As the summer turns to the fall, several beverage startups have announced new personnel hires.

• Following the acquisition of Bang maker Vital Pharmaceuticals (VPX) by Monster Energy this summer, former VPX CFO Greg Robbins has found a new position at mushroom elixir brand Odyssey, according to LinkedIn. Robbins began his tenure as CFO at the Florida-based startup last month. He previously held that title at VPX from March 2020 until July, and also spent over a decade as VP of Finance for Red Bull North America.
• Zero sugar beverage maker Zevia has named Kirsten Suarez as its new CMO. Suarez previously served as CMO at Swedish food company N!CK’S and has held positions at Taco Bell and Procter & Gamble. At Zevia, she will report directly to CEO and president Amy Taylor.
• Cannabis beverage manufacturer Wherehouse Beverage Company, which was founded earlier this year and makes the WYNK and Countdown THC brands, announced two new leadership roles last month. Boardroom Brew Beverage Consulting founder Sol Clahane was named as Chief Commercial Officer, while former Canopy Growth VP Phil McFarland has taken the role of General Manager, THC Beverages.

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Self-serve refills at the Golden Arches will soon enough be a thing of the past. McDonald’s has announced plans to eliminate self-service soft drink machines at all of its U.S. restaurants by 2023, as reported by the Associated Press. 

• In an email sent to the AP,  the fast-food giant said it is eliminating the machines in an effort to create consistency for customers and crew members across the chain’s offerings – from in-person dining to online delivery to drive-thru options. 
• McDonald’s did not share whether any other factors, such as finances or sanitation, also played a role in the decision. 
• Some locations have already removed the self-serve machines, much to the dismay of customers. One user on X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) said their local McDonald’s removed the machines not long ago and, when they asked an employee for a refill, it “took them more than five minutes just to refill my drink.”
• “If they had [the self-serve machines] I could have refilled it myself in less than 30 seconds,” the user wrote.

Christy Goldsby, the founder of fast-growing refrigerated snack brand Honey Mama's, explained why demoing is the foundation of its marketing strategy, leaning on a ‘truth radar’ at every step during a package revamp, how the company navigated a high profile retailer’s devastating decision to discontinue the brand and why handing over day-to-day operations was the right move for its future.

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