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Coca-Cola Freestyle

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Coca-Cola Freestyle
Typetouch screen soda fountain
InceptionJuly 2009 (2009-07)
ManufacturerCoca-Cola
AvailableYes
Websitehttp://www.coca-colafreestyle.com/ Edit this on Wikidata

Coca-Cola Freestyle is a touch screen soda fountain introduced by The Coca-Cola Company in 2009. The machine features 165[1][2][3] different Coca-Cola drink products,[4] as well as custom flavors.[5] The machine allows users to select from mixtures of flavors of Coca-Cola branded products, which are then individually dispensed. The machines are currently located in major Coca-Cola partners and retail locations as a part of a gradual and ongoing deployment.

In 2014, Pepsi launched a competing, similar machine, the Pepsi Spire.

Design

Coke Freestyle machines at the AMC Theatres in the Palisades Center mall
Panel of Freestyle cartridges in the machine

The cabinetry was designed by the Italian automotive design firm Pininfarina, via their Pininfarina Extra industrial and product design subsidiary.[6] Technologies involved include microdispensing technology and proprietary PurePour technology. Both technologies were originally developed to deliver precise doses of drugs.[1] One Freestyle unit with a similar footprint to a current vending machine can dispense 126 kinds of carbonated and non-carbonated beverages. Microdosing blends one or more concentrated ingredients in 46 US fl oz (1.36 L) packets with water and sweetener at the point where the beverage is dispensed,[4] thus avoiding the use of traditional 5 US gal (18.9 L) boxes of syrup (also known as a bag-in-a-box).[7] Cartridges store concentrated ingredients in the dispenser cabinet and are RFID enabled. The machine uses RFID chips to detect its supplies and to radio resupplying needs to other units. The machines transmit supply and demand data to both Coca-Cola and the owner including brands sold, times of the day of sales, troubleshooting information, and service data.[8] The traditional ice cube dispenser remains.[9]

History

Testing began in Utah,[1] Southern California,[4][9] and Georgia in July 2009 with 60+ locations around America planned by the end of that summer.[10] Test locations around Coca-Cola's home city of Atlanta included the World of Coca-Cola, AMC Theatres Southlake Pavilion 24 and Parkway Point 15,[9][11] and area food chains, including Willy's Mexicana Grill.[12] Three machines are available in the Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Islands of Adventure theme parks as well as the AMC movie theater at Disney Springs shopping complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida and the World Waterpark in West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta and Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Georgia.

Coca-Cola deployed the machines to 500 more locations in the United States in June 2010,[13] followed by deployment to some universities in the United States. Deployment has continued in select locations of restaurant chains such as Wing Stop, Così,[14] Taco Time Northwest,[15] Togo's, Roy Rogers,[16] Davanni's,[17] Dairy Queen,[18] Fuddruckers,[19] Five Guys,[20][21] Kelly's Roast Beef,[22] CG Burgers,[23] Firehouse Subs,[24] Pei Wei Asian Diner, Wendy's, Jack in the Box, Carl's Jr./Hardee's, Beef O'Brady's, Hess Express, Subway, White Castle, Boloco,[25] Salsarita's, McDonald's, Moe's Southwest Grill, BurgerFi, and Zaxby's. Select Wegmans locations also have Coca-Cola Freestyle machines. Burger King announced in December 2011 that it plans to implement the Freestyle system in its 850 company-owned restaurants in the U.S. by early-to-mid 2012, and was encouraging its franchisees to follow suit.[26]

Coca-Cola has installed Freestyle machines in Toronto in select Wendy's, Burger King, McDonald's, I Love Frys, Hero Certified Burgers, South Street Burger Co. and Nando's restaurants, as well as entertainment venues, such as Cineplex Entertainment cinemas and AMC Theatres.

