Coca-Cola Freestyle and Pepsi Spire Soda Dispensers

[jiveturk21]

Had my first trip here on Saturday, and enjoyed the burger and fries. But enough about such trifle things as the food because this place has the MOST EPIC COKE MACHINE of all time. How has nobody mentioned this before?!?! There's coke, diet, zero, fanta, and a whole bunch of shit you aint never heard of. I'm considering going here just to drink my way though all the sodas... We need a new thread that charts the locations of these beautiful machines.

The Wegman's in Fairfax has one.

I have seen these at maybe a dozen places over the past year, but to be honest with you, since I don't drink soda much, I don't recall where they are located.

[weezy]

I've seen the EPIC COKE MACHINE at Firehouse subs at the Pincecrest shopping center in Annandale on Little Rivert Tpke.

[jayandstacey]

I've seen the EPIC COKE MACHINE at Firehouse subs at the Pincecrest shopping center in Annandale on Little Rivert Tpke.

They're at every Noodles & Company I've been to. They are a nicer complement to the Iced Tea I drink from the old-style containers right next to them.

BTW, if you've ever seen the inside of them, they are truly epic. They have a maze of plastic tubes and then plastic pouches for the various drink syrups. By doing this, they can have various sizes - for instance, a very small pouch for the Diet Pomegranate Fanta while a much larger one for Diet Coke.

The preponderance of tubes makes me wonder about cleaning down the road. Maybe the tubes are disposable and cleaning is actually easier in the long run. Dunno. But seeing one open was a bit like seeing Darth Vader's helmet being removed

[darkstar965]

I've seen the EPIC COKE MACHINE at Firehouse subs at the Pincecrest shopping center in Annandale on Little Rivert Tpke.

If the machine is what I think it is, there's also one at Peri Peri right in downtown Bethesda just to the right across from the Apple store. Has a touch screen and maybe 30 or so different options that can be selected. The one in Peri Peri allows choices between all the fixed options including non carbonated and water. There are more advanced versions of the machine I've seen that allow real-time creation of custom drinks; so 7 possible flavors of Fanta or Diet Coke, as example. Very cool.

Even more advanced than those--and definitely more controversial--are machines Coke tested outside the US (mostly) with temperature sensors and demand pricing software. Prices aren't fixed for the machine but, rather, will be higher on hot summer days than cool days, as example. Others with motion sensors. You can just imagine why those kinds of new technologies prompt a lot of protest.

[DanielK]

It's called the "Freestyle" Coke machine. Lots of places have them now, including BGR and California Tortilla.

[DonRocks]

It's called the "Freestyle" Coke machine. Lots of places have them now, including BGR and California Tortilla.

Like The Delicious, the first time I ever saw a Coca-Cola Freestyle Machine (which even has its own Wikipedia entry), I thought it was the coolest restaurant apparatus ever, right up there with the Dyson Airblade (which costs over $1,000), a Big Ass Fan, and of course the original items of wonderment, the tortilla-making machines (representative sample pictured at Tortilla Depot) at Uncle Julio's and Cactus Cantina - every exhausted parent's dream - which can entertain a toddler for thirty minutes.

The cabinetry of the Freestyle Machine was designed by Pininfarina, best known for their work with Ferrari.

And I'll bet you didn't know there was a Tortilla Depot.

Cheers,

Rocks

Accounting major turned porn star,

"Making the mundane as interesting as possible."

[DaveO]

They're at every Noodles & Company I've been to. They are a nicer complement to the Iced Tea I drink from the old-style containers right next to them.

BTW, if you've ever seen the inside of them, they are truly epic. They have a maze of plastic tubes and then plastic pouches for the various drink syrups. By doing this, they can have various sizes - for instance, a very small pouch for the Diet Pomegranate Fanta while a much larger one for Diet Coke.

The preponderance of tubes makes me wonder about cleaning down the road. Maybe the tubes are disposable and cleaning is actually easier in the long run. Dunno. But seeing one open was a bit like seeing Darth Vader's helmet being removed

I've used them at Noodles & Company also. Incredible variety. I was not aware of how it worked. Want lime in your soda? Once you've chosen the brand you then have subsequent options with the many flavors/syrups. The lime flavor adds a nice strong lime flavor and the appropriate green color.

