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Coca-Cola Freestyle is a touch screen soda fountain introduced by The Coca-Cola Company in 2009. The machine features 165 different Coca-Cola drink products, and custom flavors. 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.
Contents
In 2016, Pepsi launched a competing, similar machine, the Pepsi Spire.
Design
The cabinetry was designed by the Italian automotive design firm Pininfarina, via their Pininfarina Extra industrial and product design subsidiary. Technologies involved include microdispensing technology and proprietary PurePour technology. Both technologies were originally developed to deliver precise doses of drugs. 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, thus avoiding the use of traditional 5 US gal (18.9 L) boxes of syrup (also known as a bag-in-a-box). 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. The traditional ice cube dispenser remains.
History
Contractors for its development include:
Testing began in Utah, Southern California, and Georgia in July 2009 with 60+ locations around America planned by the end of that summer. 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, and area food chains, including Willy's Mexicana Grill. 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. One of the largest movie theater chains in the US, Carmike Cinemas, installed the machines in several markets including the Carmike 13 in Champaign, IL. Also available at Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Georgia.
Coca-Cola deployed the machines to 500 more locations in the United States in June 2010, followed by deployment to some universities in the United States. Deployment has continued in select locations of restaurant chains such as Wing Stop, Così, Taco Time Northwest, Roy Rogers, Davanni's, Dairy Queen, Fuddruckers, Five Guys, Kelly's Roast Beef, CG Burgers, Firehouse Subs, Pei Wei Asian Diner, Wendy's, Jack in the Box, Beef O'Brady's, Hess Express, Boloco, Salsarita's, McDonald's, Moe's Southwest Grill, 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 USA by the spring of 2012, and is encouraging its franchisees to follow suit.
Coca-Cola has installed Freestyle machines in Toronto in select Wendy's, Burger King, McDonald's, 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. They are also now in Five Guys UK branches. 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.
In late February 2015 Coca-Cola started rolling out a major Operating System redesign that divides the drink selection into four categories: Low/No Calorie, Caffeine-free, Fruit flavored and All drinks.. The Operating System update significantly reduces the amount of available drink combinations. Prior to the update, flavorings could be added to nearly every drink selection, whereas after the update only certain flavorings are available for certain drinks.
Products
Customers choose a base product, which they can supplement with additional flavoring. Diet and Zero products remain low or no calorie 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).
Flavors
Freestyle fountains located in Firehouse Subs locations offer the chain's signature Cherry Lime-Aid. Fountains at Sea World Orlando offer an exclusive vanilla-flavored freestyle flavor called 'South Pole Chill', and those located in Moe's Southwest Grill locations offer an exclusive vanilla/peach-flavored freestyle flavor called 'Vanilla at Peachtree.'
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.
Orange Vanilla Coke is a newer flavor that has been seen in new Freestyle machines. This flavor also exists in Diet form.
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.