Photo by PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company
The introduction of Coca-Cola Freestyle and Pepsi Spire was the largest change to the fountain soda industry since the transition from 5-gallon (“figal”) premix kegs to bag-in-box postmix syrup. Not only did the new units completely change the user experience, but they also represented significant developments in how drinks were made on-premise.
More than a decade has now passed since the world saw its first Freestyle unit. How has the technology fared? Has it lived up to expectations? What’s the future of touchscreen fountain technology? And most importantly, should you adopt this technology for your operation?
Coca-Cola Freestyle vs. Pepsi Spire: A Brief Overview
Coca-Cola Freestyle
History:
Freestyle was introduced in 2009 to much fanfare. Designed by the Italian automotive design firm Pininfarina (the same company responsible for designing most Ferraris), Freestyle was the first large-scale commercially manufactured touchscreen fountain soda dispenser. The design was updated in 2018 to feature, among other upgrades, a larger screen and again in 2020 to introduce a contactless pour.
#10yearchallenge GLOW UP pic.twitter.com/CEdhjxS29v
— Coca-Cola Freestyle (@ccfreestyle) January 12, 2022
Technology:
Of course, the main feature of Freestyle is the touchscreen display, which allows users to interact with the equipment to craft a unique beverage. When introduced, Freestyle was the first large-scale deployment of touchscreen fountain technology.
Under the hood, Coca-Cola Freestyle introduced micro-dosing technology, supposedly adapted from the drug industry. Instead of 5-gallon or 2.5-gallon “BIB’s” (bag-in-a-box fountain syrup), the ingredients come in much smaller, RFID-enabled cartridges. The only BIB component that remains is the high-fructose corn syrup. Since the ingredients are stored in the unit itself, Freestyle eliminated the need to store syrup in a back room and reduced the amount of lines needed for operation.
Further, Freestyle can transmit data back to Coca-Cola headquarters. In addition to providing information on the type of beverage combinations and flavors dispensed, the data allows Coca-Cola to alert operators when supply is low or needs to be reordered.
Flavors:
This new technology allowed for the machine to dispense a variety of new flavors without the need for additional space or risking out-of-date products. When a user selects a core brand, additional flavor options are displayed. Coca-Cola claims that over 100 options are available from Freestyle.
Manufacturing:
Freestyle also marked a switch in equipment strategy for Coca-Cola, which had previously partnered with other equipment suppliers (such as Cornelius and Lancer) to manufacture their dispensing equipment. As of today, Coca-Cola has not licensed the microdosing technology to other equipment manufacturers.
Models:
Coca-Cola Freestyle is available in freestanding and countertop self-serving models, as well as a crew-serve model.
Pepsi Spire
History:
Pepsi introduced its touchscreen fountain dispensing platform a full five years after that of its competitor. Pepsi Spire – the name adopted by Pepsi for the platform – was designed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Technology:
Like Freestyle, Spire’s user interface features a large touchscreen display. While Freestyle’s screen is displayed in landscape format, Spire features a portrait orientation.
When it comes to creating the beverage, rather than taking the same microdosing path as Freestyle, Pepsi’s platform uses traditional BIB syrup. To achieve additional flavor options, Spire adds flavor shots, which are also available in BIB format. Essentially, Spire simply applies a touch-screen interface to traditional beverage mixing technology.
Flavors:
Spire includes 8 different flavor options, which Pepsi claims can allow customers to create over 1,000 unique beverages (depending on the model). These flavor options are:
- Cherry
- Vanilla
- Strawberry
- Lemon
- Raspberry
- Lime
- Grape
- Peach
Manufacturing:
Like Coca-Cola, rather than partnering with traditional fountain suppliers, Pepsi maintains control over the manufacturing of its Spire platform.
Models:
Spire is currently available in two different countertop models. Spire 5.0 includes an ice dispenser, and Spire 2.5 does not. Freestanding versions have been available in the past.
The Benefits of Touchless Fountain Equipment
This new technology offers some real advantages, including:
More Flavors:
Freestyle and Spire both provide users with significantly more variety of beverage options than their legacy equipment counterparts. Powered by the microdosing technology, Coca-Cola’s platform in particular provides a significant expansion of options for users.
