Devotees of the fast food world can often be quite passionate about the things they like from their favorite chains.
Whether it's Wendy's making a big change to its french fries or the shocking removal of the Mexican Pizza on Taco Bell menus, there's no better way to see how much folks rely on their comfort foods than to change them or take them away entirely.
There's another level of debate that soda drinkers have been going back and forth about for decades: Pepsi (PEP) or Coke (KO). Fans of the former often complain that Coke is too sweet, while Coke fans say Pepsi isn't sweet enough (or just plain not good).
The rivalry goes back to the '80s and "The Pepsi Challenge," where Pepsi challenged people to a blind taste test to the two sodas, leading to a rise in Pepsi's market value while Coke's declined. There's even a documentary about that long battle: "The Cola Wars."
Culver's, a fast-food chain founded in Wisconsin in 1984 that's known for its ButterBurgers and housemade custards, has served Pepsi ever since it opened its doors.
But now it's announced it's making a major shift -- and it's bound to heat up the cola wars all over again.
Have a Coke and a Smile
Just one year shy of 40 years of selling Pepsi to its customers, Culver's has announced that it will be shifting to Coke products. The move will affect close to 900 restaurants in 26 states.
"We would like to remind our guests that in addition to Coca-Cola products, many favorites including Culver’s Signature Root Beer, Diet Root Beer, Dr. Pepper, and fresh brewed sweetened and unsweetened tea are also available to enjoy with their fresh, never frozen ButterBurger," spokesman Eric Skrum said in a statement.
The change has already happened at many locations, with all scheduled to change to Coke in the first quarter of 2023.
Some employees have taken to social media to discuss the change, saying that the reason is Coca-Cola is reportedly cheaper than Pepsi.
"The most obnoxious part of it all, is the change supposedly happened because Coke is cheaper yet the value meal I like has gone up a $1. So you get cheaper pop and then raise prices," one user wrote in Reddit's Culver's sub.
"It was a corporate level decision, coke outbid Pepsi unfortunately," another user who identified as a trainer at a Culver's location said.
Coke Vs Pepsi Forever
While Culver's fans squabble over the change, PepsiCo and the Coca-Cola company continue to compete.
PepsiCo just released its newest drink Starry in an effort to target Gen Z, a lemon-lime soda said to be comparable to Sprite, but with roughly half the sugar (Starry is 24g to a can, while Sprite is 44g).
Meanwhile, Coke is busy working on its ecological friendliness, making a new bottle cap that is attached to the neck of the soda in an effort to make the entire package easier to recycle.
There's no rollout date for the new caps just yet, but the company did reach its goal of 100% recycled plastics in 2021.
