Students took notice that CMU replaced Coke products over the winter break.
Facilities staff switched out every vending machine on campus, replaced the Coke drink towers in The Caf and on-campus restaurants and installed a Red Bull fridge and Pepsi signs in Rowdy’s. Students and staff have expressed mixed thoughts about the change.
Freshmen hospitality management and economics major Michaela Van’t Land described how the change made them feel in prose:
“The doors to the University Center swing open, spilling cold air into the building. Footsteps click on the tile floor and make their way to Rowdy’s. As they cross the threshold, the footsteps slow; the air feels different, new. Something has changed. The footsteps continue, heading to the fridges lining the back wall. There, they stop. Suddenly, two kneecaps hit the floor with a dull thud. A wail echoes through the building; one so full of sorrow and lament that every soul in the vicinity felt it reverberate within their heart.”
While Van’t Land’s description is a dramatization, it captures the emotional pain she felt.
“But that’s what my soul wanted to do when I found out they didn’t carry Monster anymore,” Van’t Land said.
Van’t Land also noted a change in prices compared to previously carried Pepsi products.
“I think now, especially at Rowdy’s, it’s a lot more expensive. I noticed the drinks are a dollar or two more expensive, which is disappointing because you have to pay more for the same stuff,” Van’t Land said.
Currently, a Red Bull at Rowdy’s costs five dollars and ten cents.
Chick-Fil-A student employee Kala White shared that many of the students she serviced were sad to see certain beverages go.
“The Cherry Coke is a big one that a lot of students miss. So was Diet Coke as well as Sprite,” White said.
In contrast, Flat Top Grill employee Sandy Miranda reports that a lot of the students were excited about the switch.
“A lot of people were happy about it, they liked Pepsi more than Coke. They were happy about the teas and the Starry,” Miranda said.
From a student employee perspective, White reported that Pepsi “has been an amazing company to work with.” She explained how quickly the maintenance team responded to an issue with one of the Chick-Fil-A drink towers.
“They came in the next day and fixed it. It would have taken Coke two or three days,” White said.
Furthermore, Flat Top Grill supervisor Aaron Gutierrez explained that Pepsi is more flexible than Coke. Employees can stock other products alongside Pepsi.
“They allow us to carry Red Bulls which a lot of students were wanting,” Gutierrez said. “I know they gave us a little more freedom on what we could stock. I think that’s why we’ve got kombuchas and stuff too.”
The initial installation of the new Pepsi vending machine did cause a few problems at Flat Top Grill. Miranda explained that there was a period of overlap between the end of the Coke supply and the new Pepsi products.
“We ran out of certain drinks before we switched; for almost a week we were running out of pop,” Miranda said.
The rationale behind this sudden change has brought many theories from students, with White saying she heard that CMU “threw names in a hat and pulled [Pepsi].” Other sources speculate that Coke did not show up for their contract renewal meeting.
Gutierrez has been at CMU for the past decade also revealed that this is not the first time CMU has partnered with Pepsi.
“I don’t exactly know the details as to why, but I just know that every five years or so, we switch back and forth,” Gutierrez said.
There is not a clear answer as to why Coke did not renew their contract with CMU. Additionally, it is not clear why CMU chose Pepsi as its new drink sponsor. The Criterion has reached out to CMU’s procurement team for more information.
