Coca-Cola, Freestyle, soda fountain, CiCi's Pizza, Wing Stop, interactive vending machine, food service
ATLANTA -- Coca-Cola has extended the test of its Freestyle interactive fountain dispenser to the Dallas area. Wingstop, a chicken wing restaurant chain, will be the first to offer the fountain in three locations this summer. Coke will also install units in 25 additional Dallas-area restaurants later this year, including some Boston Market and CiCi's Pizza locations.
Freestyle testing began a year ago and now includes more than 50 restaurants across Georgia and southern California. Officials reported that test results indicate an increase in total restaurant sales -- including fountain servings -- as well as a measurable lift in traffic. Following the Dallas rollout, the beverage giant plans future testing in other cities as early as the fall.
The touchscreen-operated Freestyle machine has the same footprint as a standard eight-valve machine. It enables consumers to select from more than 100 regular and low-calorie beverage brands, including many varieties of waters, fruit-flavored beverages and sparkling beverages that have never before been available in the U.S. The self-serve fountains have been in development for more than four years. View the machine in action on Facebook.
