BY BEN GORMAN
Touch screens seem to be everywhere these days. They are used on cell phones, gaming devices, ATMs, and more everyday used appliances. They are now being used on fountain drink machines.
In 2009, the Coca-Cola Company introduced the Freestyle machine. It is what former Mariemont student Chris Groppe calls, “the future of vending machines.” It uses a touch screen and allows the customer to choose from a selection of over 100 soda options. It was first released in Coke’s corporate headquarters city of Atlanta, Georgia and is making its way across America.
Mariemont got its first taste recently with the new Wendy’s location on Red Bank.
“I first heard about it on Twitter,” says Senior Bryan Routt, “pictures of the machine were posted over and over again.”
Although Routt was excited about this new addition, he was not overly surprised. “I’ve already used one in January at Universal Studios in Orlando,” he explains.
As students continue to try it out, what really stands out to them is the amount of flavors. Everyone seems to be searching for the best. Freshman, Claire Gilmore, claims that Peach Sprite is the number one drink. Routt throws his vote in for Cherry Vanilla Coke.
For some, experimenting with preset flavors isn’t enough. Groppe released his inner child and mixed every flavor. “It tasted like crap” he laughs, “Dr. Pepper already has 22 flavors, having to sort through 100 on top of that in your mouth is too much!”
While there are those like Routt and Groppe, others don’t buy into the hype. Junior, Kate Guastaferro, has been to the new Wendy’s three times and hasn’t touched the machine. “I thought it didn’t sound that awesome,” she explains.
That being said, she understands Mariemont’s obsession with the device. “It’s actually a big phenomenon; it makes it more fun to drink soda,” she said.
Routt thinks the Freestyle will become Coke’s primary distribution method in the near future. “Fountain drinks used to be a hit or miss, some dispensers would have your favorite drink, and some wouldn’t. Now you get a little bit of everything,” Routt shares.
