Although mystery shrouds its origins, Dr Pepper’s connection to Virginia runs deep. Roanoke is recognized as the Dr Pepper Capital of the World: it was home to the first bottling plant east of the Mississippi River in 1936, and Star City of the South also broke the world record for Dr Pepper consumption from 1957–1959 and again in 1961. To this day, Roanoke has among the highest per capita consumption rates of the spicy soda in the U.S.
But who was the Dr. Pepper? Theories abound, but there’s one common thread: They all converge in Virginia. The Dr Pepper Museum in Texas—the birthplace of the drink concocted by Wade Morrison, who owned Morrison’s Corner Drug Store in Waco, and pharmacist Charles Alderton—places Dr. Charles T. Pepper from Big Spring, Virginia, as the most likely namesake. Some tell the story of a young Morrison honoring the doctor for giving him his first job, and others claim Morrison pined for Pepper’s daughter.
Roanoke is proud of its clout, so every year, it celebrates Dr Pepper Day at Dr Pepper Park—yes, there’s even a park in the soda’s honor—on Oct. 24. The date is a nod to the brand’s first slogan, “Drink a bite to eat at 10, 2, and 4!” Roanokers line up for blocks to get a free t-shirt and, of course, ice-cold Dr P’s.
The Dr Pepper 10-2-4 bottlecap sign, on top of the Legg Mason Building in downtown Roanoke, is one of the city’s most iconic symbols. Photos courtesy of Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge
L-R: Roanoke Mayor Joe Cobb; Troy Harris, regional sales manager, Keurig Dr Pepper; Waynette Anderson, president/owner,
Dr Pepper Park at the Bridges
This article originally appeared in the October 2025 issue.