Holy crow. this could be a bigger invention than the wheel.

[jayandstacey]

The cabinetry of the Freestyle Machine was designed by Pininfarina, best known for their work with Ferrari.

Holy crow. this could be a bigger invention than the wheel.

If they added wheels to it, making it like a Ferrari that dispenses 100 soda flavors...THAT would be the second coming.

[MsDiPesto]

The new Anjelika Film Center at Mosaic has some fancy soda machines, I think they might be the Freestyle, but I didn't get a good look as I was caught up in the Xmas Day throng of filmgoers.

[Dr. Delicious]

Like The Delicious, the first time I ever saw a Coca-Cola Freestyle Machine (which even has its own Wikipedia entry)

Good lord the Flavors list is incredible.

The cabinetry of the Freestyle Machine was designed by Pininfarina, best known for their work with Ferrari.

From Wiki: "Both technologies were originally developed to deliver precise doses of drugs."

This thing just keeps getting better! Diet cherry vanilla percocet please!

[darkstar965]

Very cool the links and wikipedia page. I had some opportunity to see and experience the machine several years ago when it was being tested. Though I've seen a few around (including the one at Peri Peri I mentioned upthread), I'm not a big soda drinker and didn't realize they'd gone so mainstream. It is super cool technology.

Different, of course, from the controversial (but also technically cool) demand or temperature sensing machines that adjust prices dynamically. A $.50 coke one day might be $1.25 the next overseas if the temperature spikes. These machines have been challenged in court. Specific (though dated) coverage of the ill-fated Coke experiment here with a broader piece about dynamic pricing in context with internet, airlines and other models here.

Finally, at the risk of driving Don absolutely batty with splitting and creating new threads (who'd have thunk a vending machine thread could itself split the same day it's created?!), I'd submit that this custom soda machine might be of interest to many on this website given the ability to control whether HFCS, sugar and whatever else goes into your soda.

[mnnchas]

I've seen them at a few Five Guys locations for a while now. Apparently they did a big roll out.

http://www.coca-colafreestyle.com/#!/news-updates-buzz/post_panel/five-guys-coca-cola-freestyle

[Deac]

Serious Eats took one for the team and tried all 127(!) flavors

http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/10/soda-we-try-all-100-flavors-from-the-coke-freestyle-machine.html

[jayandstacey]

From the Wiki page Don links above:

"The machine uses RFID chips to detect its supplies and to radio resupplying needs to other units."

They're taking to each other? Can a freestyle uprising be too far behind?

BTW, I mentioned bags above - I really thought I saw bags behind the maze of tubes but I guess they were cartridges. Or maybe the box/bags I saw hold the sweetner, Maybe the cartridges have bag linings and I was seeing some of the insides. Dunno.

All I know is that one of the great things about this design is that the interface simply doesn't have to display an option if it is sold out. I don't drink soda anymore but it used to suck to see (for instance) Fresca on the taps only to have none available. If this machine is out of Fresca it 'knows' and won't ever show it. That's a big help I'd think in the soda-machine-satisfaction world.

[DanielK]

Everyone knows that Skynet started with soda machines.

[lekkerwijn]

From the Wiki page Don links above:

"The machine uses RFID chips to detect its supplies and to radio resupplying needs to other units."

They're taking to each other? Can a freestyle uprising be too far behind?

BTW, I mentioned bags above - I really thought I saw bags behind the maze of tubes but I guess they were cartridges. Or maybe the box/bags I saw hold the sweetner, Maybe the cartridges have bag linings and I was seeing some of the insides. Dunno.

All I know is that one of the great things about this design is that the interface simply doesn't have to display an option if it is sold out. I don't drink soda anymore but it used to suck to see (for instance) Fresca on the taps only to have none available. If this machine is out of Fresca it 'knows' and won't ever show it. That's a big help I'd think in the soda-machine-satisfaction world.

They don't just talk to each other. They gather real time consumer insights data. The Coca Cola Company carefully study purchases and blends by location and geography. They use this data to develop new flavors and products and test market new products. I wouldn't be surprised if at some point the syrups in the machine allowed you to chose what sweetener system you prefer.

