Did you know? The “Bev-olution” dispenser from Coke

Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, which relies on soda fountains for a reported 34 percent of its North American sales volume, has created a new machine that can dispense as many as 50 drink combinations, according to a June article in the Arizona Republic. The “Bev-olution” dispenser is slated to hit restaurants in October, notes Chris Lowe, president of Coca-Cola’s North American foodservice unit. The units will allow consumers to make their own drink combinations by mixing a shot of cherry flavoring, for example, with Sprite. Most restaurant soda fountain dispensers have about eight drink spigots. The machine is said to deposit both soft drinks and noncarbonated drinks such as Powerade, Lowe says.