MIAMI (AP) — Burger King customers can soon personalize more than just their Whopper.
The fast-food chain announced Tuesday that it has agreed to put Coca-Cola Co.'s Freestyle machines at its more than 850 company-owned stores nationwide.
The specialty fountain soda machine allows customers to select from more than 100 beverages. The offerings go well beyond the traditional sodas, including sports drinks, teas and some brands never before available in the U.S. , such as Fanta Peach and Minute Maid Light Orange Lemonade. Customers, using a touch-screen, can select or mix any of these drinks based on their personal preference.
Coca-Cola Co. came out with the machine in 2009 and has promoted it heavily, scoring deals with smaller restaurant chains such as Five Guys and Firehouse Subs. There are almost 1,800 restaurants, movie theaters and other locations nationwide with the device and some sites have more than one machine.
The Burger King deal represents its biggest restaurant deal yet. The Miami-based chain already had the Freestyle in 120 of its company and franchise owned sites but plans on rolling it out to all its company-owned stores by spring.
Coca-Cola did not disclose the cost of the units.
The machine works by mixing ingredients using cartridges that are cheaper to ship and easier to store, as opposed to the bulky syrup used in traditional fountain machines.
Shares of Coca-Cola, which is based in Atlanta, rose 37 cents to close at $66.68. Burger King is owned by private-equity firm 3G Capital Management.