[mbucher]

Knock knock. I've had these at BGR as an original pilot run for these units for over 2 years. Very cool dispensing technology . Send me a note if you want a tour of the technology and the insides of this beast designed by Ferrari . It is very cool.

[Lobozooma]

I love these machines, the first place I came across it was at the BGR in Bethesda, kids went crazy for it.

The issue is that the average time someone spends at the machine has increased 10 fold. Maybe that's the price for progress.

I hope the next version comes with a water dispenser on the side of the machine. I hate waiting >30 seconds to just get some water and in the end probably 20% of the people using the machine are waiting just for that.

[DonRocks]

Knock knock. I've had these at BGR as an original pilot run for these units for over 2 years. Very cool dispensing technology . Send me a note if you want a tour of the technology and the insides of this beast designed by Ferrari . It is very cool.

Want to have a dr.com BGR dinner complete with Coca-Cola Freestyle tour or is this best done one-on-one?

[ktmoomau]

I adore these machines. I absolutely adore them. It's almost as cool as the tasting room of the World of Coke, maybe better. I love to try different combos. I am like a kid in a candy store with one.

[DaveO]

Important update: per the manager at the 5 guys in Clarendon: 5 guys making these mandatory at all new 5 Guys!!!!

His store will get one soon. Folks from out of town stop in ask where the machine is. Its the rage.

[Genevieve]

Finally, at the risk of driving Don absolutely batty with splitting and creating new threads (who'd have thunk a vending machine thread could itself split the same day it's created?!), I'd submit that this custom soda machine might be of interest to many on this website given the ability to control whether HFCS, sugar and whatever else goes into your soda.

I saw this and searched "SodaStream," and responded in the long thread "What Are You Drinking?" which included some discussion -- we've tried a bunch of different brands syrups (haven't made our own, unlikely to do that) so I had some recommendations. But it could definitely use its own thread! maybe "SodaStream and other soda machines," Don?

[lovehockey]

When I first saw this wonderful contraption at a Noodles and Company I first found it confusing, but have since learned to love it. Since Noodles and Company lets you fill your own beverage cup I assume that they don't mind refills, because that's what pretty much everyone does. From what I see of this thread places that would be OK with no-charge refills predominate (and we all know they're still making money). I personally like a Diet Coke/Caffeine Free Diet Coke* combination.

*Because when it's Caffeine Free Diet Coke, you're drinking it for the fizz and the flavor.

[DanielK]

Orange Coke + Vanilla Coke = Creamsicle Coke.

[DaRiv18]

^^^

Everyone's a mixologist :-)

[Destruya]

The new Anjelika Film Center at Mosaic has some fancy soda machines, I think they might be the Freestyle, but I didn't get a good look as I was caught up in the Xmas Day throng of filmgoers.

They are Freestyles, and they're also *silver-white* Freestyles, which is new as all I've seen thus far are red (supposedly they come in black as well). The other cute thing about Angelika's Freestyles is that they're unattended and completely out of sight of the concession stand off to the side. You could buy a cup and drink yourself into diabetic shock, or even better/worse, bring your own cup (or save one that you buy) and try your luck that you won't get caught.

However, the limited space in the Angelika lobby coupled with Theater 2's door emptying out right in front of the drink machine was a *poor* design choice. Went to see Zero Dark Thirty there last Friday and the traffic jam between the artsy types mingling just outside the door to "discuss the movie" coupled with the free-refillers made for an almost impassable throng.

The only *downside* to Freestyle machines is when there's a line of indecisive adults ahead of you - or worse, indecisive kids or tech-clueless adults who can't master a design Coke probably spent millions on making as user-friendly as humanly possible. You could operate the damned thing with your nose - and given my generally cynical view of humanity, I'm certain people have.

Also, I don't know how many Serious Eats readers there are in here, but they posted this a while ago: http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/10/soda-we-try-all-100-flavors-from-the-coke-freestyle-machine.html

Some combinations: http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2012/04/10-combinations-you-can-make-from-the-coca-cola-freestyle-machine.html

[mbucher]

Glad to host. May even throw in some secret BGR R&D for upcoming competitions Let me know what night works!

