"This is a really big innovation in the fountain business," said John Sicher, publisher of the trade publication Beverage Digest. "No one has anything comparable."

Soda fountains in restaurants represent about a quarter of the $74 billion U.S. soft drink market, Sicher said. Coca-Cola controls about 70 percent of the soda fountain business, but faces increased competition from convenience stores and other outlets that offer huge drink selections.

"Restaurant customers like McDonald's are interested in being more of a beverage destination and competing better with convenience stores," Sicher said. The Freestyle machine lets them compete without installing a wall of coolers.

Besides giving consumers a dizzying array of drink options, the machines provide restaurateurs and Coca-Cola with an unprecedented level of information. They offer statistics on exactly which drinks are being ordered -- and how much, and when. The machines display that information to business owners and transmit it to Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta every day.

Coca-Cola marketing manager Dan Redler said the company could use that information to develop new products, based on the machine's most popular drinks.

"Our brand team will be watching," Redler said.

Restaurant chain Taco Mac has been using them for several weeks at two Charlotte locations. Bruce Skala, vice president of marketing, said the new figures allow him to track what he's selling much more closely, and fine-tune offerings for certain times. For example, Skala said he might notice which drinks sell best on nights when wings also sell strongly -- a good menu pairing to push to customers. (MCT)