Firehouse Subs Rolling Out New Coca‑Cola Freestyle 9100 Nationwide

Great Beverage Options for Great Subs

Firehouse First

Firehouse Subs is the first national restaurant to roll out the next generation of the innovative Coca‑Cola Freestyle fountain dispensing platform.

Just as our crew members can customize any sub to our guests’ tastes, Freestyle 9100 allows guests the freedom to get the drink they are craving – whether it’s sparkling water, a sports drink, lemonade, tea or a sparkling soft drink –the way they want it,” said Don Fox, CEO, Firehouse Subs. “We pride ourselves on our bold, flavorful food – from our signature sandwich recipes to our varieties of hot sauces available – and Coca‑Cola Freestyle melds naturally with our established culture of choice. Being able to offer nearly 200 beverages, including many that can only be found on Freestyle, sets us apart from our competitors.”

Coca‑Cola Freestyle 9100, the newest member of the Freestyle family, lets fans select, mix and pour more than 175 beverage choices in a range of categories and calorie options – including new offerings like Orange Vanilla Coke, Sprite Lymonade and limited-edition flavors of Minute Maid Lemonade.

A Successful Test

Firehouse Subs, which tested the Coca‑Cola Freestyle 9100 late last year in its Atlanta-area restaurants, will install nearly 1,100 units across the country throughout 2019.

According to Eric Lewis, group marketing director, Coca‑Cola Freestyle, Firehouse Subs’ guests are responding well to the 9100’s user interface spotlighting a robust variety of brands and beverages.

“Many are telling us, ‘I didn’t know you had vitaminwater or Minute Maid Light or DASANI Sparkling,’” Lewis said. “They also love the 24-inch, touch-to-pour LCD screen and modern design, which embraces our heritage with visual cues reminiscent of a retro Coca‑Cola cooler.”

Additionally, a new operating system (OS) includes a revamped touchscreen menu designed to make it easier and faster for users to find the beverages they want – and for Firehouse Subs to launch exclusive offerings directly to the dispenser, including Team USA custom mixes, Fanta Halloween and Coca‑Cola Holiday mixes.

Beverage Digest named Coca‑Cola Freestyle 9100 Best Technology Innovation for 2018.
 

Better Experience for Consumers and Crew Members

Crew members, meanwhile, are enjoying a new diagnostics dashboard with real-time drink inventory levels. A new Coca‑Cola Freestyle content management system (CMS) lets outlets quickly launch exclusive Freestyle beverages and promotions.

Firehouse Subs was one of the first restaurants to roll out Coca‑Cola Freestyle in 2007 and is the only place to find the Freestyle-exclusive beverages Cherry Lime-Aid™, Cherry Lime-Aid Light, Sparkling Cherry Lime-Aid and Sparkling Cherry Lime-Aid Light. These offerings consistently rank among the top beverages sold at Firehouse Subs, which Fox attributes to guests’ love of Coca‑Cola Freestyle and the unit’s ability to promote the drinks on screen.

He says the decade-long partnership between Coca‑Cola Freestyle and Firehouse Subs can be summed up in one word: innovation.

“To our guests, Coca‑Cola Freestyle has become an ingrained part of the Firehouse Subs experience,” Fox said. “Fortunately, they have never known what it’s like to visit a Firehouse without Freestyle, which makes traditional fountain equipment seem pedestrian by comparison.”