Big gulps and high tides forever: the dust may have settled after the fast-food frenzy of 1993, but there's still a fountain of opportunity at the spigot

US soft-drinks manufacturers are working hard to build on 1993's phenomenal sales growth of fountain-dispensed drinks. While 1994 growth was way down over the previous year, fountain gallonage for the first time represented more than 25% of total soft drink consumption. Coca-Cola Co debuted two programs, Coke To Go and The Beverage Center, which are destined for non-traditional outlets, such as gas stations and convenience stores. Pepsi-Cola Co added new restaurant and gas-station contracts in 1994 and Royal Crown Cola Co is heavily promoting its unique offering of RC-brand flavored drinks as fountain products.
When the numbers for 1994 start rolling in, growth at fountain will probably be about 50 to 75 percent less than it was in 1993. Normally, a declining growth rate [...]