[cheezepowder]

Want to have a dr.com BGR dinner complete with Coca-Cola Freestyle tour or is this best done one-on-one?

Glad to host. May even throw in some secret BGR R&D for upcoming competitions Let me know what night works!

I'd be interested in a donrockwell BGR Freestyle tour/dinner. Which BGR location did you have in mind? Anyone else interested?

[DonRocks]

I'd be interested in a donrockwell BGR Freestyle tour/dinner. Which BGR location did you have in mind? Anyone else interested?

Entirely up to Mark, but ... sure. (Only if he puts my Rocks burger back on the menu and lets me design it.)

[squidsdc]

btw, boloco has this machine, too

[Destruya]

Glad to host. May even throw in some secret BGR R&D for upcoming competitions Let me know what night works!

This sounds like a really good idea, even if I'm a bit of a burger purist.

Has BGR ever tried doing a Juicy Lucy?

[ktmoomau]

Glad to host. May even throw in some secret BGR R&D for upcoming competitions Let me know what night works!

I would be interested. NOVA is preferable, but have feet and car will travel.

[Destruya]

I would be interested. NOVA is preferable, but have feet and car will travel.

The Clarendon location is a stone's throw from the Clarendon Metro stop, which makes it "convenient" for most of the area. Holding it on a Saturday or Sunday in the early afternoon would probably be best, or a "late" thing. I'd trust the owner to know what's best in that regard.

[DanielK]

The Clarendon location is a stone's throw from the Clarendon Metro stop, which makes it more or less "convenient" for most of the area. Holding it on a Saturday or Sunday in the early afternoon would probably be best, or a "late" thing. I'd trust the owner to know what's best in that regard.

Well, that depends. For those of us in MD, Clarendon is not really Metro accessible, and parking around there is a PITA.

I'll flip the MoCo locations back at you - all of them with plentiful free parking.

[Destruya]

I know it's not the most ideal Metro ride, but the Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Orange lines all feed into Metro Center, which is a scant few stops from Clarendon.

It's just a suggestion - I'm not even sure if the Clarendon location would best fit something like this, as I've only been to the Springfield and Cascades/Sterling locations. Bethesda seems to be more than a bit of a jog from the Metro, Columbia's a bit too far to ask NoVA residents to come, and Cabin John straddles the line between VA and MD but you need to drive there. Same with Gaithersburg.

And as I said before, it's all up to the owner where, when, how, and if he does this, which makes gaming it out a nice aside but ultimately kinda moot.

Just to add to it: http://www.donrockwell.com/index.php?/topic/8857-burger-joint-an-upscale-maryland-hamburger-chain-founder-mark-bucher-now-open-in-ten-states/?p=214800

[squidsdc]

I know people probably prefer suburbs, but the Dupont Circle location is really not far from the Metro. And probably a hike for both MD and VA diners.

[Michael Landrum]

Sippin' on a cherry soda pop, building houses made of sand.

Like a little child with a fantasy, just a fraction of a man.

But I was in love when they put her down, on my porch step in the rain.

I could feel her love coming to my heart, through the window pane.

But how could I know?

She was just up and gone?

My best friend gone?

I'm so all alone.

I really miss you, Brandy, I'm so all alone.

When are you coming back home?

I really miss you, Brandy, missing you every day.

Are you coming home to stay?

[Ferhat Yalcin]

I am looking forward to a practice where mixologists and sommeliers will recommend mixes from this machine with different food and flavor profiles and there will be another job title created.

[mbucher]

So lets plan on a VA demo and a MD demo. Pick two Saturdays at 1 and let me know

[DanielK]

I nominate Feb 2 for the MD side, but I could do any February Saturday other than the 9th.

Thanks, Mark!

[hm212]

February Saturday afternoons are wide open, My daughter thinks this machine is the coolest.

