The Kool-Aid Museum, Hastings, Nebraska

Hey kids! Did you know that there is a Kool-Aid museum?

It's not a whole museum of its own like the Spam Museum, just a major exhibit in the Museum of Natural History and Culture in Hastings, Nebraska. Just follow this link to Roadside America for more details.



Having worked at a major food company (Pillsbury) for fourteen years, I was fascinated by the story of Edwin Perkins, owner of a general store in Hastings and his development of the Kool-Aid brand. R&D, brand management and sales promotion all at the kitchen table. Here is a replica of Perkins store.



You could come close to getting an MBA degree with a slow tour of this exhibit. Perkins did amazing things with his concept. When it comes to thinking outside the box to promote a food product, nothing much is going to beat this:



And after all, when we think of examples of small business, the first thing to come to mind is the Kool-Aid stand:



Highly recommended. Just about ten miles south of Interstate 80 and sixty miles west of the state capital in Lincoln, Nebraska.