White Castle's 96-Year Partnership with Coca-Cola Delivers Its Boldest Move Yet

All White Castle restaurants now feature the touchscreen-operated beverage dispenser with 100+ brands

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May 10, 2017, 06:00 ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- America's first fast-food hamburger chain offered Coca-Cola on its original menu in 1921. Today, the arrival of the immensely popular Coca-Cola Freestyle brings our beverage offering to 100+ different drink options – more than 80 of which cannot be found anywhere outside of Coca-Cola Freestyle.

"We have been dedicated innovators throughout our 96-year partnership with Coca-Cola, which began as one of just four menu items offered in our first White Castle restaurant in 1921," said Jamie Richardson, Vice President of White Castle. "The introduction of Coca-Cola Freestyle in each of our nearly 400 restaurants reflects our forward-looking drive and focus on delivering the best possible customer experience at every touchpoint."

With more than 100 beverage choices, the sleek and stylish freestanding unit offers something for everyone for the first time at White Castle Restaurants. With more than 70 low and no-calorie options, more than 90 caffeine-free choices and more than 80 unique brands offered nowhere else outside of Coca-Cola Freestyle, it truly offers the kind of variety designed to meet peoples' beverage needs and lifestyles.

At White Castle, the benefits of introducing Coca-Cola Freestyle are numerous. The advanced technology allows for more consistent, great-tasting beverages for our customers, who increasingly prefer greater variety in their menus today. Beyond customer preference, the new dispensers require less maintenance by team members and reduce space demands in our kitchens.

Coca-Cola Freestyle uses a dispensing system unlike anything else in the market. It features multiple technology breakthroughs – part of a portfolio of more than 250 issued patents globally on new dispensing technologies and designs held by The Coca-Cola Company – that ensure it provides great-tasting beverages and a wide variety of choice.

The innovative machine sports a touchscreen interface that is fun and easy to use. There is also a Coca-Cola Freestyle mobile app that allows people to integrate with their social media profiles, find Coca-Cola Freestyle dispensers nearby and search deals from favorite retailers.

The sustainability advantages of Coca-Cola Freestyle were another factor in White Castle's decision to introduce the innovative dispenser across the brand. By using highly concentrated ingredients, the dispensers reduce total packaging weight and the shipment of liquids, as well as avoid emissions that would be present if the same product variety were delivered in a traditional bottle or can. In addition, in 2015, Coca-Cola Freestyle began transitioning most of the brand product cartridges from existing hard-shell plastic to the new paperboard packaging. Converting to a paperboard container enables White Castle to recycle cartridges using existing methods. The materials for the new paperboard cartridges are sourced from SFI Chain of Custody certified fibers and include up to 15 percent recycled content.

About White Castle®
White Castle, America's first fast-food hamburger chain based in Columbus, Ohio, has been making Bold Moves™ as a family-owned business for more than 95 years. The company was founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921 serving The Original Slider® which was named the most influential burger of all time in 2014 by Time. Today White Castle owns and operates nearly 400 restaurants in 13 states. All White Castle Sliders are made from 100 percent USDA inspected beef. White Castle's commitment to maintaining the highest quality products extends to the company owning and operating its own meat processing plants and bakeries as well as three frozen food processing plants. The retail division markets White Castle signature products in grocery, club stores, convenience stores, vending operations and concessions across the United States and in a growing number of international locations, including military base exchanges around the world.

Cravers on-the-go can access sweet deals and place a pick-up order any time in the official White Castle app. Download the app today from the iTunes App Store or Google Play. For more information on White Castle visit www.whitecastle.com.

SOURCE White Castle