ATLANTA — The Coca-Cola Company is transforming beverage dispensing with new machines, allowing it to translate consumer trends into new drinks faster than ever before. This innovation arrives 140 years after Coca-Cola was first introduced as a fountain drink.
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The company says the Freestyle dispensers now convert real-time pour data into new consumer-driven drinks in as few as 90 days. This rapid development process significantly shortens the traditional 18-month timeline for product creation.
The company is also overhauling its user interface to better highlight unique and limited-time beverage options.
When Coca-Cola Freestyle originally launched, it was known for offering more than 100 drink combinations from a single machine. Over time, it evolved into a real-time data signal, providing insights into consumer preferences from tens of thousands of machines.
Vice President Megan Tallman Foodservice Innovation and Equipment, North America Operating Unit, The Coca-Cola Company, highlighted the scale of this data. “With live data from roughly 11 million servings per day, Coca-Cola Freestyle is the largest, live consumer taste test in the world,” Tallman said. “No other company has the real-time insight into exactly what consumers are choosing nor the ability to use that same equipment to then craft and launch new drinks based on the trends we see emerging.”
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This insightful data now drives product development at an unprecedented pace within the industry. For example, Coca-Cola Freestyle developed and launched Fanta Crimson Sour Cherry in White Castle and Sprite Loco Lime in Wingstop in under three months from concept to pouring.
Vice President Gigy Philip Global Equipment Platforms, The Coca-Cola Company, shared the broader vision for the equipment. “We’re evolving our dispense equipment into a connected, intelligent platform where every pour strengthens our understanding of consumers and every unit becomes part of a global network,” Philip said. “At scale, that’s what allows us to move faster, differentiate our system and deliver more relevant experiences at the point of pour.”
A new user interface, named Equinox, is set to launch on June 23 in the U.S., designed to put unique and limited-time drinks front and center. Additionally, the Freestyle Mini, a compact version of the dispenser, is launching in the U.S. after its initial rollout in Europe, bringing the Freestyle experience to bars, cafes and other smaller venues.
The company also developed a new non-alcoholic mixology dispenser with Micro Matic, aiming to bring crew-level creativity to the fountain. Furthermore, a new visual design language called Hydrous will unify the look and feel of every Coca-Cola dispenser worldwide.
Attendees at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago from May 16-19 will be among the first to experience The Coca-Cola Company’s latest equipment innovations before they begin rolling out across the U.S.
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