Reader: Red Robin's Burger Works Coke machine ties up traffic

Red Robin's new spinoff concept, Red Robin's Burger Works, is a smaller, less-dramatic-and-more-metallic version of the original, meant for smaller urban spaces. It has less hustle and bustle than the original stores, and also much less less square footage. But the Greenwood Village-based company did put a handful of its...

By Patricia Calhoun

June 28, 2012

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Red Robin's new spinoff concept, Red Robin's Burger Works, is a smaller, less-dramatic-and-more-metallic version of the original, meant for smaller urban spaces. It has less hustle and bustle than the original stores, and also much less less square footage.

But the Greenwood Village-based company did put a handful of its most successful burgers on the menu and, as noted by Jenn Wohletz, also added something not found in the motherships: the eerie, sci-fi-looking Freestyle Coke machine that can dispense a hundred different beverage combinations -- but could quite possibly also use mind control to enslave humanity.

Jenn Wohletz's Terminator-inspired concerns weren't shared by some readers, though.

Says eCurmudgeon:

The biggest problem with those Coke machines: Customer traffic tie-ups.

Ever seen one of these in action? Inevitably, there's a line of people either trying to figure out how the thing works, or simply wasting time trying to come up with just the right flavor combination. Meanwhile, everyone else is standing in line muttering invective under their breath to hurry up and let them get their #$^%&@! drink...

Have you tried the Freestyle? If so, how did you like it? Post your thoughts below, or join the conversation already under way here. And read Jenn Wohletz's complete review here.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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