Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Pepsi’s latest move comes as restaurants continue investing aggressively in beverages, a category many operators view as a significant long-term growth opportunity.<\/p>\n McDonald’s has spent several years expanding its beverage strategy as part of a broader investment in the category. The company grew its coffee and specialty drink offerings through McCaf\u00e9, while CosMc’s served as a testing ground for beverage-focused concepts before the chain closed all locations in 2025.<\/p>\n In May, McDonald’s introduced six new beverages, underscoring the chain’s continued focus on drink innovation and menu expansion.<\/p>\n Here’s some of\u00a0my previous coverage\u00a0on beverage menu innovations:<\/p>\n Chick-fil-A has broadened its beverage lineup with Frosted Sodas and Floats, seasonal flavor varieties, and customization options, including Sunjoy, Lemonade, and Sprite-based drinks. The company also launched Daybright Coffee & Refreshments, a beverage-focused concept in Georgia last year.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Taco Bell continued experimenting with specialty drinks through its Taco Bell Live M\u00e1s Caf\u00e9 initiative and limited-time beverage offerings as part of its goal to build a\u00a0$5 billion\u00a0beverage business by 2030.<\/p>\n The industry’s growing focus on\u00a0beverages\u00a0is largely driven by economic factors.<\/p>\n Restaurants typically operate on relatively thin net margins, often ranging between 3% and 6%, according to the latest industry data from\u00a0Toast.\u00a0<\/p>\n Drinks, however, can generate significantly higher margins than food items due to their comparatively low ingredient costs and premium pricing.<\/p>\n Beverage gross margins can range from 60% to 80%, while food margins are generally lower at approximately 65% to 70%, according to\u00a0KitchenNmbrs. In many cases, a drink that costs only a few cents to produce can be sold for several dollars.<\/p>\n That profitability makes\u00a0beverages\u00a0one of the most attractive growth opportunities for restaurant operators seeking to improve financial performance without significantly increasing operational complexity.<\/p>\n “Specialty beverages offer a way to refresh the value proposition \u2014 not just in terms of cost, but in experience, convenience, and customization,” said\u00a0Rich Products\u00a0Senior Customer Marketing Manager\u00a0Alyssa Barrett\u00a0on\u00a0QSR Magazine.<\/p>\n As competition intensifies across the beverage sector, specialty drinks are increasingly viewed as a strategic growth engine. Beyond generating higher margins, they can help brands\u00a0diversify revenue streams, attract new customers, expand into additional dayparts, increase customer visit frequency, and strengthen long-term loyalty.<\/p>\n Consumer demand appears to support that strategy. According to beverage technology company Botrista, 60% of global consumers prefer customizable drinks, highlighting why beverage brands and restaurant operators are increasingly investing in flexible drink programs.<\/p>\n For both manufacturers and restaurants, the battle to capture a large share of the growing specialty drink market is becoming increasingly important. <\/p>\n Whether House of Treats gains meaningful traction remains to be seen, but the launch highlights how beverage companies are adapting to a market increasingly shaped by customization, experience-driven consumption, and growing competition from restaurant operators.<\/p>\n Related: Starbucks brings back viral drink after 7 years, adds new item<\/strong><\/p>\n #Pepsi #bold #move #CocaCola<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For more than a century, Pepsi’s biggest rival was easy to identify. Every new product launch, marketing campaign, and distribution battle ultimately came back to Coca-Cola (KO), creating what became… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[246],"tags":[1476,578,233,7037],"class_list":["post-6803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-popular","tag-bold","tag-cocacola","tag-move","tag-pepsi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6803"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6803\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fintechpulse8.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![](\"https:\/\/www.thestreet.com\/.image\/NDA6MDAwMDAwMDAzMDc0Nzgx\/pepsi-beverages_ft_06102026.jpg?profile=rss\")
Restaurants are turning beverages into a major business<\/h2>\n
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Why beverage innovation matters<\/h2>\n