Jackson Free Press

"To me, the weirdest soda is a banana soda," says Matthew Bowdoin, owner of the Fondren Beverage Emporium. That's saying a lot for a man whose store also carries celery soda and DOA—a sweet, carbonated pickle juice.

Bowdoin, 48, was raised all over the South. "The only nostalgic sense I get is when I see US 80," he says. He first moved to Jackson before his senior year of high school at St. Andrew's, and started college at Millsaps before graduating from Bryan College in Tennessee. Bowdoin moved to Clinton from New Orleans two years ago to be closer to his family, and opened the FBE this January.

One night, on a search for Delaware Punch in a bottle, Bowdoin came across the owner of a distributorship that specialized in glass bottles and contacted him to see if the idea for this store would be feasible. (It was.) From a 30-year-old idea, Bowdoin made the decision in less than 48 hours to open the FBE.

Bowdoin has done everything himself in the emporium, from designing and building the wooden shelves, to picking his products, to popping the bottle caps off your purchases for you. As such, he has the answer to every question—the best root beer to try, why bottled soda tastes better than canned and more. This personalized attention makes the FBE a classic neighborhood business.

"It appeals to everyone, whatever their age. I have such old candies that people—very old people—find things here that they bought when they were children, and drinks that bring back memories, and tastes and smells and so forth, but the kids also … just have a ball in here," Bowdoin says.

From $10 16-oz. Jawbreakers to Idaho Spuds (a marshmallow candy shaped like a potato), from Jolt to Fentimans Victorian Lemonade, the FBE offers every drink and sweet you could want (or imagine), not to mention the accompanying party space—with couches, tables and free wireless access—where Bowdoin frequently hosts musical acts, including DJ Manus and Flowood indie rocker Ben Shaman.

"Fondren needs a music venue," Bowdoin says, "before we're going to have any kind of a late-evening environment." He stays open late to accommodate musical performances that keep the neighborhood lively after 6 p.m.

Bowdoin puts products on the shelf that you can't find anywhere else, things you saw when you were 5, fun stuff and weird stuff (keep an eye out for the gummy T-bone steak). "You can't have everything, so what I try to do is get stuff that people want," he says.

Previous Comments

ID

82506

Comment

Matthew friggin' rocks. Not only did he go to the trouble to open a sweet shop and stays open late to support a late night Fondren and has created a hang out with tables and wi-fi...but he also underwrites Mississippi Happening Friday nights at 10pm on WLEZ 103.7. This show only plays Mississippi Rock bands and it is awesome that Matthew would pay money to help provide that venue each month.

Author

daniel johnson

Date

2006-07-22T00:20:35-06:00

ID

82507

Comment

Agreed. I LOVE that place. Matthew wants to create community as well as offer unique items. He is supporting local music, too. Ya'll come see me play my guitar and sing there Friday, August 18 at 6 pm! :-)

Author

Izzy

Date

2006-07-26T14:58:59-06:00