After borrowed $5,000 from E.P. Mead at Abilene, he migrated to El Paso. In 1939 Yowell opened a Barq ' s Bottling Company franchise and introduce Barq’s beverages to the area of El Paso. He showed his tenacity by surviving the sugar shortage caused by the conflict.
In 1957, the Yowells bought the Dr Pepper franchise, changing the name to Barq’s Dr Pepper Bottling Co.
John Yowell had a stroke in 1960 that left him partially paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. He died in 1967, leaving his wife, Marion, and son, Joe, to run the operation.
John W. Yowell Barq’s Bottling Company
