PURCHASE, N.Y., May 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Have you dreamed of a raspberry lemon Mountain Dew, a Diet Pepsi flavored with vanilla and strawberry or a Brisk Iced Tea with a splash of cherry? Now if you can dream it, you can drink it with Pepsi Spire -- a portfolio of innovative fountain beverage dispensers that allow consumers to create more than 1,000 customized beverages with the touch of a button, while giving foodservice operators a choice of flexible and cost-effective equipment to pick from to best meet their needs. Pepsi Spire is now available in select U.S. locations and will continue to roll out through 2014.

The Pepsi Spire portfolio currently consists of three state-of-the-art touchscreen fountain unit models that allow consumers to easily create their own personalized beverages in a fun and engaging environment. Pepsi Spire pours a wide range of brands from PepsiCo's diverse portfolio of carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Brisk Iced Tea and SoBe Lifewater, as well as an assortment of zero-calorie flavor shots, including cherry, lemon, vanilla, strawberry, raspberry and lime. 

"We are in the middle of an exciting evolution of personalization. The 'maker movement' has influenced the way people relate to brands and one another and design has infiltrated everything we consume," said Brad Jakeman, president, PepsiCo Global Beverages Group (@BradJakeman). "What better way to empower consumers to make their own personalized drinks than by giving them the chance to create more than 1,000 beverage combinations with one simple touch of our sleek, engaging, modern Pepsi Spire."

"Not only does Pepsi Spire bring the fountain beverage experience to life for consumers in a dynamic way with the brands they love, but it meets the varying business needs of our foodservice operators," said Kirk Tanner, president, PepsiCo Foodservice. "Our customers want flexible solutions and a portfolio of equipment choices, while also being innovative, fresh and fun. The Pepsi Spire portfolio offers something for everyone and it will play a key role in our broader foodservice growth strategy."

The Pepsi Spire lineup currently includes three models, each designed to meet a specific set of foodservice customer needs:

• Pepsi Spire 1.1 is a countertop self-service unit that allows consumers to create up to 40 beverage combinations using a 10-inch touchscreen.
• Pepsi Spire 2.0 is a countertop self-service unit that allows consumers to create up to 500 beverage combinations using a 15-inch touchscreen. This equipment is also available as a countertop crew-service unit for restaurant staff.
• Pepsi Spire 5.0, which is launching soon, allows consumers to create more than 1,000 beverage combinations using a 32-inch touchscreen. This equipment will be available as both a self-service countertop or as a free-standing unit.

The equipment evolved from the Pepsi Touch Tower, which was piloted in the U.S. in 2013 and is also available in Europe, Central America and the Caribbean.

The equipment's design shares the same visual design language that is being used across a number of PepsiCo's recent equipment innovations, including its Interactive Vending Machine and Smart Cooler.

Pepsi Spire 2.0 and 5.0 are also smart equipment, which allows PepsiCo and its customers to identify popular beverage customizations, gain real-time consumer preference insights and remotely update touchscreen content to further enhance the consumer experience.

The equipment portfolio will be on display at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago from May 17 to 20.

For more information on Pepsi Spire, visit www.pepsispire.com and follow @PepsiSpire on Twitter.

The deployment of Pepsi Spire is the latest example of PepsiCo leveraging its diverse food and beverage portfolio as well as its R&D and Design capabilities to provide a unique set of benefits to foodservice customers. Other recent examples include:

• In May, PepsiCo and Taco Bell announced that, for the first time, Mtn Dew Baja Blast – which was introduced 10 years ago as a "Taco Bell Original" fountain beverage – would also be available for a limited time in bottles and cans until the end of the summer or while supplies last. PepsiCo also partnered with Taco Bell in 2012 to reinvent its most popular menu item and introduced the Doritos Locos Tacos.
• In February, Shanghai Disney Resort announced a strategic alliance with PepsiCo and Tingyi Holding Corp. In addition to providing a wide variety of well-known, high-quality PepsiCo and Master Kong beverage brands, the partnership will also focus on developing innovative beverage equipment for guests who will visit Shanghai Disney Resort and exploring unique menu items through culinary innovation.
• Last December, Buffalo Wild Wings announced PepsiCo as the restaurant's primary soft drink and non-carbonated beverage provider. The two companies also announced plans to collaborate on joint marketing initiatives tied to sports and entertainment and to explore unique menu offerings with PepsiCo snack brands. In March, PepsiCo launched Ruffles Deep Ridged Classic Hot Wing flavored potato chips inspired by Buffalo Wild Wings.

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $66 billion in net revenue in 2013, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth in shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140515/88272

SOURCE PepsiCo, Inc.