(Caffeine) Buzz: Keurig plans a new plant, 550 jobs, for Douglas County

In a partnership with Coca-Cola, the coffee giant is creating a cold-drink system.
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In the age of coffee filters and whole coffee beans, caffeinated mornings typically required calculated measuring and pouring, or the special artistry of a barista. Possibly even a scalding stain on a recently dry-cleaned shirt.

But now the day begins and two clicks later you’ve hit snooze AND made a cup of joe–already flavored to caramel or vanilla or coconut mocha perfection.

The one-click-wonder Keurigs have taken over office break rooms and post-collegiate apartments alike, and will soon be making their way toward Atlanta–in a volume much larger than a single serving.

The company announced yesterday that it will pour $337 million into a new manufacturing plant in Douglas County. Over the next five years, the plant is projected to bring approximately 550 jobs to the metro area, and, surprisingly, no coffee … but maybe a little carbonation. (If you know anyone job hunting, Keurig is taking applications here.)

Instead of beverage pods filled with the flavors and aromas reminiscent of Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts the plant will replicate single serving containers of America’s favorite cold drink concoctions for a new platform, Keurig Cold. The new beverage system requires the same finesse needed to operate the Keurig Hot Brewing System (er, the push of a button) and should debut in fiscal year 2015.

Coca-Cola and Keurig announced a 10-year partnership in February of this year, meaning that Keurig Cold systems will indeed spout out Coke products–and that interchanging “coke” for “soda” will no longer just be Southern jargon (hopefully). Between the two, we imagine Atlanta, awash with “fizzy lifting drinks,” may soon resemble something like this:

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