Rocket Fizz
Rocket Fizz is a privately held franchise operator and the largest U.S. soda pop and candy shop franchise brand, running 100+ independently owned retail stores across the USA and Canada that sell proprietary and third-party sodas, taffy, nostalgic candies, and novelty gifts to walk-in consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersCleveland, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Rocket Fizz does
Rocket Fizz (legal entity: The Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shops, LLC) is a privately held specialty retail franchise founded in 2007 by Ryan Morgan and Robert (Rob) Powells, with Rich Shane joining as CEO and co-owner in 2012. The company operates exclusively through franchising, with 100+ independently owned and operated stores across the United States and Canada as of 2024, with a stated goal of reaching 150 stores. Its retail stores sell an extensive assortment of bottled and canned sodas (reportedly 500+ SKUs in stores, including a proprietary Rocket Fizz line of 156+ flavors bottled at the company's own plant), taffy candies (including a proprietary Rocket Fizz taffy range), nostalgic and retro candies, viral/trending sweets, international treats, and novelty gifts and toys.
The business makes money through three primary streams: one-time franchise license fees paid by new store operators, ongoing royalties from the franchise base, and wholesale/branded product sales of its proprietary Rocket Fizz soda and taffy SKUs to franchisees. Pricing is set independently by each franchisee; product-level pricing is not publicly disclosed at the corporate level, though corporate pricing tools such as Mystery Grab Bags are reported at a 10% discount to in-bag value. Technology is a standard WordPress-based e-commerce and content site with mainstream marketing analytics (Google Analytics, Heap, Microsoft Clarity) and ad integrations (Google Adsense, Microsoft Ads); there is no proprietary technology platform or AI component described.
Rocket Fizz's customer base is purely consumer-facing walk-in retail, segmented across nostalgia-driven buyers, gift purchasers, viral/trend chasers, and gaming/collector communities. Go-to-market is the franchise sales motion, supported by organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), content marketing via a blog, an email newsletter, community event sponsorships, and a store locator tool for local SEO. The company has had notable media exposure through appearances on the TV shows 'Tanked' (2013) and 'Undercover Boss' (2015), and a 2022 collaboration with the Estate of Babe Ruth produced the brand's first serialized collectible soda bottle.
Rocket Fizz firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rocket Fizz
- Legal name
- The Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shops, LLC
- Website
- https://rocketfizz.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Rocket Fizz is a privately held franchise operator and the largest U.S. soda pop and candy shop franchise brand, running 100+ independently owned retail stores across the USA and Canada that sell proprietary and third-party sodas, taffy, nostalgic candies, and novelty gifts to walk-in consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rocket Fizz industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Candy & Soda Retail
- NAICS
- Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (31134), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120)
- SIC
- Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sugar Confectionery (Gummies, Hard Candy, Chews) (CRADABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Gaming Collectibles, Merchandise & Toys Retail (CRACAFAI), Party Games & Family Entertainment Games Retail (CRALAFAJ)
Keywords
Where Rocket Fizz is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cleveland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Rocket Fizz business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Store Sales: Revenue generated from franchise retail stores selling sodas, candies, toys, novelty gifts, and Rocket Fizz branded products. Stores offer walls of wild candy, collectible toys, gag gifts, and surprises.
- Franchise Fees: Revenue from franchise opportunities - entrepreneurs can open Rocket Fizz stores through the franchising program.
- Branded Product Sales: Direct sales of Rocket Fizz branded sodas and taffy products including Rocket Fizz Blue Cream Soda, Fruit Punch, Root Beer with Nutmeg, Cotton Candy, Grape, and various ZOTZ and Whirly Pop soda lines.
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Rocket Fizz product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rocket Fizz operates a franchise network of retail stores selling a curated assortment of bottled craft sodas, classic and novelty candies, and retro toys/gifts. The company also produces its own proprietary Rocket Fizz Soda line (156+ flavors) and Rocket Fizz Taffy line at its own plant, while stocking thousands of third-party nostalgic, viral, classic, and international candies and sodas in each franchised store.
Product overview
Rocket Fizz is a soda pop and candy shop franchise brand and the largest and fastest growing soda pop and candy shop franchise in America. The company operates a network of over 100 franchised retail stores across the USA and Canada. Their product portfolio centers on two proprietary sub-brands: Rocket Fizz Soda (bottled and canned carbonated beverages in unique and nostalgic flavors like Root Beer with Nutmeg, Cotton Candy, and Peanut Butter) and Rocket Fizz Taffy (hand-pulled taffy candies in dozens of flavors including Birthday Cake, Blueberry, and Watermelon). Beyond their own branded products, they retail thousands of third-party sodas and candies organized into categories including Nostalgic Favorites (retro classics), Viral Sweets (trending items like Dubai Chocolate and Slime Lickers), Classic Candy (mainstream brands like M&Ms and Swedish Fish), and International Treats (imported candies like Hi-Chews, Pocky, and Kinder Bueno). They also carry Toys and Gifts including retro lunchboxes, tin signs, and novelty items. All Rocket Fizz locations are independently owned and operated franchised stores.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Rocket Fizz Soda (proprietary soda line) Proprietary line of carbonated craft sodas bottled at Rocket Fizz's own plant using carbonated artesian spring water, pure cane sugar, and unique flavor profiles (e.g., Bacon, Pickle Juice, Peanut Butter, Blue Cream, Root Beer with Nutmeg). Sold in franchised Rocket Fizz retail stores to general consumers seeking nostalgic and unusual soda experiences.
