Pepsi, Coke in war to design new soda fountain

The soda wars have raged for many years, but the new front within the age-old battle has shifted to a high-tech version of the old soda fountain.

Pepsico is betting Spire-a new touchscreen, make-it-yourself, high-tech beverage fountain-will be considered a game changer because of its food-service business.

Spire currently features three touchscreen models – Spire 1.1, Spire 2.0, and also the upcoming Spire 5.0 – which permit consumers to create their own personalised beverages. While the 1.1 model allows as much as 40 beverage combinations, the two.0 model allows 500 combinations, and 5.0 increases time to 1,000 combinations. The models will support an array of PepsiCo brands, in addition to zero-calorie flavour shots.

PepsiCo said the brand new range aims to make soda fountains more “fun”, adding: “Soda fountains in pharmacies and apothecaries, where this all started, were points of engagement where an incredible quantity of creativity and innovation happened as a result of the soda jerk. But somewhere along the line, what was an experience has developed into a transaction, and that’s got to change.”

Coca-Cola currently has an estimated 70% share of the US market for soda fountains, and it is itself working hard to promote the benefits of its Freestyle model, launched a few years ago.