Hard-to-find Froot Loops and $50 Fantas: How one man went from peddling soda from his trunk to making millions fulfilling celebs' junk food needs

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Hard-to-find Froot Loops and $50 Fantas: How one man went from peddling soda from his trunk to making millions fulfilling celebs' junk food needs
Founder Charleston Wilson (center) — pictured with radio host DJ Envy (left) and rapper Bun B (right) — started Exotic Pop in 2016. By 2019, he'd closed a licensing and bottling deal with PepsiCo.Courtesy of Exotic Pop
  • Exotic Pop – a 'unique beverage boutique' – was founded in 2016 by Charleston Wilson.
  • The company reached a licensing and bottling agreement with PepsiCo in 2019.
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Exotic Pop, a company selling hard-to-get sodas and limited-edition snacks that has earned millions and thrives on celebrities' cravings, started with a casual 2016 road trip to Louisiana.

Described as a "unique beverage boutique" online, Charleston Wilson's brainchild was sparked by a weekend drive to Baton Rouge where he spent about $100 on sodas to bring back home to Houston. After purchasing the limited-edition soda flavors as a favor to a friend, Wilson started selling some of them out of the trunk of his car, Mel Magazine reports.

Years later, the now-multimillion dollar snack distribution company also is known for its access to exotic cereals — like Wild Berry Froot Loops, Serena Williams Wheaties, and Oreo O's — and manufactures its own soda flavors after successfully closing a deal with PepsiCo for licensing and bottling in 2019.

In 2021, Exotic Pop raked in $6 million in profits.

Wilson is known his array of celebrity clients. He's Drake's go-to in Houston for Clearly Canadian sparkling water, and Lil Wayne has his favorite sodas delivered weekly from Exotic Pop, the Houston Chronicle reported in May.

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Atlanta rapper Offset appears to be a big fan of Exotic Pop. His wife, Cardi B, took to Instagram to show off the rapper's collection of over 15 exotic cereal boxes.

Offset's pantry includes:

  • Several boxes of Oreo Os: $10 each
  • Limited edition ice cream-flavored Cocoa Puffs
  • An inventory of Sunkist Peach: up to $10 per bottle

Exotic Pop's high-profile clients are spending much more than the average cost of a soda. For example, an 15-ounce bottle of Fanta White Peach, only available in Japan, will cost you $50, according to the official site.

A post shared by The Unique Beverage Boutique (@exoticpop)

Wilson's business grew after he moved his products from his trunk to custom vending machines in 2016; each machine was dedicated to a different Houston rap legend – including the late DJ Screw and Pimp C.

"I put (a picture of DJ Screw's) first (record store) location on the front of the machine and his mixtapes on the side, and I made it a work of art to go with the mystique of the sodas," he said to Mel. "It had this whole nostalgia-DJ Screw vibe going on."

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The first machines carrying Wilson's rare - and pricey - soda flavors were in grocery stores around Houston. Then, Exotic Pop took off on social media.

Houston rapper Paul Wall shared a photo of Wilson's booth at a Houston car show to Instagram in 2018, and soon Exotic Pop was in demand by smoke shops and convenience stores nationwide, according to the report from Mel.

"At first it was a slow start. People didn't want to pay $3-$6 for a 99-cent soda," Wilson told The Hustle. "But as soon as it became a status (symbol) and was bounced off these major influencers, it was an American love story."

A vending machine collaboration with Travis Scott went viral in 2019. It featured hologram effects, a 40-inch LED screen, and, of course, Exotic Pop drinks.

A post shared by The Unique Beverage Boutique (@exoticpop)

Wilson has no plans of slowing down. After releasing a variety of beverages tied to hip-hop icons, Exotic Pop is continuing to aim high. The company plans to collaborate with Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, and Rob Kardashian, the Chronicle reports.

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"This became a whole other bragging right for hip-hop culture," Exotic Pop president, Kehlin Farooq, told the Chronicle.

"There's an association of a lifestyle that goes along with drinking a soda pop. We added the music, the art, the culture. It's a status symbol."

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