[cheezepowder]

Thank you Mark! I've started a thread for the tour in the Events and Gatherings Forum for both MD and VA here:

http://www.donrockwell.com/index.php?/topic/19053-coca-cola-freestyle-technology-tour-at-bgr-joint-va-md/

[Chris Cunningham]

This thread is seriously getting out of control... It's a soda machine..... One that I'm surprised Herr Bloomberg hasn't tried to have outlawed yet . That Pibb Zero is some good stuff though

[Destruya]

This thread is seriously getting out of control... It's a soda machine..... One that I'm surprised Herr Bloomberg hasn't tried to have outlawed yet . That Pibb Zero is some good stuff though

Yeah, it's a soda machine, but it's nice to see tech and food starting to co-mingle again after a pretty long period of stagnation. You can't even call infrared ovens "new" because they're just glorified microwaves.

[DaveO]

Added strawberry to a coke zero the other day. Was blown away by the blast of strawberry aroma coming out of the machine. Cool machines with tremendous opportunities for diversity and a mixologists dream and sweet smelling syrups on top of it. ooooh baby!!!!

[DaveO]

While SeriousEats had this to say about the Sprite Peach combo:

Sprite Peach: This smelled like a Jolly Rancher, but it was better than Fanta Peach. Something about Sprite manages the flavors better.

I thought it smelled. oh well...126 flavors to go

[cheezepowder]

Starting next week at Garbanzo Mediterranean Grills in Denver, Pepsi will test their version of the freestyle soda fountain (Advertising Age article, which I found via Eater.)

From the article:

Touch Tower 1.0 is a small counter-top unit with a digital touch screen. Rather than the half a dozen or so picks consumers had in the past,
this device will offer nearly 100 possible flavor combinations, including as many as eight PepsiCo brands.

[Bob Wells]

I adore these machines. I absolutely adore them. It's almost as cool as the tasting room of the World of Coke, maybe better. I love to try different combos. I am like a kid in a candy store with one.

So why don't they include The Beverly?

NB The Beverly is a bitters-flavored soda, possibly the worst thing ever invented. Apparently beloved in Italy.

[bookluvingbabe]

So why don't they include The Beverly?

NB The Beverly is a bitters-flavored soda, possibly the worst thing ever invented. Apparently beloved in Italy.

The Beverly is available at "Club Cool" in Epcot. We tried it, along with all the other international sodas available and I didn't think it was that bad. I wouldn't seek it out but I rarely seek out soda anymore these days.

[DaveO]

This topic is now about 18 months old.  Probably in the first 2 months or so I was discussing it w/ the manager at the 5 guys in Courthouse.  Supposedly his ownership group was all hot on it and were going to install the machines.   Also supposedly they had measured out the space and were all ready for installation.

Approximately 16 months later.  No freestyle coke machine in the 5 guys at Courthouse.   What happened???

[DanielK]

This topic is now about 18 months old.  Probably in the first 2 months or so I was discussing it w/ the manager at the 5 guys in Courthouse.  Supposedly his ownership group was all hot on it and were going to install the machines.   Also supposedly they had measured out the space and were all ready for installation.

Approximately 16 months later.  No freestyle coke machine in the 5 guys at Courthouse.   What happened???

 

When they first rolled out the machines, Coke was charging significantly more per cup for the Freestyle machines, but they were subsidizing most of the difference for their pilot customers.

Maybe if the cost cap is still significant and they're no longer subsidizing, customers aren't eager to jump on the bandwagon?

[Destruya]

When they first rolled out the machines, Coke was charging significantly more per cup for the Freestyle machines, but they were subsidizing most of the difference for their pilot customers.

Maybe if the cost cap is still significant and they're no longer subsidizing, customers aren't eager to jump on the bandwagon?

That, or it's the Ferrari conundrum.  For most "regular" cars, even newer ones, you can always find a shop locally that has people certified to work on your car, even stuff that would've once been considered 'dealer only' jobs.  I'd imagine these are still rare enough that if/when one breaks catastrophically, if they're the only drink dispenser, the business is really up shit creek without a paddle, because taking someplace like Firehouse Subs in mind, if someone orders a combo (which comes with a fountain drink) and they can't provide the fountain drink, I'd think their 'go-to' would be to raid their cooler, which will be empty by or a little after the lunch rush.  And it also assumes when the Soda Ph.D. arrives, that the problem with the machine isn't related to the electronics, which could turn the hassle into a multi-day affair unless there's a 'quick-swap' option available to Freestyle owners to prevent downtime and lost revenue.

