About Us
Northern New Mexico’s Beverage Partner Since 1919
The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Santa Fe is one of America’s few remaining independently owned Coca-Cola bottlers. For more than a century, the Hart family has built this company on a simple foundation: distribute quality products, offer competitive pricing, and deliver exceptional service to the businesses and communities of Northern New Mexico.
What started with a foot-powered bottling machine and a horse-drawn wagon has grown into a 65,000 square foot distribution facility, a fleet of 50 service vehicles, and a portfolio of more than 500 beverage products. Five generations of the Hart family have guided this growth while keeping the company rooted in the values that made it successful: local hiring, retail partnerships, community support, and a deep commitment to Northern New Mexico.
Today, the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Santa Fe serves businesses throughout Santa Fe, Taos, Rio Arriba, and Los Alamos counties. The company remains entirely family-owned, with a board composed of Hart family members and grandchildren/great-grandchildren of the founders working in key roles across the organization.
Our Story
A Franchise, a Horse, and a Dream
In December 1919, James A. Hart invested his savings in a Coca-Cola franchise covering Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, and Taos counties. Hart had been born in Pennsylvania in 1897, grew up in Albuquerque training as an electrician, and served in the Army during World War I. When he returned to New Mexico, he saw opportunity in a soft drink that was gaining popularity across the country.
The early days were modest. Hart’s first bottling plant occupied an old frame building on Montezuma Street, near the Santa Fe Railroad tracks. Bottles were washed by hand. Production relied on a foot-powered machine and a hand-crank bottle capper, turning out ten to twelve cases per hour. Hart and a helper bottled once a week, then loaded their product onto a wagon pulled by a horse named Ike and made deliveries around town.
Coca-Cola was just one of 15 flavors Hart bottled in those early years, and it wasn’t the bestseller. Local grocers like Kaune’s Food Store would take cases of orange, grape, and root beer, but the Coca-Cola often sat untouched. Slowly, that changed. By 1920, Hart had grown his customer list to 50 accounts and was spending more time promoting goodwill at community events: baseball games, basketball games, football matches, wrestling events, and boxing exhibitions. He dispensed Coca-Cola at local school sporting events, building relationships that would define the company for generations.
The scale of those early operations is hard to overstate. In his first year, Hart used just 25 gallons of Coca-Cola syrup. Within a few decades, the company was going through 128,000 gallons of syrup annually, enough to fill the Salvador Perez community swimming pool in Santa Fe.
Growth Through the Decades
The arrival of a Model T transformed the business. Hart could now reach customers in Chamita, Española, and Tesuque, expanding his routes beyond what Ike and the wagon could manage. By 1924, a second Model T delivery truck joined the fleet, and service improved dramatically.
In 1925, the company moved into a second plant featuring a stone façade. The following year, Hart replaced the foot-powered bottler with an electric machine, increasing output to 50 cases per hour. By 1930, half of the company’s production was shipping out on the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, while the other half served Santa Fe’s population of just over 11,000 residents.
The company continued expanding through the 1930s, outgrowing facilities and making plans for larger quarters. World War II brought challenges: sugar rationing forced Hart to discontinue his flavored sodas and focus exclusively on Coca-Cola. The company adapted, and when rationing ended, growth resumed. The 1950s saw multiple expansions as demand outpaced capacity. In 1954, the acquisition of Los Alamos territory expanded the dealer network to 780 accounts.
New products arrived throughout the era. King and Family sized bottles joined the production line in 1955. Sprite launched in 1961, Tab in 1963, and Fresca in 1966. Each addition reflected the company’s commitment to meeting consumer demand while maintaining the quality and service that had built its reputation.
The San Mateo Era
In 1964, the company acquired property at 660 West San Mateo Road in Santa Fe. Construction of a new facility began, and by 1967, the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Santa Fe moved into a modern 27,000 square foot plant designed to support continued growth.
The late 1960s also marked a leadership transition as the second generation of Harts took on expanded roles. The family had grown alongside the business, with 18 members contributing to the company’s success over the decades. That tradition of family involvement continues today.
The Hart family bottled Coca-Cola products in Northern New Mexico for nearly 60 years. The company ended pre-mix production in July 1999 (producing about 150,000 cases annually at that point) and later received a 2008 letter from The Coca-Cola Company formally documenting the transition. The company then transitioned to distribution, partnering with bottling cooperatives while maintaining its independence and local ownership. The San Mateo facility expanded over time to its current 65,000 square feet, and the product portfolio grew to include energy drinks, sports drinks, juices, teas, waters, and dairy beverages alongside the classic Coca-Cola lineup.
Five Generations Strong
The values James A. Hart established in 1919 still guide the company today. Hire locally. Partner with retailers. Support the community. Treat employees like family.
That last principle shows up in stories passed down through generations. During a bitter cold winter in the 1930s, when no one had money for proper clothing, Hart’s wife and mother knitted gloves for every employee. Decades later, former workers still remembered that act of kindness.
Today, the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Santa Fe ranks among Northern New Mexico’s largest private employers. The company distributes more than 500 products to restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores, hotels, schools, healthcare facilities, and recreation centers across four counties. Five grandchildren of the founding family work in key positions throughout the organization, and the board remains composed entirely of family members.
The horse-drawn wagon is long gone, replaced by a fleet of 50 service vehicles. The foot-powered bottler gave way to modern distribution systems. But the Hart family’s commitment to Northern New Mexico remains unchanged after more than a century in business.
Our Service Territory
The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Santa Fe proudly serves businesses and communities throughout Northern New Mexico.
Our territory includes Santa Fe County, Rio Arriba County, Taos County, and Los Alamos County. We deliver to communities including Santa Fe, Española, Taos, Los Alamos, Red River, Peñasco, and surrounding areas.
Community Involvement
Being locally owned means investing in the communities we call home. The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Santa Fe supports Northern New Mexico through sponsorships, scholarships, and partnerships with local organizations.
Our community involvement includes:
James A. Hart built community relationships by showing up at local sporting events with cases of Coca-Cola. More than a century later, his family continues that tradition across Northern New Mexico.
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