HIGHLAND PARK, Calif. -- Nestled on a corner off York Boulevard in Highland Park, Galco’s Soda Pop Stop is a throwback to a long ago era. First opening as an Italian deli in 1897 in Downtown, Galco’s originally sold baked breads and deli meats, but after it moved to its current location in 1955, the times and demographics changed.

Owner John Nese grew up working at the shop with his father and when the neighborhood became predominantly Latino, Italian foods just weren’t selling, so he decided to change his inventory due to a dispute.

“A salesman came in and he says, ‘I’m going to give the best buy you’re ever going to get on a pallet of Pepsi-Cola cans,’” recounts Nese. “‘I’m only going to charge you $5.59 a case,’ and I said, ‘Thank you, but no thank you. I’m going to send my customers to the Ralph's down the street. The 12-packs are on sale for a $1.99 a 12-pack.’ And he looked at me and said, ‘You can’t do that!’”

But that’s exactly what he did and though his customers appreciated his honesty, his shelves were empty.

“We’re going to go out of business and I started thinking about it and I knew there were a few brands of old sodas out there, little tiny independents and I found 25 of them and I put them on the shelf,” said Nese.

Galco’s now has over 700 kinds of soda, many new and many old and long forgotten. Many small batch and from as far away as Japan and El Salvador. 

“It’s really important to know that there are a lot of regional soda manufacturers, little tiny independent companies. This one is still in Brooklyn. They’ve been there since 1897,” said Nese.

Some sodas are so hard to find, photographer Steven Mirza drove an hour from Orange County to pick up his favorite. 

“Frostie, basically, the blue cream soda, which is my favorite,” said Mirza. “It’s a really smooth flavor and it’s really easy to take down. Instead of a regular kind of soda, I’d much prefer having a Frostie. It almost tastes like an ice cream in a soda.”

And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can even make your own. 

“I want to make a soda too,” said one young customer. 

“You want to make one? OK, well you have to get a bottle,” said Nese to the girl.

There’s something about soda that brings out the inner kid in you. 

“I think it's the memory of my very first soda and it happened to be Dad's Root Beer and I just loved that! Oh my goodness, that was it!” said Nese.

He still sells Pepsi, but only from Mexico where they still use good ol’ pure cane sugar.