Whereas I'm sure with a classic-style lever-action or push-button fountain there are a *ton* of 'beverage engineers' that can fix those within an hour's time including the commute and repair - *and* generally the only thing you have to worry about with the old-style fountains is *one* of the spigots going bad, or the ice machine crapping out.

TL;DR (too long; didn't read for those not 'up' with forum lingo): The Freestyle machines are neat, but they add a lot of potential points of failure.

[DonRocks]

TL;DR (too long; didn't read for those not 'up' with forum lingo): The Freestyle machines are neat, but they add a lot of potential points of failure.

[i *think* you've used tl;dr twice now (or someone else has also used it once) - does it mean "Too long, Don Rockwell?"

If so, your posts are *not* too long; they're quite good, in fact.]

Was BGR the area pioneer for these? On a separate, but related, note, I think District Taco may have been the area pioneer for Boylan's soda dispensers, but I'm not 100% sure about that (I've seen them somewhere else now, too). What a brilliant strategy that was. I assume they cost more for the restaurant, but the profit margin on fountain sodas is huge. I wish Boylan's wasn't unhealthy (it's a perfect example of something high-quality, but unhealthy, like Route 11 potato chips) - I'd sip on it all day long. Well, at least their diet drinks are terrific, too.

[mnnchas]

I swear Five Guys had them first, in select locations, but who knows.

Speaking of soda, can someone explain the difference between Boylan's and Puck's?  If I recall, a few places near work started with Boylan's machines a few years ago and replaced them with Puck's after a while; Taylor Gourmet, Chop'd, for example.

[DanielK]

Pretty sure BGR was first.

The original contracts *included* service; in fact, the machines were connected to the Internet and actually notified the service company when the machine was about to fail, so theoretically the repair person could be there before the machine stopped. I've also heard the things are pretty bulletproof, but from a business perspective, I'd probably only want one if my volume was big enough for 2 machines so I didn't have to stop serving sodas if it *did* go down.

[DonRocks]

Pretty sure BGR was first.

The original contracts *included* service; in fact, the machines were connected to the Internet and actually notified the service company when the machine was about to fail, so theoretically the repair person could be there before the machine stopped. I've also heard the things are pretty bulletproof, but from a business perspective, I'd probably only want one if my volume was big enough for 2 machines so I didn't have to stop serving sodas if it *did* go down.

You could sell bottled sodas too (many places do), or maybe have a less expensive, older machine at the ready.

[Destruya]

Actually, a whole bunch of places were 'first' 

And it dawned on me after reading that, that my 'Ferrari' analogy was apt as Pininfarina had a big hand in designing the Coke machines.  Also, given that friggin' *laundry list* of 'systems integrators' and 'program management' firms, I reiterate that it must be an absolute nightmare when one of these things craps out, even if they can 'phone home' before it happens.

Also, wow there is no place with a "Pepsi Spire" machine anywhere near here (at least going by their website).  Lexington and Bowling Green, VA.  The latter isn't even very close to I-95S, it's off of VA State Route 2.

[DaRiv18]

Stopped by the Dupont Circle BGR for the first time in a long time.  Got my root beer out of a standard machine . . . bye bye Freestyle. 

[DanielK]

5 hours ago, DaRiv18 said:

Stopped by the Dupont Circle BGR for the first time in a long time.  Got my root beer out of a standard machine . . . bye bye Freestyle. 

It's possible that it's different by location, but the Potomac BGR gave back the Freestyle machine a couple of years ago.

[pras]

Has anyone ever seen the smaller version of this machine in the wild?

[ktmoomau]

14 hours ago, pras said:

Has anyone ever seen the smaller version of this machine in the wild?

The one with a tablet looking screen?  (I haven't but googled to see what you were talking about.)

[pras]

1 hour ago, ktmoomau said:

The one with a tablet looking screen?  (I haven't but googled to see what you were talking about.)

My office had a soda fountain and we are trying to modernize a bit.  My boss loves the soda fountain and we thought an upgrade might be nice.  Space is an issue though, thus the need for the mini version.