In late June 2012, Coca-Cola started a limited trial in the UK (in association with Burger King UK), with the machine initially deployed in 16 locations around Greater London.[27] They are also now in Five Guys UK branches.[28] The selection of brands available from a UK Coke freestyle machine is different from the USA's, as only brands that are usually sold in the UK are available. Schweppes Lemonade and still versions of Fanta are brands that are available.[29]

In late February 2015, the company updated their system to divide drinks into four different categories, including a full selection, fruit-flavored mixes, caffeine-free drinks and those with low- or zero-calorie formulations.

In March 2015, Freestyle machines were installed at Thorpe Park, Surrey, the first theme park in Europe to use Freestyle machines.[citation needed] This was later rolled out to all UK Merlin Entertainments theme parks in March 2020.

In 2018, Coca-Cola unveiled a new iteration of Freestyle (9100) that would begin deployment in 2019, with a 24-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth support to connect with a new, accompanying mobile app for consumers, and new hardware features intended for future capabilities and beverage options.[30][31]

Products

Customers choose a base product,[32] which they can supplement with additional flavoring. Diet and Zero products remain low or no calories even with flavorings added. The machines include flavors not previously available to the markets served by the machines, including Orange Coke, which was previously sold only in Russia and the Baltics (and briefly in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar).[33] Customers may also download an app and create their own custom mixes with up to three different base products and three different flavor shots, which the fountain pours by scanning a QR code.[34]

Flavors

Base product Regular Cherry Cherry

Vanilla

Lemon Lime Orange Raspberry Vanilla Ginger

Lemon

Ginger

Lime

Grape Peach Strawberry Fruit

Punch

Raspberry

Vanilla

Citrus twist Raspberry

Peach

Strawberry

Orange

Pink

Lemonade

Coca-Cola Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No
Diet Coke Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No
Caffeine Free Diet Coca-Cola Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No
Sprite Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No
Sprite Zero Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No
Pibb Xtra Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No Yes No No No No No No
Barq's Root Beer Yes No No No No No No Yes No No No No No No No No No No No
Diet Barq's Root Beer Yes No No No No No No Yes No No No No No No No No No No No
Fanta products — Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Fanta Zero products — Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Pibb Zero Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No Yes No No No No No No
Dr Pepper Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No Yes No No No No No No
Diet Dr Pepper Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No Yes No No No No No No
Mello Yello Yes Yes No No Yes (Limeade) Yes No No No No No Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes No
Mello Yello Zero Yes Yes No No Yes (Limeade) Yes No No No No No Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes No
Vitaminwater[a] — No No Yes No Yes Yes No No No No Yes No No No No No No Yes
Fuze tea products[b] — No No Yes Yes No Yes No No No No Yes Yes No No No Yes No No
Diet Fuze tea products[c] — No No Yes No No Yes No No No No Yes Yes No No No Yes No No
Hi-C[d] — Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Seagram's Ginger Ale Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No
Seagram's Diet Ginger Ale Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No
Barq's Cream Soda Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No No Yes Yes No No No No No No
Diet Barq's Cream Soda Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No No Yes Yes No No No No No No
Minute Maid Sparkling Drinks[e] No Yes No Yes Yes No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
Minute Maid Lemonade No Yes No Yes Yes (Lemon lime) Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes No No No No No Yes
Minute Maid Light Lemonade No Yes No Yes Yes (Lemon lime) Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes No No No No No Yes
Powerade No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Yes Yes No No No No No
Powerade Zero No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Yes Yes No No No No No
Minute Maid Drinks[f] No No No No Yes (Limeade) Yes No No No No Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No
Minute Maid Light Drinks No No No No Yes (Limeade) Yes No No No No Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No
Dasani (flavored water) No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No
Dasani Sparkling Yes No No No Yes (Lemon lime) No No No No No No No No No No No No No No
Surge Yes Yes No No No No No Yes No No Yes No No No No No No No No
Surge Zero Sugar Yes No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No
  1. ^ Vitaminwater additional flavors also include strawberry citrus and tropical punch
  2. ^ Fuze additional flavors also include sweet and with lemonade
  3. ^ Diet Fuze additional flavors also include sweet, unsweetened and with lemonade
  4. ^ Hi-C additional flavors also include raspberry lime and orange vanilla
  5. ^ Minute Maid dispensed drinks are fizzy, additional flavors include tropical citrus
  6. ^ Minute Maid additional flavors include cherry limeade and mixed berry
Coca-Cola Freestyle stand at Cedar Point amusement park.

