Latest news with #Harp
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hilton's Tru brand updates prototype amid expansion
This story was originally published on Hotel Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Hotel Dive newsletter. Tru by Hilton launched a refreshed prototype in a bid to enhance guest comfort and flexibility as the midscale brand continues to expand globally, according to a Hilton release published Tuesday. Tru by Hilton has opened more than 300 hotels globally since its launch in 2016. The brand is seeking to expand in both primary and fast-growing secondary and tertiary markets in the U.S. and internationally, Brand Leader Andrew Harp told Hotel Dive. The new design brings enhancements to guest rooms, public spaces and guest floors that are 'rooted in real-world feedback' from guests, owners and hotel teams, according to Harp. Guest rooms in the refreshed Tru prototype feature a redesigned mobile rolling desk intended to offer space for working or dining, as well as improved lighting and updated furnishings to create a 'warmer, more welcoming atmosphere,' according to Hilton. A new roller shade system for window treatments also minimizes maintenance labor and downtime compared to the previous design, the company said. A revamped lobby features soft seating and high-back chairs, as well as a media wall with lobby games. Meanwhile, the brand has added a 'heat and cool' station near the elevator offering microwaves, ice machines and water-bottle refilling in response to guest and operator feedback. Harp said Hilton is 'focused on evolving the Tru experience in ways that drive loyalty, deliver value and set the brand up for long-term growth.' 'We're seeing strong demand from travelers seeking a vibrant, value-minded and practical hotel stay,' Harp told Hotel Dive, adding that the brand's global expansion has been driven by markets with a 'rising middle class.' Tru's flexible model, Harp noted, will allow the brand to expand further in both primary and fast-growing secondary and tertiary markets. Tru currently has 175 additional hotels in development, according to Hilton's website. In March, the brand opened Tru by Hilton Houston Downtown Convention Center, a dual-flag property with Home2Suites across from Houston's Toyota Center. Hilton has more than 100 dual-brand properties under development, as of a March announcement. The Tru by Hilton and Home2Suites pairing is the most common, per the company.
Hospitality Net
21-05-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Tru by Hilton Introduces Meaningful Prototype Changes, Expands Global Reach with Over 300 Open Hotels
MCLEAN, Va. – Tru by Hilton, Hilton's (NYSE: HLT) game-changing midscale brand, is unveiling a refreshed prototype—featuring purposeful updates designed to enhance comfort, flexibility and the overall guest experience. Since launching in 2016, the brand has seen rapid growth and momentum, boasting more than 300 hotels globally with recent brand debuts in Vietnam, Chile and Colombia. This expanding global reach offers more opportunity for travelers to enjoy Tru's consistent, high value stay experience while demonstrating how the brand continues to redefine expectations of a midscale hotel. Over the past eight years, Tru by Hilton has grown from a bold idea into a beloved brand that resonates with owners and guests around the globe. Our journey has been defined by rapid growth, continuous innovation and a commitment to delivering a stay that's simple, spirited and smart. We're excited to continue expanding our presence around the world and to welcome even more travelers to experience the Tru difference. Andrew Harp, Brand Leader, Tru by Hilton With a strong foundation in place, Tru by Hilton has quickly established itself as a leader in the midscale category and has been recognized for its guest satisfaction. As the brand continues to grow, it's also evolving to meet the changing needs of today's travelers, building on its reputation for reliability, affordability and spirited hospitality. A Refreshed Prototype Designed for Today's Traveler Tru by Hilton is introducing a refreshed prototype that brings thoughtful design enhancements to guest rooms, public spaces and guest floors. Grounded in feedback from guests, owners and hotel teams, the updates are designed to elevate comfort, flexibility and overall satisfaction, all while maintaining the approachable style and value Tru is known for. In guest rooms, updates include a re-designed mobile rolling desk that offers a large, versatile surface for working, dining or relaxing. Improved lighting and updated furnishings throughout the rooms help create a warmer, more welcoming atmosphere. The new roller shade system design for window treatments now offers an intuitive solution for guests while minimizing maintenance labor, downtime and cost versus the previous design. The lobby now features new soft seating and high-back chairs, giving guests more ways to relax or connect. A redesigned media wall brings Tru's signature lobby games front and center, encouraging spontaneous play and interaction. On every guest floor, the addition of a heat. & cool. station near the elevator gives travelers easy access to microwaves, ice machines and water bottle refill stations, an intuitive update inspired by recurring guest and operator feedback. 