Royal Crown Cola (RC Cola) is a soft beverage similar to Pepsi and Coca-Cola. It was developed by a pharmacist named Claude Hatcher in the basement of his father's grocery store, due to a disagreement with a local soda bottler. Hatcher's earliest experiments yielded a ginger ale, which became quite popular locally and led him to test other recipes. Over the years, Royal Crown Cola has enjoyed success as an alternative to other soft drinks.

Royal Crown Cola was invented in 1905 in Columbus Georgia by Claude Hatcher. Its original name was Chero-Cola.

Due to its strong growth, the Royal Crown Cola franchise was created in 1912 when the company began to sell syrups and concentrated flavors to other bottlers.

The recipe for Chero-Cola underwent a redevelopment in 1934 and the new product was launched as Royal Crown Cola, which soon led to its nickname, RC Cola.

In 1962, the company launched Diet Rite Cola, which was a low-sugar version of RC, intended for diabetics. It quickly became popular with people who were watching their caloric intake as well.

During the 1970s, Royal Crown Cola development and bottling expanded to countries other than the United States. The product continues to remain competitive with other top cola brands.