Freestyle fountains located in Firehouse Subs locations offer the chain's signature Cherry Lime-Aid.[35] Fountains at Sea World Orlando offer an exclusive vanilla-flavored freestyle flavor called "South Pole Chill",[36] and those located in Moe's Southwest Grill locations offer an exclusive vanilla/peach-flavored freestyle flavor called "Vanilla at Peachtree".[37] Moes introduced a new flavor called Moe-Rita in May 2017 which "combines limeade, lemonade, orange and original flavors for a refreshing margarita-inspired sip".[38] Machines in Wendy's restaurants have featured unique beverages such as a flavored cream soda named after founder Dave Thomas.

After Vault was discontinued in 2011, it was replaced with Mello Yello.

Dr Pepper and Diet Dr Pepper will be served instead of Pibb Xtra and Pibb Zero in areas where Dr Pepper is distributed by Coca-Cola bottlers, or at locations with separate fountain contracts to serve Dr Pepper.

Orange Vanilla Coke is a newer flavor that has been seen in new Freestyle machines. This flavor also exists in Coke Zero Sugar form.

Surge is available in Cherry, Vanilla, Grape, and Zero Sugar varieties in Freestyle machines at select Burger King restaurants.[39] [40]

Crew Mode

Coca-Cola Freestyle machines have a hidden menu known as "Crew Mode" used to check cartridge levels and as the entry point for the password-protected Service Menu. Crew Mode is accessed by selecting a brand, then touching, one after the other, the top, bottom left, and bottom right parts of the brand's logo that is displayed at the top of the screen.[41][42]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Wilson, Zachary (May 10, 2010). "Coca-Cola's 100-Flavor Interactive Freestyle Soda Fountain in Action". Fast Company. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  2. ^ Eaton, Kit (May 10, 2010). "Coke's Freestyle Machines Ready to Rock Tongues With 104 Flavors". Fast Company. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  3. ^ Bell, Josh (March 17, 2010). "ShoWest's Coolest Offerings". Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c Luna, Nancy (July 21, 2009). "Video: Coca-Cola Freestyle Demo & How It Works". Orange County Register. Santa Ana, CA. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
  5. ^ "Coca-Cola Freestyle Touch Screens". The Coca-Cola Company. September 21, 2009. Retrieved October 18, 2009 – via Facebook.
  6. ^ Ozler, Levent (September 11, 2009). "Pininfarina Partners with the Coca-Cola Company on Coca-Cola Freestyle". Dexigner. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
  7. ^ Bigg, Matthew (September 30, 2009). "Coca-Cola to Expand Testing of New Drink Fountain". Reuters. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
  8. ^ "Bsquare-Coca-Cola Team Up on High-Tech Soda Machine". Puget Sound Business Journal. Seattle. July 20, 2009. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
  9. ^ a b c Collier, Joe Guy (September 29, 2009). "Coke Targets Freestyle Expansion for 2010". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
  10. ^ "New Soda Machines Customizes Flavors". San Francisco: KGO-TV. July 22, 2009. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
  11. ^ "Event @ AMC". The Coca-Cola Company. October 2, 2009. Retrieved October 18, 2009 – via Facebook.
  12. ^ Sweigart, Christ (October 2, 2009). "More Flavors of Coke Coming to a Restaurant Near You". Atlanta: WXIA-TV. Archived from the original (Video) on December 3, 2012. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  13. ^ "Coke's Freestyle Machines Ready to Rock Tongues With 104 Flavors". Fast Company. May 10, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  14. ^ "Cosi: Coke Machines Have 106 Warieties". iStockAnalyst. United Press International. November 12, 2010. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  15. ^ Johnson, Christie. "'Coca Cola Freestyle' Machines Debut at Taco Time Restaurants". KING 5 News. Seattle: KING-TV. Archived from the original on March 24, 2011. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
