Eleven-year York-Pepsi contract goes flat

Samantha Osaduke
Contributor
York has decided not to renew Pepsi’s campus-wide contract, due to end August 31.

While York’s director of food services Anthony Barbisan said the $7.5-million contract has provided York with funding to run student organizations and provide stadium upgrades, there is no desire on the university’s part to pursue another exclusive contract.
“We have no appetite to pursue another agreement,” confirms Barbisan. “We’ve chosen not to pursue it based on community feedback […] the campus retailers will be in charge of their own beverage supply.”
Up until the contract expiration date, on-campus merchants were not allowed to sell beverages competing with brands owned by Pepsi.
Iced tea sold on campus had to be Lipton Brisk; water, Aquafina; energy drinks, Gatorade.
This leaves the fate of the numerous vending machines across campus in question.
“I’m not sure what will be happening to them, but the food vendors won’t be affected [by the contract ending],” says York Federation of Students (YFS) president Vanessa Hunt. “The benefit to students will be that they will have the option of more than one brand of beverages on campus. Students will be able to choose what kind of drink they like, whether it’s Coca-Cola, Pepsi, or a fairly traded brand.”