'This prototype refresh reflects how we're listening, both to our guests and our owners,' said Harp. 'Every update is rooted in real-world feedback, from added in-room flexibility to smart, efficient touches that improve operations. As we look to the future, we're focused on evolving the Tru experience in ways that drive loyalty, deliver value and set the brand up for long-term growth.' Hilton shared this video fly-through of the new design with current and prospective owners. Expanding the Tru Footprint Worldwide As Tru by Hilton celebrates the opening of its 300th hotel, the brand is continuing its strategic growth around the world. From distribution throughout the U.S. to major international cities, Tru is proving its versatility and cross-generational appeal across a diverse range of markets. Recent and upcoming highlights include: U.S.: Tru by Hilton Houston Downtown Convention Center: Opened March 2025 A dual-brand property that pairs Tru by Hilton with Home2 Suites by Hilton, this hotel offers guests a flexible stay experience and prime location across from the Toyota Center. A dual-brand property that pairs Tru by Hilton with Home2 Suites by Hilton, this hotel offers guests a flexible stay experience and prime location across from the Toyota Center. Vietnam: Tru by Hilton Hanoi Station: Opened April 2025 One of the brand's first properties in Vietnam, this hotel places guests near Hanoi's Old Quarter and major transit hubs, bringing Tru's modern approach to one of South East Asia's most dynamic capitals. One of the brand's first properties in Vietnam, this hotel places guests near Hanoi's Old Quarter and major transit hubs, bringing Tru's modern approach to one of South East Asia's most dynamic capitals. Canada: Tru by Hilton Montreal Centre-Ville: Opening Summer 2025 This upcoming property marks a milestone for Tru in Canada, introducing the brand's fresh design and value-driven offering to the heart of downtown Montreal. This upcoming property marks a milestone for Tru in Canada, introducing the brand's fresh design and value-driven offering to the heart of downtown Montreal. Mexico: Tru by Hilton Saltillo: Opening Summer 2025 Expanding Tru's presence in Mexico, this property sits in one of the country's growing industrial hubs, offering easy access to cultural attractions and manufacturing corridors. While the 300th hotel marks an exciting milestone, Tru by Hilton is just getting started. With more openings on the horizon, a refreshed prototype designed for today's traveler and growing demand across the globe, the brand is poised to continue delivering the consistency guests count on with the spirited experience they love. For more information about Tru by Hilton, visit About Hilton Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 24 world-class brands comprising more than 7,600 properties and nearly 1.2 million rooms, in 126 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed over 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, was named the No. 1 World's Best Workplace by Great Place to Work and Fortune and has been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for seven consecutive years. Hilton has introduced industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the nearly 190 million Hilton Honors members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can't buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Kadrie Lamin Hilton View source
The 42
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The 42
The feeling, the heart, the soul: Clones and Croke Park get us in the guts
THERE'S A PICTURE of an Ulster final day of the 1960s. As Fermanagh Street tumbles down from Matt Fitzpatrick Square and ramps heavenwards towards St Tiernach's Park, the scene demands your attention. Advertising hoarding juts out from the street façade, advising that Guinness is good for you, the famous Harp lager sign and ladies hairdressing saloons. You could smoke your lungs to a standstill if you followed the advice of Sweet Afton and Gold Flake. Clones in the 1960s. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Bunting tethered across the street. Beneath them, groups of young men in suits and women in pencil skirts stand around, taking in the day or else journeying up or down. Some 30 years later, the Cavan newspaper The Anglo Celt commissioned the poet and playwright Tom MacIntyre to write a colour piece on the 1995 Ulster final between Cavan and Tyrone. 'Clones, two hours before the match, the streets packed and rich with colour, sun shining, hamburgers and hot-dogs hopping up and down like eggs in a ponger. 'It's a Fair, I thought. The Ulster final has become a Fair, a Festival, a Fleadh. Are we starting to learn to enjoy ourselves, I wondered?' 