A partnership between Taco Mac and The Coca-Cola Company has resulted in two foodservice industry firsts.

The Atlanta-based casual dining chain is the first to roll out Coca-Cola Freestyle crew serve systemwide. As of July 31, guests at each of Taco Mac’s 29 locations will enjoy enhanced beverage options thanks to the 125 brands offered by Coca-Cola Freestyle. In August 2010, Taco Mac became the first casual dining restaurant concept to test the revolutionary back-of-the house beverage dispenser.

“Taco Mac is known for offering its guest more than 300 varieties of premium and craft beers,” says Gene Farrell, vice president and general manager, Coca-Cola Freestyle, The Coca-Cola Company. “By installing Coca-Cola Freestyle machines in the back-of-the-house, the chain is now able to provide that same type of selection to guests who prefer non-alcoholic beverages. The crew-serve version of Coca-Cola Freestyle was developed with this type of operator in mind, and the impact for our partner Taco Mac has been nothing short of remarkable.”

To support the launch, The Coca-Cola Company is working with Taco Mac to educate servers and guests about the enhanced beverage experience offered by Coca-Cola Freestyle. New tools include a Coca-Cola Freestyle training program for servers and tableside promotional materials.

“Installing Coca-Cola Freestyle in all our restaurants made sense to us for a variety of reasons,” says Bruce Skala, vice president of marketing, Taco Mac. “Beverage choice was foremost, but there were also operational efficiencies to consider. These dispensers will allow us to provide our guests with a better beverage experience and allow us to better manage inventory and equipment maintenance in the back of the house.”