Coca-Cola Freestyle

Coca-Cola Freestyle
Type	Touch screen soda fountain
Inception	July 2009; 14 years ago
Manufacturer	Coca-Cola
Available	Yes
Website	http://www.coca-colafreestyle.com/

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

The cabinetry was designed by the Italian automotive design firm Pininfarina, via their Pininfarina Extra industrial and product design subsidiary.^[6] The Freestyle's beverage dispensing technology was designed by Dean Kamen, the inventor of the Segway, in return for Coca-Cola distributing his Slingshot water purification system.^[7]

The 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).^[8] 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.

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.^{[citation needed]}

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, Wawa, Così,^[14] Taco Time Northwest,^[15] Togo's, Roy Rogers,^[16] Davanni's, PDQ^[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, Miami Grill, 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, Hero Certified Burgers, 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 and various other locations such as cinemas Including AMC owned Odeon.^[28] The selection of brands available from a UK Coke freestyle machine is different from the USA's. Schweppes Lemonade and still versions of Fanta are brands that are available. Coca-Cola's retail drinks in the UK would usually include real sugar, unlike their US versions which use HFCS. However, since the Freestyle machine was designed to use syrup based sweetener, the Freestyle version also uses fructose-glucose syrup (HFCS) in place of sugar in UK machines.^[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 further UK Merlin Entertainments theme parks in March 2020, including Legoland parks.

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]^[32]

Products

Customers choose a base product,^[33] 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).^[34] 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.^[35]

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	Orange Vanilla
Coca-Cola^[a]·	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Diet Coke^[b]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar^[c]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Caffeine Free Diet Coca-Cola	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Sprite	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Sprite Zero	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Pibb Xtra	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	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	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	No
Fanta products	—	Yes	Yes	Yes (intl. only)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes
Fanta Zero products	—	Yes	Yes	Yes (intl. only)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes
Pibb Zero	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Dr Pepper	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Diet Dr Pepper	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	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	No
Mello Yello Zero	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes (limeade)	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Vitaminwater^[d]	—	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No
Fuze tea products^[e]	—	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Diet Fuze tea / Fuze tea Zero products^[f]	—	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Hi-C^[g]	—	Yes	No	Yes	Yes (raspberry lime)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes
Seagram's Ginger Ale	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	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	No
Barq's Cream Soda	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	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	No
Minute Maid Sparkling Drinks^[h]	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	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	No
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	No
Powerade	Yes (berry – intl. only)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Powerade Zero	Yes (berry – intl. only)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Minute Maid Drinks^[i]	No	No	No	No	Yes (limeade)	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	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	No
Dasani (flavored water)	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	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	No
Surge	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Surge Zero Sugar	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No

Freestyle fountains located in Firehouse Subs locations offer the chain's signature Cherry Lime-Aid.^[36] Fountains at Sea World Orlando offer an exclusive vanilla-flavored freestyle flavor called "South Pole Chill",^[37] and those located in Moe's Southwest Grill locations offer an exclusive vanilla/peach-flavored freestyle flavor called "Vanilla at Peachtree".^[38] 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".^[39] Machines in Wendy's restaurants have featured unique beverages such as a flavored cream soda named after founder Dave Thomas.^{[citation needed]} In addition, the University of South Florida added a mix called “Rocky’s Refresher” to its on-campus freestyle locations in 2023.^[40] Fountains at Universal Parks & Resorts offer several Secret Menu flavors ^[41]

After Vault was discontinued in 2011, it was replaced with Mello Yello.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

Orange Vanilla Coke is a newer flavor that has been seen in new Freestyle machines. This flavor also exists in Coke Zero Sugar form.^{[citation needed]}

Surge is available in Cherry, Vanilla, Grape, and Zero Sugar varieties in Freestyle machines at select Burger King restaurants.^[42]^[43]

Locations

As of September 2020^[update], Coca-Cola freestyle is available in sixteen countries on three continents: Asia (Singapore), Europe (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK) and North America (Canada, USA).^{[citation needed]}

In the United States, it is available at many fast food restaurants. The restaurants/theaters/stores included are: Burger King, AMC, Cici’s Pizza, Five Guys Burgers And Fries, some targets, And Wendy’s.

References

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