns fairs, festivals and fan conventions into high-throughput days for owner-operators. Guests buy a stainless-steel mug and receive unlimited refills of nostalgic craft sodas, creating lines, value and a take-home reminder.
Wild Bill’s began in 2002 as Wild Bill’s Olde Fashioned Soda Pop Co., carving out a national following by showing up where crowds gather before expanding into e-commerce and retail cans. The event DNA stayed central even as the brand modernized its look and product line.
Leadership grew out of the field. CEO Michael Quilty, a U.S. Navy veteran, and Chief Growth Officer Michael Russo (known affectionately at Wild Bill’s as “Mike & Mike”) started as franchisees and acquired the company in 2018, bringing an operator’s lens to growth and support.
Longevity shows up across mainstream and niche circuits. “It’s amazing with 23 years of history, what’s become of Wild Bill’s,” Russo said. “You’d be amazed — Renaissance fairs, fantasy fairs, steampunk events, things you’ve never heard of.”
Live events remain a durable draw, and Wild Bill’s model is built for that rhythm: recognizable wagon, fast setup, quick service and a clear value proposition. “We had an Army veteran reach out to us about franchising,” Quilty said. “He said, ‘Oh, I buy your soda … I scanned the QR code (on the can) and I saw it on your website.’”
The initial investment for a Wild Bill’s franchise ranges from $155,800 to $214,700, with a franchise fee of $40,000 for a territory of 2 million people. The format is designed to scale from a single wagon to multiple stands in a market as relationships and demand grow.
Continuous hardware iteration underpins consistency and speed. “It’s the 23-year overnight success,” Quilty said. “We’re on our fifth version of a stand and have our sixth one in development.” Access is another moat, earned over time. Russo cited relationships with “almost 100 convention centers and expo centers and arenas across the country.”
Discipline around value keeps the brand sharp. “Everybody’s your competition,” Quilty said. “You have to position yourself in all these ways to produce outsized value. These relationships we’ve put in place are hard to get.”
Wild Bill’s has used the business as a path into entrepreneurship for veterans, pairing mission with mentorship. Quilty points to early hires from a veterans’ retreat who moved into ownership and to the system’s resilience when it mattered most. “We’re really proud that all of our franchisees made it through COVID … an event business where our revenue went to zero and we were able to get everybody through that,” he said.
Operators lean on corporate resources and each other. “We have a lot of corporate resources, and we also have our franchisees support each other really well,” Quilty said. “You have to be the type of person that reaches out and asks for help.” Russo encourages candidates to see a wagon in action: “You can’t understand it until you see it … we encourage anyone we speak to to come experience an event. And you gotta try a soda … you gotta try a birch beer.”
Awareness from cans on store shelves and online channels is translating into franchise interest, while deliberate pacing protects support. “We’re very focused on making sure that folks are successful,” Quilty said. “Right now we have 15 franchisees, and we’re in the process of doubling that over the next year … continuing to add franchisees, continuing to grow geographically.”
Seasonality is typical — heavy spring through fall with winter slowdown — though indoor venues extend activity in cold markets. “Things get slow around Thanksgiving, and then things start up again in March and April,” Quilty said. “Indoor venues let people do events in the winter in a cold market.”
This is a hands-on concept for people who like live events, logistics and leading small crews. “It’s really a weekend warrior type of job,” Russo said. “It’s very much an owner-operator concept.” Scaling requires team building and delegation. “If you’ve got three stands and you’re going out with one stand, you have to hire and train people to operate those other two stands,” Quilty said. “People, people, people is the hard part.”
Wild Bill’s is currently prioritizing candidates in Salt Lake City, UT, Denver, CO, San Jose, CA, Portland, OR, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Alabama, Calgary/Edmonton, Canada. Those markets pair strong event density with the brand’s long-standing venue relationships, giving new owners a path to book, set up and serve quickly.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://drinkwildbills.com/pages/franchise-opportunity.
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