--- title: Coke’s high-tech fountains offer valuable data - The Hustle description: Coke’s high-tech fountains offer 100+ soda choices and report back valuable data. image: https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/595389941-HS-News-Brief_2022-12-20T015157.405Z.webp --- # Coke’s high-tech fountains offer valuable data ![Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://53.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/53/assets/hubspot.com/web-team/WBZ/HubSpot%20Media/Blog%202021/Images/Nav/Optimized/TheHustle_Icon_Dark.svg) [Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/juliet-bennett-rylah) [Juliet Bennett Rylah Twitter profile ](https://twitter.com/JBRylah) Published: December 20, 2022 Updated: October 11, 2023 As kids, we filled our fountain cups with flavors to create overly sugary, kinda gross Frankenstein sodas. Coca-Cola evolved that technique in 2009 with its Freestyle machines. ![Coke’s high-tech fountains offer valuable data](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/595389941-HS-News-Brief_2022-12-20T015157.405Z.webp?width=595&height=400&name=595389941-HS-News-Brief_2022-12-20T015157.405Z.webp) These babies not only dispense 100+ flavors, but also send crucial data back to Coke, [per](https://www.fooddive.com/news/how-coca-cola-turns-to-its-freestyle-machine-to-create-shelf-ready-flavors/636660/) *Food Dive*. #### **Freestyle machines…** … were [designed](https://pininfarina.it/en/work/coca-cola-freestyle/) by Italian car designer Pininfarina, and use the same microdispensing [tech](https://ischool.syr.edu/coca-cola-freestyle-the-marriage-of-coca-cola-and-informatics/) used to deliver drug dosages. There are 50k+ Freestyles in use across restaurants, movie theaters, stores, and amusement parks, pouring 11m+ drinks daily. Using the machine’s touchscreen or an app, customers select a [base drink](https://www.coca-colafreestyle.com/choices/?filter1=all%20drinks) (e.g., Sprite, Coke, Barq’s). Then, they can add other flavors, such as vanilla, orange, or raspberry. Some machines even offer exclusive blends, like SeaWorld Orlando’s “[South Pole Chill](https://insidethemagic.net/2013/05/inside-antarctica-empire-of-the-penguin-as-seaworld-orlando-unveils-icy-new-realm-with-cool-new-attractions-literally/).” For customers — and the businesses that hope to attract them — the ability to experiment is the draw. #### **For Coke…** … it’s the data it receives, including what, where, and when each drink was poured. Coke uses that data to influence its R&D and distribution. For example, if a flavor combo is particularly popular — like Sprite Cherry or Coke with Orange Vanilla — Coke might offer it in bottles or cans so its fans can drink it at home or work. Unsurprisingly, PepsiCo released a competing machine, the [Pepsi Spire](https://enlivenllc.com/insight/insight-blog/13-blog/83-coke-freestyle-vs-pepsi-spire-the-cola-wars-re-ignite/), in 2014. **BTW: **In 2018, *Serious Eats* tried [127 flavors](https://www.seriouseats.com/soda-we-try-all-100-flavors-from-the-coke-freestyle-machine), finding some surprisingly good and others repulsive. Topics: [Food](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/food) ## Follow us on social media prev next - ![Holy smokes, there may actually be a limit to Texans’ love of barbecue](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1244337807-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Texas-BBQ_20230928210924.webp) ### Holy smokes, there may actually be a limit to Texans’ love of barbecue - ![Think your industry is weird? 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