- Rocket Fizz Taffy (proprietary taffy line) Proprietary line of hand-pulled taffy candies produced in-house in numerous flavors (Blueberry, Tangerine, Watermelon, Busta Bears, Blueberry Muffin, Birthday Cake, Apricot, Amaretto, Root Beer Float, Black Licorice, Rose, and others). Sold in franchised Rocket Fizz retail stores to general consumers.
- Rocket Fizz Franchise Opportunities Franchise program through which entrepreneurs can open and operate their own independently owned Rocket Fizz soda pop and candy shop retail store. Operators are carefully selected by CEO Rich Shane, Co-Founder Ryan Morgan, and VP of Franchising Bob Campbell.
- Rocket Fizz Gift Cards
Quantifiable outcome
- 100th store opened in 2024, targeting 150 stores
Companies that use Rocket Fizz
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Rocket Fizz technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Rocket Fizz partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Estate of Babe RuthnotableCollaboration in 2022 to create the first collectible, serialized soda bottle featuring Babe Ruth. The first 714 bottles had serial numbers, combining sports memorabilia with the beverage brand.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rocket Fizz competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sweet Factory: Sweet Factory operates mall-based bulk candy retail stores carrying hundreds of SKUs of sweets, gummies, and novelty confections; directly comparable on bulk-candy assortment and mall-store format.
- IT'SUGAR: IT'SUGAR is the closest direct competitor — a national mall-based specialty candy retail chain (100+ stores) selling bulk novelty candy, sweets, and branded merchandise, overlapping almost exactly with Rocket Fizz's assortment and customer (tourist, mall, gifting) base.
- Lolli and Pops: Lolli and Pops is a specialty candy retail chain focused on curated, premium, and nostalgic confectionery assortments in malls and lifestyle centers, sharing Rocket Fizz's gifting, nostalgia, and discovery-driven merchandising approach.
- Sugarfina: Sugarfina is a premium adult-focused candy retailer (retail boutiques plus DTC e-commerce) selling curated and proprietary confections; comparable to Rocket Fizz's taffy and branded soda line as a candy-as-luxury-gift positioning play.
- Dylan's Candy Bar: Dylan's Candy Bar is a flagship candy retail destination combining bulk sweets, novelty candy, and branded merchandise in experiential store formats, closely mirroring Rocket Fizz's store-as-experience positioning.
- Galco's Soda Pop Stop: Galco's is a long-running, family-owned specialty retailer offering hundreds of craft, imported, and rare sodas alongside candy — the closest single-store analog to Rocket Fizz's 500+ soda wall concept.
Broad incumbents
- See's Candies: See's Candies is a long-established, broad-line boxed chocolate and candy retailer with a 200+ store footprint; an incumbent comparable on the candy-retail and gifting-occasion dimensions, though it does not carry Rocket Fizz's novelty/soda skew.
- Spencer's / Spirit Halloween: Spencer's is a mall-based specialty retailer of pop-culture gifts, novelties, gag items, and candy; overlaps with Rocket Fizz's toys, gag gifts, and collectibles category and competes for similar mall foot-traffic consumers.
Regional players
- Candylicious: Candylicious is a regional (Asia-Pacific) candy retail destination concept that combines bulk sweets, novelty confections, and branded merchandise; comparable in store-as-experience and candy-as-gifting positioning but operating in a different geography.
Emerging players
- Hammond's Candies: Hammond's is a craft confectionery brand (lollipops, candy canes, ribbon candy) with its own manufacturing and DTC/wholesale channels; comparable to Rocket Fizz Taffy as a proprietary, brand-extensible candy line with retail and wholesale reach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Rocket Fizz social profiles
Digital presenceRocket Fizz financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rocket Fizz leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Rocket Fizz funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rocket Fizz M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rocket Fizz
What does Rocket Fizz do?
Rocket Fizz operates a franchise network of retail stores selling a curated assortment of bottled craft sodas, classic and novelty candies, and retro toys/gifts. The company also produces its own proprietary Rocket Fizz Soda line (156+ flavors) and Rocket Fizz Taffy line at its own plant, while stocking thousands of third-party nostalgic, viral, classic, and international candies and sodas in each franchised store.
Is Rocket Fizz a public or private company?
Rocket Fizz is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Rocket Fizz founded?
Rocket Fizz was founded in 2007. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Rocket Fizz based?
Rocket Fizz is headquartered in Cleveland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rocket Fizz make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retail Store Sales are the primary driver. The others are franchise Fees and branded Product Sales.
Who are Rocket Fizz's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sweet Factory, IT'SUGAR, Lolli and Pops, Sugarfina, Dylan's Candy Bar and Galco's Soda Pop Stop. Broad incumbents are See's Candies and Spencer's / Spirit Halloween. Candylicious is listed as a regional player. Hammond's Candies is listed as an emerging player.
Does Rocket Fizz have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rocket Fizz.
What industry is Rocket Fizz in?
Rocket Fizz's product category is Specialty Candy & Soda Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADABAB, Sugar Confectionery (Gummies, Hard Candy, Chews), with a secondary code of CRACAFAI, Gaming Collectibles, Merchandise & Toys Retail. Its NAICS code is 31134 and its SIC code is 2060.