New Black-Owned Soda Company Emerges in NC

Michael Robinson is the proud owner of Bingo-Bango, North Carolina’s first black-owned craft soda company. Bingo-Bango is a much healthier and simpler alternative to most sodas. You’ll never find more than six ingredients in a can of Bingo-Bango. Michael uses simple ingredients such as fresh fruit, water, and cane sugar to create unique, bursting flavors. Beyond the delicious taste, Bingo-Bango has a fantastic story behind the company’s creation. 

The catchy name ‘Bingo-Bango’ was inspired by Robinson’s grandfather. Michael’s grandfather was from the 7th Ward in New Orleans and would tell these amazing stories of jazz and all his experiences growing up there.

Whenever Robinson’s grandfather found something unique or exciting, he would use the phrase “Bingo-Bango”. When Michael first perfected his craft soda, Bingo-Bango seemed the ideal name for his exciting new beverage. 

Michael started his journey of creating Bingo-Bango by brewing craft beers. In 2017, he turned all his energy into creating craft sodas. He enjoyed making craft sodas because he could experiment with different flavors and recipes.

The company started with a singular juicer that Robinson’s late grandfather had gifted his mom, and with that, he started to create unique flavors to sell at local flea and farmers markets, “anywhere folks could try it,” he says. There was a lot of trial and error and some disappointing days. Despite this, Robinson persevered and honored the community’s feedback to help build his company. 

In 2018, Robinson had the brilliant idea of utilizing the talent in the Winston-Salem community, as it is the City of Arts and Innovation. The label art on the cans and bottles is made by students ages 8-13 from the Sawtooth School of Visual Art and Crossnore Communities for Children. This is an incredible experience for students to walk into local restaurants and see their artwork displayed.

Robinson’s family has always played an enormous role in Michael’s life. After a tough day at the farmers market, Robinson’s sister said, “You’re only a tent away.” This mantra he has lived by ever since. The idea of ‘only a tent away’ is to keep striving for your goals and keep working hard on everything you do; you’re only a tent away from success. This has helped Bingo-Bango go from just a tiny stand at farmers ’ markets to providing beverages to restaurants and stores all over North Carolina. 

Robinson is working on expanding his company to reach a larger portion of North Carolina. However, he plans to continue collaborating with the Winston-Salem community. 

Michael sells his seasonal Bingo-Bango flavors at the Cobblestone Market every Saturday from 8 AM to 12 PM. For more information about flavors, locations, and shipping, check out the Bingo-Bango website.