Kofola soft drink

Kofola is a carbonated soft drink that originated in Czechoslovakia in 1960. Developed by the Czechoslovak Research Institute of Medicinal Plants, it was created to utilize surplus caffeine from coffee roasting. The drink quickly gained popularity in Czechoslovakia, offering a domestic alternative to Western cola beverages like Coca-Cola and Pepsi. After the fall of the communist regime in 1989, Kofola faced competition from foreign brands entering the market. In 2000, the Santa nápoje company, owned by the Greek-immigrant Samaras family, became the sole producer and distributor of Kofola in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The company expanded its production facilities to meet the demand in Slovakia and Poland. In 2008, Kofola merged with the Polish lemonade producer Hoop, forming Kofola-Hoop S.A., which was later renamed Kofola S.A. The company continued to grow by acquiring other beverage brands, including the Slovenian mineral water producer Radenska in 2014. In 2018, Kofola took a 100% stake in Czech tea producer Leros. The company operates under the name Kofola ČeskoSlovensko a.s. and is headquartered in Krnov, Czech Republic. It produces a range of non-alcoholic beverages, including the original Kofola soft drink, fruit juices, and mineral waters, and has expanded its presence to multiple countries in Central and Eastern Europe.