Coca-Cola Freestyle

Coca-Cola Freestyle is a touch screen soda fountain distributed and run by The Coca-Cola Company. First launched in 2009, the machine features over 165 different Coca-Cola drink products, as well as custom flavors, allowing users to select from mixtures of flavors of Coca-Cola branded products which are then individually dispensed.
The machines are located in major Coca-Cola partners and retail locations in the United States and in a number of other countries around the world, such as in chain restaurants, cinemas, resorts, and in Royal Caribbean ships.
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. 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.
The 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 stored in packets with water and sweetener at the point where the beverage is dispensed, thus avoiding the use of traditional boxes of syrup. 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

Launch

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.
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 Wingstop, Zaxby's, Wawa, Taco Time Northwest, Togo's, Roy Rogers, Davanni's, PDQ Dairy Queen, Fuddruckers, Five Guys, Kelly's Roast Beef,Firehouse Subs, Wendy's, Jack in the Box,Carl's Jr./Hardee's, Beef O'Brady's, Miami Grill, Hess Express, Jason's Deli, White Castle, Moe's Southwest Grill, Noodles & Company, Popeyes, Raising Cane's, Steak 'n Shake, Captain D's, Chili's, AMC Theatres, Cracker Barrel, Six Flags, Blaze Pizza, McDonald's and BurgerFi. 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.

Developments

In 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 2018, Coca-Cola unveiled a new iteration of Freestyle 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.

Deployment in other countries

The company have also launched and deployed Coca-Cola Freestyle machines in many other countries, mainly in Europe. However, the selection of brands available may differ, and they may include real sugar unlike their US versions which use high-fructose corn syrup. Freestyle launched in a limited trial in June 2012 in Great Britain, in association with Burger King. In Germany it began limited trials in 2015 and rolled out further by 2020. It launched in France in July 2016, in association with Five Guys. It was launched in Singapore in September 2017 the first one in a retail store in Our Tampines Hub. They launched in Denmark in February 2020. In 2021 Coca-Cola Europacific Partners trialled a new Compact Freestyle machine, initially in France and Belgium and later in Great Britain. These machines are smaller compared to the regular Freestyle.

Products

Customers choose a base product, 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. 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.