*By Madison Alworth*
Coca-Cola announced Friday it will buy the UK coffee chain Costa for a piping $5.1 billion. The deal is Coke's largest acquisition to date.
According to Wall Street Journal reporter Jennifer Maloney, this was a diversification move, and Coke CEO James Quincey's way to make good on his word.
"He wanted to provide beverages to people at any time of day and any occasion," Maloney said Friday in an interview with Cheddar.
The deal marks Coke's first foray into the hot beverage industry. The timing couldn't be better. With the [soda market] (https://www.businessinsider.com/pepsi-ceo-inda-nooyi-predicted-soda-declines-2018-8) continuing to fall, Coca-Cola is looking to add more options to its portfolio. This move is also just the latest in a bubbling trend of soda brands trying to please calorie-conscious consumers. A little over a week ago, [Pepsi](https://cheddar.com/videos/pepsi-adds-sodastream-to-healthy-drinks-lineup) announced its purchase of seltzer machine maker SodaStream.
Costa has a large footprint abroad with 3,800 cafes in the U.K. and a growing presence in China.
That country has been a target of the coffee industry as consumption of the caffeinated beverage continues to soar. Although Chinese consumers traditionally prefer tea, Chinese millennials are adopting java in droves. According to the International Coffee Organization and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, over the past four years coffee imports to China have grown by 16 percent a year compared to 2 percent in the U.S.
According to Maloney, China is Costa's biggest market outside of the UK. Costa has approximately 450 locations in the country and Coke's CEO is focused on that as a new market.
"He sees China as a great opportunity to expand retail locations," Maloney said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/coca-cola-cozies-up-to-costa).
Friend breakups aren’t new, but people are starting to talk about them more. Experts say they can be even more painful than romantic breakups, and now there are more resources to help those affected. Cheddar News reporter Ashley Mastronardi reports on efforts to shed more light on this all-too-common issue.
In this edition of Shannon's Summer Staycation, Cheddar's Own Shannon LaNier recreates the glamping experience in his own backyard.
Aileen Del Cid, head of marketing at Samsung TV Plus, sat down with Cheddar News reporter Michelle Castillo to discuss the platform's plans to stand out from the streaming competition with a new channel featuring Conan O'Brien.
Valeria Caceres-Gil, senior manager of admissions and matchmaking at the ASPCA Adoption Center, gives some tips on how to prepare your pet for a road trip.
Jordan Schlansky, associate producer of 'Conan,' sat down and spoke with Cheddar News about Conan O'Brien's launch on Samsung TV Plus, touched on his favorite interviews with Conan and also teased the upcoming Max series, 'Conan Must Go.'
Did you know that Actor Tom Hanks is an avid collector of antique typewriters? He's not alone! Take a look at how Hanks and one New Jersey man formed an unlikely bond over a nearly 100-year-old antique typewriter.
A new, furry, and four-legged member has just joined the Suffolk County Police Department on Long Island. Meet "Luna." Luna is a therapy dog in training with the department and was named in honor of Fallen FDNY Firefighter William "Billy" Moon who lost his life last year. "Luna" means "moon" in Latin. We caught up with that hero's family to chat about what Luna means to them.
This Memorial Day weekend, settle down with plenty of good ol' American reality TV drama, a new season of an old 'What to Stream' favorite, and a quick, deep look at how much we mess up other people's names.
From Queen Bey's tribute to the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll to the banning of a historic poem, here are your top entertainment headlines.
A service dog named Justin got a diploma along with his owner, Grace Mariana, during a graduation ceremony at Seton Hall University on Monday.
