Gone were the days when you have to be contented with your soda fit that does not exactly “fit” to the liking of your taste buds but you have no other choice as you want to quench your thirst and your cravings for fizz.
In an effort to boost more sales and to address the taste preferences of different people, the Coca-Cola Company introduced the Coke Freestyle in 2009. This is a touch-screen soda fountain that currently features 165 different Coca-Cola drink products and flavors that can be customized depending on the customer’s taste preference.
To know how much exactly is the cost to own a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine, read along to know more information.
Average Cost of Coca-Cola Freestyle Vending Machines
It is said that the Coke Freestyle cost starts at $2,000 but could cost as much as $11,500 due to several factors such as remodeling among others. In addition, it can also be leased at approximately $320 per month.
It is speculated that the Coca-Cola Company is not too keen on selling the Freestyle vending machines as evidenced by the lack of updated price of how much is the current Coke Freestyle machine cost and even the lease price, as the oldest price circulating over the net dates back to 2013.
But mind you, the figures in those articles were not even current when they are published and their references date back to 2009 and 2010. A comment in Quora.com even insinuated that Coca-Cola probably just gather data from where most people interested in owning the machine are residing and the next thing they know, a machine would already be open near that area.
The safest way to know whether this is true or not, aside from knowing the current Coca-Cola Freestyle price, is to contact the company itself. But what is certain is that they would be assessing if your business is big enough or if it is feasible enough to install a Freestyle vending machine in your area as most installations you could see are situated in big fast food and restaurant chains, and in malls.
What are Included
If your business is lucky enough to get approval from Coca-Cola to install the Freestyle vending machine at your place of business, the Coke Freestyle cost would include the machine itself and its technology, as well as the base products Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Sprite Zero, Mello Yello, Mello Yello Zero, Root Beer, Diet Root Beer, Dr. Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper, water, Minute Maid, Powerade, Ginger Ale, Fanta, and Hi-C.
After the base products have been picked comes the flavor options in the likes of cherry, lime, orange vanilla, grape, raspberry, and fruit punch. But mind you, not having all the flavor options for the based products is a possibility.
Additional Costs
Like all other business, incurring additional costs is very likely. As this is a machine, you would likely need all the cost related to installation, protection, and also its limitation. To better understand what are being discussed here, below are the extra cost you need to invest on top of the Coke Freestyle cost:
- The cost of rebuilding the place where you would install the machine like the cabinets, countertops, and others as well as remodeling the piping and flooring if ever there would be hindrances in the installation. Rebuilding the cabinets and countertops could be addressed by your next-door neighbor handyman. But if there are some pipings involved, a skilled plumber would be necessary.
- Typically, the installation is not covered by Coca-Cola but you cannot just hire anyone to install the Freestyle machine just because you are paying for it. Only those professional contractors approved by Coca-Cola can install the machine. Installation cost is $300 on the average.
- The Coca-Cola Freestyle price is limited on the machine and the technology that comes with it. The supplies that are required to produce the finished products have to be purchased as well, such as the concentrates of each base products and the flavorings needed to be mixed after the initial supply has been consumed. Each cartridge replacement that produces the flavors cost around $45 to $50 depending on the flavor and the size of the cartridge.
- Another thing is the ice source as one of the limitations of the machine is it does not produce ice of its own. So it is either you buy a separate machine for the ice or have a standby source of ice near the machine for customers who prefer their drinks ice cold.
- Also, expect additional costs for the maintenance and upgrade of the machine and its technology. This usually happens at least annually, but can even be once every four to six months.
- And since the machine is electricity-powered, expect a surge in your electricity bill as it forms part of your extra cost of having a Coca-Cola Freestyle in your business.
Shopping for Coca-Cola Freestyle
As mentioned, if you really cannot wait to have the Coke Freestyle vending machine for your business, contact the Coca-Cola Company directly at the following address and phone numbers:
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated
4115 Coca Cola Plaza
Charlotte, NC 28211
or
PO Box 31487
Charlotte, NC 28231
(704) 557-4000
(800) 777-2653
Or better yet, inquire online through CokeSolutions.com or through their technical support at 866-265-3638. They are available from Monday to Friday, 7:30am-7:00pm EST.
Factors Affecting Coca-Cola Freestyle Vending Machine Cost
The Coca-Cola Freestyle vending machine expense is said to be pretty straightforward and what affects the overall costs are the ones mentioned in the additional costs of this article.
Choosing between outright purchase and lease contract would spell the difference on how fast you can recover your investment and how cost-efficient your choice would be, so a thorough market study is needed before making a commitment.
Sure enough, the lease contract would seem cheap if you think of the short-term. But purchasing the machine might be more cost-effective if you intend to operate it for a long time and the sales is good.
Other factors in the choice would be the treatment of the lease amount as against the depreciation of the machine in your income statement. Is the lease cost greater than the depreciation expense of the machine? Because these two accounts form part of your operating cost that is deductible from your revenue which affects the amount you need to pay your taxes, studying the effect of both on your financials is the way to go.
Additional Information
- The price per drinks or servings depends on the location but is usually $3.
- You may find the price of drinks dispensed from Coke Freestyle vending machine more expensive than those coming from traditional vending machines. This is because the Freestyle uses super-strong concentrate which is more expensive compared to those used in other machines.
- The Coca-Cola Freestyle machines have a hidden menu called the “Crew Mode” that is used to check the cartridge levels.
- These machines are so sophisticated that they use RFID chips to detect their supply level and to communicate to Coca-Cola and the owner their need to be resupplied, the brands sold, as well as troubleshooting information.
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