Pepsi is a near and dear product for the Arapahoe Community College (ACC) community – regardless, changes are being made to make way for a new vendor: Coca-Cola.

An email was sent out to all ACC employees on behalf of the Vice President of Finance & Administrative Services, Belinda Aaron.

“Out with the old and in with the new…CCCS has chosen our sole source drink vendor as Coca-Cola!” the email stated.

Although it affects the colleges on a lower level, the decision was ultimately up to the Colorado Community College System (CCCS)

“Basically, CCCS bids and negotiates one agreement for exclusive drink rights for all 13 campuses and the System office,” Belinda Aaron explained in an email. “For the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, they notified us the new vendor will be Coca-Cola.”

Jeff Hairfield, previous manager of the café and bookstore at ACC, says that it is the college’s role to follow suit with the plans of CCCS.

“Follett – our company, we have Coke products in some of our stores, we have Pepsi products in some of our stores,” Hairfield stated. “It pretty much aligned itself with the way the college kinda carries forth as well – so we kind of piggy-back on that.”

The bookstore’s company, Follett, has a national account with the Coca-Cola company, making it easier for a swap to be made. The Pepsi inventory is slowly being withdrawn from the campus as Coca-Cola products make their way in.

“[Coca-Cola products] should be in our stores late June or late July,” Hairfield stated.

With this process underway, students and staff can now purchase the remainder of the Pepsi products at a discount within the café.

No official statements were released regarding an impact on the decision overarching business or finances. It’s safe to say there was no preference regarding taste or quality in the matter.

“We are a state entity (taxpayer dollars) so finances are a significant deciding factor in all negotiations,” Belinda Aaron said.

This shift in vendors is a surprising change to be certain, but it will be interesting to witness as the ACC community adapts to Coca-Cola products in the future.