# BLUE SUN SODA & SWEET SHOP **Source:** Pinball News Website **Type:** article **Published:** 2018-12-25 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2018/12/25/blue-sun-soda-sweet-shop --- ## Analysis Pinball News visits Blue Sun Soda & Sweet Shop in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota, a combination soda bottling facility, candy shop, and pinball arcade. The venue features over 1,000 soda flavors (including on-site bottled Whistler Classic Soda), extensive candy selection, and approximately 17 playable pinball machines across the store. Pinball machines proved popular with visitors at 25 cents per play. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Blue Sun Soda & Sweet Shop features over 1,000 soda flavors — _Pinball News article stating the shop carries 'over one-thousand flavors of soda'_ - [HIGH] Whistler Classic Soda is bottled on-site at Blue Sun — _Article explicitly mentions 'Whistler Classic Soda is bottled on site' with photos of bottling machinery_ - [HIGH] The venue contains 17 playable pinball machines total (7 on left side first half, 5 on left side second half, 5 on right side) — _Article describes 'Seven pinball games along the first half way down the left side', 'Five more pinball games along the second halfway down the left side', and 'another five more pinball games on the right side'_ - [HIGH] Pinball machines at Blue Sun cost 25 cents per game — _Image caption states 'At just a quarter per game'_ - [HIGH] Pinball games proved more popular than other games at the venue — _Article explicitly states 'The pinball games proved more popular than the other games'_ ### Notable Quotes > "How about over one-thousand flavors of soda, along with candy from around the entire world? It's enough sugary goodness to keep one in the holiday spirit all year long!" > — **Pinball News author** > _Establishes the primary draw of Blue Sun Soda & Sweet Shop beyond pinball_ > "The pinball games proved more popular than the other games." > — **Pinball News author** > _Key observation about customer preference and the role of pinball in the venue's appeal_ > "At just a quarter per game, these guys could use their miserly allowance to play many games" > — **Pinball News author** > _Highlights the affordable pricing model that enabled high usage and revenue collection_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Blue Sun Soda & Sweet Shop | location | Soda bottling facility, candy retailer, and pinball arcade in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota | | Spring Lake Park, Minnesota | location | Location of Blue Sun Soda & Sweet Shop at 1625 County Highway 10, Suite D | | Whistler Classic Soda | product | On-site bottled soda brand featuring multiple flavors; tours include complimentary bottle | | Pinball News | organization | Online news source publishing this venue review article dated November 23, 2018 | | Neal the Soda Jerk | person | Staff member at Blue Sun Soda & Sweet Shop photographed by Pinball News | ### Topics - **Primary:** Pinball arcade venues and locations, Niche retail and experiential businesses with pinball integration - **Secondary:** Affordable pinball play (25 cents per game), Venue design and customer experience, Location-based pinball operator strategies ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — Enthusiastic, playful tone throughout the article with repeated emphasis on the fun and abundance of offerings. Pinball News clearly enjoyed the visit and expressed intent to return. No negative criticism of the venue. ### Signals - **[community_signal]** Customer behavior observation indicates strong pinball demand at location venues with family-friendly theming and affordable pricing (confidence: high) — Article states 'The pinball games proved more popular than the other games' and notes change machine had to be 'stuffed' during visit - **[event_signal]** Pinball News feature on a specialty retail location with integrated pinball arcade demonstrates media interest in non-traditional pinball venues and location strategies (confidence: medium) — Dedicated article profiling Blue Sun Soda & Sweet Shop as a newsworthy destination combining retail experience with playable pinball machines - **[market_signal]** 25-cent pricing for pinball machines suggests venue operates under location/operator model focusing on volume play and casual accessibility rather than premium collector experience (confidence: high) — Explicit pricing of 'just a quarter per game' with observation that 'these guys could use their miserly allowance to play many games' --- ## Transcript Date: 23rd November, 2018 Location: 1625 County Highway 10, Suite D, Spring Lake Park, MN 55432, USA What does every good little (or big) boy and girl want for Christmas more than a fun afternoon out? Why, all the soda pop and sweets they can eat, of course! How about over one-thousand flavors of soda, along with candy from around the entire world? It’s enough sugary goodness to keep one in the holiday spirit all year long! ![Can't keep track of over 1,000 flavors? That's OK, BSSSS has you