Decide which fountain beverage you are preparing (cola, diet cola, lemon-lime, root beer, ginger ale/beer, or orange soda). Only one concentrate is used per serving unless making a mix.

Dispense syrup

At the fountain dispenser, press the button or lever for the chosen syrup and dispense approximately 1.5 fl oz of syrup into the cup. Many commercial dispensers meter automatically; if manual, estimate or use the dispenser’s 1.5 oz mark.

Add carbonated water

Immediately after syrup, dispense 12 fl oz of carbonated water into the cup, pouring gently to preserve carbonation. Aim for a total volume near 14–16 fl oz including ice.

Finish and garnish

Gently stir once with a straw to mix syrup and carbonated water. If desired, garnish with a lemon or lime wedge on the rim and drop in a maraschino cherry. Insert a straw and serve. For refills, repeat steps 2–5; top off with soda and a splash of syrup if needed to restore flavor intensity.

Batch/Refill Setup (for service up to 8 servings)

Prepare carbonator and lines

Ensure the soda gun or fountain dispenser lines are properly hooked to the corresponding syrup bags and the carbonator is charged. Confirm carbonation and syrup pump pressures are set according to manufacturer recommendations.

Mix or load syrups

If using pre-mixed bag-in-box syrups, connect the appropriate syrup lines (cola, diet cola, lemon-lime, root beer, ginger, orange) to their valves. For manual batched service, pre-portion syrups into labeled containers in 12 fl oz portions per flavor.

Service dispensing

To serve, fill cups with ice as above. Dispense 1.5 fl oz of the selected syrup into each cup and top with 12 fl oz of carbonated water. For high-traffic situations, dispense carbonated water first into cups to the fill line, then add syrup to maintain consistent ratio and reduce foaming.

Refills policy

For refill service, top off the cup with carbonated water and add 0.5–1.0 fl oz of syrup if the flavor is diluted. Avoid over-syruping refills — ask the guest if they want the same beverage or a different one and prepare accordingly.

Storage & hygiene

Keep ice bins covered, change ice frequently, and clean dispensing nozzles daily. Store unopened syrup boxes at manufacturer-recommended temperatures and rotate stock by date.

Modifiers & Garnish Use

If using lemon or lime wedges, squeeze a wedge lightly into the cup before or after dispensing soda for added brightness. Drop a maraschino cherry into cola or root beer as a garnish. Use a straw for ease of drinking and portion control on refills.