Left: The first case of Pepsi was bottled in REd Lodge in 1937. Mitch Dimich, 19, right, prepares a delivery. Pictured at the rear are Mitch’s father, Mike Dimich, Angelo “Duke” Dimich, and Mike “Ujak” Odanovich. Courtesy photo
Below: An original soda bottle from Red Lodge Bottling Co. The family-owned business became Montana’s first Pepsi franchise. CASEY PAGE, Gazette Staff
“I think he saw the potential,” Dimich said, when asked how that first meeting must have gone for his father. In hindsight, that chance meeting between the young Mitch Dimich and the Pepsi representative proved to be a pivotal moment in the history of a family-owned business that’s celebrating 90 years of continuous ownership. Before long, Beartooth Bottling Co. became Montana’s first Pepsi franchise. Living the American Dream The story began in 1926 when local businessman Mike Dimich purchased Red Lodge Bottling Works and renamed it Beartooth Bottling Co. In 1932, he moved the business from its downtown location to a building on the north side of town.
Like millions of other immigrants, Serbian-born Mike Dimich entered the United States via Ellis Island. He went to work as a coal miner after he arrived in Red Lodge before World War I. “When you figure that he came through Ellis Island, he became the American dream,” Bill Dimich said. “He had to learn the language, and he became very proficient at writing. His spelling was good, and he was a good mathematician. He had a lot of skills that way.” He was even known to write letters for other immigrants who wanted to keep in touch with family member in the old country. Mike Dimich got his start in business with the opening of Dimich Brothers Grocers. According to family lore, the family even dabbled in bootlegging for a while during Prohibition but gave it up, reasoning
that the rewards weren’t worth the risks. In those days, Beartooth Bottling Co. sold candy, chewing gum, cigars and other confections. The company’s locally bottled soft drinks were made by mixing flavored syrups and sugar with Red Lodge’s glacierfed water, which Mike Dimich touted as “99.9 percent pure.” The drinks were sold in identical 7-ounce bottles adorned with a tepee logo. Different colors of bottle caps, known as crowns, identified the flavors. Orange soda was probably the most popular flavor, and its lemonade was a favorite during the summer. “We sold a lot of cream soda, too,” Dimich said. However, Pepsi-Cola’s arrival helped Please see PEPSI, Page 8
“When you figure that he came through Ellis Island, he became the American dream. He had to learn the language, and he became very proficient at writing.” — Bill Dimich