Jackson Garrett
Contributing Writer
Willamette has changed beverage sales this year. Redbull can no longer be found in Bon Appétit locations on campus. Students will either have to go with Rockstar energy drinks or go to The Bistro for Redbull.
Up until the start of fall semester, Bon Appétit, the company that runs Goudy Commons, Blitz Market, and Rick’s Cafe, has had a deal with Red Bull and Pepsi. The way it works is that Willamette goes through a merchandiser for Pepsi Co. A merchandiser is someone who provides the school with large quantities of beverages and sets prices for sales to a distributor such as Bon Appétit. The previous Pepsi merchandiser, who is essentially a representative for the company, has been indifferent as to whether the school carries Red Bull as well as Pepsi products. However, the new Pepsi merchandiser has a different philosophy. Everett Mitchell (‘24), student leader and supervisor who works with Bon Appétit, said that “The new (representative) is very strict on the dot about no competition, no competing brands… Redbull is a direct competition to Rockstar, which is a PepsiCo company, so because of that we had to take it out.” While you won’t be able to find Redbull, you will be able to find Rockstar, which is owned by PepsiCo, in BonAppetit locations.
Redbull can still be found in the Bistro, which is independent of Bon Appétit Claire Wells, (‘23) kitchen manager at the Bistro, talked about the coffee shop’s situation being different from the others. The Bistro switched vendors this year, which makes the drink a bit less profitable, due the new vendor being a bit more expensive after financial disputes with the previous vendor. Wells said, “I order like 5 to 6 a week cases of 24 just to replenish what we have so I’d say we go through 4 a week.” Not only in the cans, but “we have been selling it with syrup, kind of like Dutch Bros.” It is unknown whether or not these contracts have any plans to change in the near future.