 
A Western New York secret might soon get a larger audience. The company that markets PJ's Loganberry throughout the upstate region is planning a major expansion to increase distribution of the sweet berry drink throughout New England, Pennsylvania, Florida and California in an effort to make it a national brand. Sarasoda Inc. has renamed the non-carbonated beverage PJ's Crystal Beach Loganberry, tapping into the nostalgia for the amusement park that helped popularize the drink locally. Jady Davis, vice president for sales and marketing at the Saratoga Springs-based Sarasoda, said Western New York is the company's largest market. "Western New Yorkers are familiar with the amusement park Crystal Beach and people will have good memories and invoke nice thoughts when they see that name," she said. "Right now it's our largest market, however as you head east to Rochester, Batavia and Syracuse, those markets are also steadily increasing in size." Davis' parents, both natives of Tonawanda, began selling loganberry at their Saratoga Springs restaurant PJ's B-B-Q in 1984. In 2000, they began selling and distributing the bottled drink throughout the upstate region. With three full-time employees, Sarasoda is profitable with revenues under $1 million, but hopes to see that increase along with distribution into new markets, Davis said. The company works with bottlers around the state and in Worcester, Mass. In Western New York, 2-liter bottles are produced and distributed by Buffalo Coca-Cola, which will soon introduce a new 12-pack of cans to help it compete against the competitor Aunt Rosie's Loganberry, the other major loganberry brand. Johnnie Ryan Beverage Co. Inc. in Niagara Falls produces and distributes PJ's Crystal Beach Loganberry bag-in-a-box product for restaurant and bar fountain service. Johnnie Ryan is already shipping the product to Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio and will continue to expand as the product is distributed to wider regions. Paul Janik Jr., third-generation president of the bottling company, said though it's a small product line for the $4 million company, it's definitely growing. "It's gradually increased through the years since they started. I can absolutely see an increase," he said. "Looking at the growth rate so far, I'd suspect theyr'e doing a great job marketing." A third local company working on expanding the brand is The Partnership Ltd., an Amherst advertising agency, which created the logo, tagline and is working on promotional activities. Davis said she anticipates the company may do some hiring of account representatives in the Western New York market as volume and marketing increases. Copyright(c) American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.  In The News...
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