covered](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/01-bssss.jpg) Can’t keep track of over 1,000 flavors? That’s OK, BSSSS has you covered But you may want to stick to just one brand. Whistler Classic Soda is bottled on site and is the most flavorful soda you have ever tasted! ![Don't believe me? Well, check this out](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/02-bssss.jpg) Don’t believe us? Well, check this out ![Yep, that's soda bottling machinery right there](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/03-bssss.jpg) Yep, that’s soda bottling machinery right there Still don’t believe us? Take a tour yourself. Tours are $5.00 per person when groups fill out to ten, or a $50.00 minimum. And, you get a bottle of Whistler soda at the end of your tour. What are we talking about? Well, the Blue Sun Soda & Sweet Shop in Spring Lake Park, MN, USA. ![Blue Sun Soda & Sweet Shop on County Highway 10](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/04-bssss.jpg) Blue 10 OK, maybe we still need to come down from our sugar rush, and get to telling you why your favorite online news source is reporting on a sweets shoppe. But, first one more hit of delicious Whistler soda. That’s right, we brought some home. And candy too. We have barely mentioned the candy. From unique to classic, they have it all! ![This isn't even all the candy](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/05-bssss.jpg) This isn’t even all the candy They have an entire “Wall of Pez”. Have you ever seen a flippen wall of Pez? ![All the Pez that is the Pez that's fit to Pez!](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/06-bssss.jpg) All the Pez that is the Pez that’s fit to Pez! Did we write “flippen”? Is that bad? Do we have to put money in the swear jar? ![Luckily for me, use of the swear jar is not mandatory](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/07-bssss.jpg) Luckily for us, use of the swear jar is not mandatory Oh yea . . . flippen . . . as in pinball; the reason you are probably reading this article. But did we tell you about the fireworks? ![Fireworks and candy and pop, oh my!](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/08-bssss.jpg) ![Fireworks and candy and pop, oh my!](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/09-bssss.png.jpg) Fireworks and candy and pop, oh my! We can’t forget about the duck and snail big enough to ride. ![Duck and snail, plus there's and elephant around here somewhere](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/10-bssss.png.jpg) Duck and snail, plus there’s and elephant around here somewhere An elephant never forgets. And we won’t forget to tell you about the pinball tie-in. But look at all . . . that . . . candy. ![Candy, candy, candy!](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/11-bssss.png.jpg) Candy, candy, candy! We swore we weren’t going to forget to tell you something. But what was it? Maybe another soda to refresh our memory. Speaking of soda. Look at all that pop! ![Soda, soda, soda! Soo many flavors, so little bladder](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/12-bssss.png.jpg) Soda, soda, soda! Soo many flavors, so little bladder Now, what was it and where was it? Ah yes, the carbonation has invigorated our memory. There is an entire room of… ![Pinball, pinball, pinball!](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/13-bssss.png.jpg) Pinball, pinball, pinball! ![Seven pinball games along the first half way down the left side](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/14-bssss.png.jpg) Seven side ![Five more pinball games along the second halfway down the left side](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/15-bssss.png.jpg) Five side ![And yet another five more pinball games on the right side](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/16-bssss.png.jpg) And side The pinball games proved more popular than the other games. ![At just a quarter per game, these guys could use their miserly allowance to play many games](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/17-bssss.png.jpg) At games In fact, several did play many pinball games. Like a holiday stocking hung on the mantel with care, the change machine even had to be stuffed while we visited. ![Neal the Soda Jerk sweetly cheesin' for the camera](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/18-bssss.png.jpg) Neal the Soda Jerk sweetly cheesin’ for the camera The purpose of our trip to the Blue Sun Soda & Sweet Shop was mainly to get a case of soda for this year’s soon-upcoming holiday’s festivities. But we will be back to Blue Sun to play their eclectic collection of older and newer pinball machines in the near future. And, of course, to enjoy more of the world’s most flavorful soda – and try other flavors too. ![The entire store is cleverly decorated with such paraphernalia - maybe next time we can slow down and enjoy all the details rather than gulp it all in?](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/bssss/19-bssss.png.jpg) The – in? _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 61de406d-45d2-401d-af21-3613eb738565*