Regal Cinemas Rumored to Switch from Pepsi to Coca-Cola Next Year

Regal Cinemas reportedly plans to swap Pepsi for Coca-Cola products across its theaters nationwide starting next year, according to Delish.

The theater chain has not issued a formal public announcement about the transition, but a current employee on Reddit confirmed seeing Coca-Cola representatives visiting a local branch to inspect soda layouts and take photographs in the concessions area, Delish reported.

“We had some Coke reps visit our location and take photos and see our soda layouts in the concessions area,” a current employee on Reddit said.

This operational pivot ends a partnership that began in 2020, when Regal switched back to Pepsi and memorably described the agreement as an epic love story destined for the big screen, according to Delish. Before that 2020 pivot, Regal maintained an 18-year exclusive contract with Coca-Cola following a period of serving Pepsi products from the chain’s founding until 2002, Delish reported.

Regal joins other major foodservice operators moving away from PepsiCo recently. Costco ended a 12-year contract to serve Coca-Cola in its food courts last summer, and KFC announced a switch to Coca-Cola products last month, Delish reported.

These retail departures coincide with manufacturing adjustments at PepsiCo, which has closed two bottling plants in Maryland and Tennessee since September, Delish reported. During a third-quarter earnings call last month, CEO Ramon Laguarta acknowledged that the company is not competing well in soft drinks and expressed dissatisfaction with the overall performance of the beverage business, Delish reported.

Consumers welcomed the reported change on social media. One user on X noted that the absence of Coca-Cola had been the singular downside to visiting Regal in recent years, while another expressed hope that the switch would bring back cola-flavored Icees to Regal theaters, Delish reported.

Regal has not provided a specific date for the rollout of Coca-Cola products, and it remains unconfirmed whether similar switches will occur at other major chains.

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