Coca-Cola's Secret Labs: Building Machines for Trendy 'Dirty Sodas'

Ever wondered how big companies keep up with changing tastes? Coca-Cola (a giant beverage company, stock symbol KO) is doing it inside secretive labs near its Atlanta headquarters.

The big idea: Customers — especially younger ones — want fancy, customizable drinks. So Coke is inventing new machines to make them automatically for restaurants and movie theaters.

One exciting project is automating the "dirty soda" — a trendy drink that mixes regular soda with flavored syrups, cream, or other ingredients. Coke has built a prototype that adds a dairy (milk-based) module to its famous Freestyle dispenser, the touchscreen soda machines you've probably seen.

Why this matters for business:

• Restaurants like McDonald's and Wendy's are adding more drinks because they earn higher profit margins (the money left over after costs) on beverages.
• In the second quarter of 2025, restaurant drink servings actually beat food servings, according to research firm Circana.
• Gen Z shoppers will happily pay $10 for a drink that looks good on Instagram or TikTok.

Some key numbers:

• Freestyle machines have poured over 67 billion 8-ounce servings since launching 17 years ago.
• Soda still makes up 69% of Coke's total sales volume.
• Coca-Cola's namesake soda alone was 47% of global volume in 2025.

Coke's machines also collect real-time data — tracking which drinks sell where and when. For example, AHA sparkling water is popular in office buildings and hospitals. This data helps Coke design brand-new products, like a limited-edition Orange Cream soda.

New machines coming:

• The Freestyle Mini (smaller, for tight spaces, holds 16 drink options) — already in Europe.
• A machine tested with AMC Theatres that makes colorful "refreshers."
• Customizable energy drinks.

The bottom line: Coke must keep inventing to avoid losing sales to trendy new drink shops. By automating popular drinks, it helps restaurants make more money while keeping its own products front and center.

This is an AI-generated summary. Read the original article at: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/22/coca-cola-innovation-labs-dirty-sodas-refreshers.html