Flavor enhancer

Coca-Cola North America unveiled its proprietary Freestyle beverage dispenser, which employs micro-dosing technology from the medical industry with style savvy of an Italian sports car designer to vend more than 100 different drink flavors in the footprint of a standard eight-valve machine.

Gene M. Farrell, right, vice president in Coca-Cola’s FoodService Division, said Monday that the company was tasked “to throw away any preconceived ideas” about drink machines to produce the 20-patent self-serve dispenser, which relies on technology used for medical delivery of drugs and dialysis.

Five years in the making, Freestyle’s micro-circuitry runs on Windows CE, syrup cartridges reduced to the size of printer cartridges and software that gives it the ability to electronically communicate daily usage reports by brand of drink and even by day part.

The machine has been in beta test in two quick-service restaurants in Atlanta, Coca-Cola’s home town, and will expand in June to Southern California and Salt Lake City. Beverage sales at the test units has shown double-digit increases, Farrell said.  In the fourth quarter, the tests will grow to Chicago, Dallas and more units in Atlanta.

Ron Ruggless, RRuggles@nrn.com