  16. ^ "What to Drink? Now You Have More than 100 Choices at Roy Rogers". Frederick News-Post. May 12, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  17. ^ "Davannis Pizza & Hot Hoagies - Past News Details". Archived from the original on August 28, 2011.
  18. ^ "One Giant Leap for Soda Fountains". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. June 2, 2011. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2011.
  19. ^ "Wall Photos By Fuddruckers · 50 of 50". Fuddruckers. June 24, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2011 – via Facebook.
  20. ^ "Our Parkville, MD location just got Coca-Cola Freestyle installed!". Five Guys. Retrieved May 21, 2012 – via Facebook.
  21. ^ Sams, Douglas (June 21, 2011). "Coke Expanding Plant to Make Freestyle Dispenser". Atlanta Business Journal. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  22. ^ "One Giant Leap for Soda Fountains". Boston Globe. June 15, 2011. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
  23. ^ "Coca-Cola Freestyle at CG Burgers". Miami Herald. July 11, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  24. ^ "Firehouse Subs, Buffalo Wild Wings and Coca-Cola Freestyle". Firehouse Subs. Archived from the original on 2012-07-31. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
  25. ^ "Coca-Cola Freestyle at Boloco Natick" – via Facebook.
  26. ^ "Burger King to use Coke Freestyle Machines". Marketwatch.com. December 6, 2011. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
  27. ^ "Coca-Cola to Go Self-Serve with BK". Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  28. ^ "Our Menu". Five Guys UK.
  29. ^ "Coca Cola Drinks Fountain Nutritional Information: Ingredients". Coca-Cola GB.
  30. ^ Gallucci, Nicole. "Coca-Cola's new soda machine lets you mix your own flavors via Bluetooth". Mashable. Retrieved 2019-05-27.
  31. ^ "Coca-Cola Launching Bluetooth Vending Machine Of The Future". Mediapost.com. Retrieved 2019-05-27.
  32. ^ "Coca-Cola Freestyle Jet Machine" (Video). CNBC. November 9, 2009.
  33. ^ Goodwin, Jenifer (July 22, 2009). "Futuristic, 100-Flavor Coke Dispenser Tested". Union-Tribune. San Diego. Retrieved August 25, 2009.[permanent dead link‍]
  34. ^ "Coca-Cola Freestyle App: Your Custom Mix On Demand". Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company. May 19, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  35. ^ "Our Menu". Firehouse Subs. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  36. ^ Brigante, Ricky (May 23, 2013). "Inside Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin as SeaWorld Orlando Unveils Icy New Realm with 'Cool' New Attractions – Literally". Inside the Magic. Distant Creations Group. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  37. ^ Meier, Eric (May 14, 2014). "Sampling Vanilla at Peachtree Soda at Moe's Southwest Grill". Marcy, NY: WLZW. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  38. ^ "Moe's Southwest Grill® Celebrates Cinco de Moe's™ with Launch of Moe-Rita™".
  39. ^ @BurgerKing (13 Aug 2018). "we interrupt your regularly scheduled Chicken Fries to tell you that SUUUUUUUUURGE is back! exclusively at BK" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  40. ^ @ccfreestyle (10 Apr 2019). "Now that there are four kinds of @SURGE available at @BurgerKing, we were wondering what Coca-Cola Freestyle would've looked like in the 90s" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  41. ^ Coke Machine Secret Menu – via YouTube.
  42. ^ "Coca-Cola Freestyle Dispenser Crew Guide".
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