The fast food chain Burger King Corp is to drop frozen Coke from its US restaurants. The move follows an apology from Coke after revelations that the soft drink company rigged a promotion for the drink in 2000.


Burger King said the beverage, along with similar drinks, was “not strategically relevant” to its business.


US franchises received a voicemail from Burger King CEO Brad Blum who said that “after careful analysis” the fast-food chain “has determined that the frozen carbonated beverage products are not strategically relevant to the long-term vision for the Burger King brand.


“Despite best efforts, the performance of these products has been disappointing.”


In June Coca-Cola admitted that it had overestimated by several million dollars the carrying value of frozen uncarbonated drink machines used in a promotional program with fast food chain Burger King.

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On top of this Coke said that some workers involved in a Burger King-related frozen drinks promotion in Richmond, Virginia had “improperly influenced” the results of that test in 2000. The employees had been disciplined in 2001 for tainting results.


“We are very disappointed in the actions of the Coca-Cola Company,” Blum said at the time.
Coca-Cola president and chief operating officer Steve Heyer apologised to Burger King.

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