Court orders Coca-Cola to pull Dr. Pepper a from restaurant fountain machines
Fountain drink fans, you might have to brace yourself for this one.
That’s because when you head for your go-to Dr. Pepper fountain drink at your favorite restaurant, you might receive something different.
On Monday, a Texas court order went into effect that officially ended Dr. Pepper’s long-running distribution agreement with Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, which supplies Coke products to parts of California and Nevada.
According to Bloomberg, it’s a ruling that gives Dr. Pepper’s parent company, Keurig Dr. Pepper, full control to bring its soda back under its own distribution system.
Per Yahoo Finance, the technical legal shift means some Coke-affiliated fountains could lose access to Dr. Pepper syrup on Monday and when that happens, restaurants and theaters will then turn to Mr. Pibb, Coca-Cola’s “intensely flavored, refreshing, spicy cherry alternative.”
The courtroom battle kicked off in 2024, when Keurig Dr. Pepper filed a lawsuit in Texas to confirm it could end its license deal with Reyes Coca-Cola. The bottler tried to block the move in California court — arguing franchise-law protection — but the case was dismissed.
This past summer, a Texas judge ruled that Dr. Pepper had the right not to renew the contract and set the Oct. 27 termination date.
A spokesperson for Keurig Dr. Pepper told The Dallas Morning News the company “looks forward to bringing this distribution of the Dr. Pepper trademark into Keurig Dr. Pepper’s DSD system this fall.”
Meanwhile, Reyes Coca-Cola said in a statement to Just Drinks that it was “disappointed in the court’s ruling and respectfully disagree with the decision. We believe the facts and the law support a different outcome. At this time, we are carefully evaluating all of our options, including the possibility of an appeal. We remain committed to pursuing the best path forward and will continue to act in the best interests of our stakeholders.”
The timing coincides with Coca-Cola’s relaunch of Mr. Pibb, which resurfaced in stores this month. The soda, which was created in 1972 as a Dr. Pepper competitor, is now being marketed as a high-caffeine drink and offers 41 to 54 milligrams per 12 ounces.
The spicy cherry-flavored soda is available in most nationwide retailers.
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