Different User Experience:
Whether by featuring unique graphics on the touchscreen display or by creating unique beverage flavors available exclusively at certain locations, touchscreen fountain dispensers offer experiences that cannot be matched by traditional units.
Reduced Storage:
With Coca-Cola Freestyle, less storage is required in the back-of-house or under the counter, freeing up space for other uses.
More Efficient Operations:
With light-weight cartridges and a “smart” RFID ordering system, Coca-Cola’s Freestyle platform offers easier operations for many foodservice operations.
The Downsides of Touchless Fountain Equipment
Despite the advantages, foodservice operators should be aware of some significant detractions with the new platforms:
Higher Cost:
Unlike traditional fountain units, touchscreen units typically come with a monthly leasing or technology fee. This cost became typically acute during the pandemic when fountain dispensers had to be powered off.
Higher Residual Fees:
Since touchscreen equipment is more expensive than traditional units, placing units can lead to higher unbundling fees. This will serve to increase your costs to renew your agreement or switch to a different provider at the end of your contract term.
Construction Costs:
In most cases, countertops need to be retrofitted or removed entirely in order to place the touchscreen equipment.
Unused Product:
Some customers have complained of spoilage as unused product remains in the microdosing cartridges despite the machine recognizing it as empty.
Slower Service:
With only one nozzle instead of the typical 6 or 8 valves and the various screen options consumers must navigate, it can take longer to pour each drink. For operations with busy rushes during certain times of the day, this can lead to long queues and potentially even lower beverage sales. Placing more machines to help with traffic flow incurs additional monthly service fees and potential unbundling costs.
More Downtime:
Some customers have reported up to 6x the service issues as traditional fountain units. More downtime leads not only to higher service costs but lower beverage sales.
No Longer a Novelty:
When initially introduced, the novelty of the technology led to increased beverage sales. The beverage companies even claimed that having the equipment led to more traffic to your outlet. As the equipment is well over a decade old, the novelty effect has now diminished.
Uncertain Future:
Several early adopters of the technology have now reverted back to traditional units. Simultaneously, the prevalence of flavor shots and other contactless controlled-pour solutions have meant that features once associated with touchscreen technology platforms are now more commonly available on traditional units.
Other Options
For operators wanting the benefits of touchscreen technology without the added costs and other downsides, new options have come to the market. Traditional equipment manufacturers have introduced touchscreen technology and flavor shots, and a variety of sensors are now available to enable contactless pour. A few examples (there are more) are available below.
Cornelius IDC Pro
Cornelius FlavorFusion
Lancer IBD Bold 30i
Lancer Flavor Select
Touchless Sensors
Should You Switch to Touchscreen?
For most foodservice operators, our advice is “no”. It simply doesn’t make sense to pay the added fees to access Coca-Cola and PepsiCo’s proprietary touchscreen equipment platforms.
While there may have been a time when beverage sales would increase when one of these new units was installed, the novelty has since worn off. Most guests are just as likely to purchase a beverage from a traditional unit as they would from a touchscreen unit offering additional flavors. With the proliferation of flavor shots, a majority of the additional flavors can be available without the added costs.
For executives aiming to re-capture the beverage drinker of the past (who is now largely opting for tap water), exploring other options (such as teas, bubblers, and a robust bottle and can program) can produce significantly more results than upgrading the fountain unit to a touchscreen model.
While there are always exceptions to the rule and applications where we do believe the units offer significant benefits, we advise all of our clients to perform a thorough evaluation to ensure the units will pay off.
Need Help With Your Equipment Strategy?
We’ve helped many clients determine the best equipment strategy – or to shift strategies when it’s become apparent their current one is not yielding the results they want. Contact us today to schedule your free initial consultation.
Additional Resources:
Coke Freestyle vs. Pepsi Spire. The Cola Wars Re-ignite!
Do You Have an Equipment Strategy for Your Next Beverage Contract Negotiation?
The Pros & Cons of Owning Your Beverage Equipment