30 years on from that day and I retraced MacIntyre's steps on Saturday. I parked out the Roslea Road end and walked around the long way to Matt Fitzpatrick Square in an act of self-sacrifice only matched by war correspondents. The square was resplendent as a technicolour dream; tangerine dreams and the green and gold of the most forlorn counties of them all. My hand went into my pocket to retrieve my phone in a futile attempt to capture it all. It's impossible to capture a feeling. On down through the hot, steaming mass of skin browning, baking or burning. Struck by the mix of all ages, the good humour and the obvious and gauche flirting of the rural Ulsterfolk; charming a potential partner by slagging them about something, anything at all. We are now at that age when we truly can say without irony that 'it is nice to, see the young people enjoying themselves.' 100 'scuse mes' later and the crowd opens up as you stretch the calves on the climb to the ground. Banjos are being plucked by a street side beat combo. A tinny tannoy broadcasts something a bit country and wobbly. Off in the distance behind us, the techno thump endures. Advertisement The Clones hill in full voice. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO Images of children starved, bombed, burned and drowned from Gaza over the past year are fixed to the high fences. You cannot ignore them. They compel you to look and study and think how you can be in this unreality and confronted by the reality with banners imploring you not to support Israeli goods. Into the quirky concrete bowl and the day out properly unfolds. A line of people pouring into the hill remains right up until ten minutes after the game has thrown in. The day is alive and raw. None of this could have happened without the £700 handed over to local Methodist called Samuel Keary for some land that was turned into a ground and opened in time for the 1944 Ulster final. What a legacy. Questions have been raised about the provincial system. Is it now 'fit for purpose?' Has it outlived it's initial aim? How much of that debate was generated by Dublin's unrestricted authority in Leinster? And where that argument tails off, it is taken up again by the current situation whereby the provincial championships are almost entirely a clean divorce from the All-Ireland championships, only, well, there's kids involved. The former Derry captain, Chrissy McKaigue, is the ultimate bottom-line man. An example: In talking to this website over the winter following his retirement, we asked how he felt about entering the knockout stage of last year's All-Ireland series having already lost three games, he pointed out that everyone knew the rules before the competition started. Soon after he lifted the Anglo-Celt Cup in 2022, he was in the cool of the tunnel leading to the dressing room. We passed a remark about the significance of the Ulster championship. Instantly, he replied that as of the following year, it had little relevance beyond as a seeding mechanism for the All-Ireland series. McKaigue was right. Factually, you cannot dispute what he said. And yet how wrong he is too once you strip away the logical part of the mind. What has been logical about the Ulster and Leinster championships this year? What we have had instead is an succumbing to our emotions. Gaelic football had lost that for many years. The crowds shrank and kept their distance. Twitter became an important tool to lift the sense of ennui, ostensibly to check on scores around the grounds, but truly to offer some topics of discussion and debate while that in front of you faltered and drifted along. The new rules of Gaelic football are not perfect. The rules of Gaelic football have never been perfect ever since Cusack and his accomplices codified them. But the games are more arresting now. The romance of Meath beating Dublin was only trumped by Louth coming up the rails and making good on their third consecutive Leinster final appearance. The crowd in Croke Park of 65,786 shows us that the drug of identity and belonging gives a heck of a kick. We are at our best when silliness and frippery takes over. For all the Trust The Process chat, the sight of Louth's Dermot Campbell throwing the Delaney Cup over the goalline at the Canal End shows that the 2010 Leinster final Grand Larceny burned a hole in the soul of all Louth GAA people that was partly repaired on Sunday. Thomas O'Reilly performs with Grace Agnew ahead of the Leinster final. Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO As a sporting body, the GAA are blessed to have such incredible talent working in photography as the scenes captured in Croke Park and Clones show. There's something about the blending of colour, with the heat of Clones. Light dying, the shadow of the Gerry Arthurs Stand. The windows at the back offering pin pricks of light. It was as its most radiant when an Armagh player clipped a Donegal player just after the final whistle when he was having what we might charitably term, 'a moment to himself.' Carnage: Armagh and Donegal get stuck into each other. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO Most people would fall into two camps; feeling that perhaps the Donegal player 'fucked around and found out', or that it was a disgrace that an Armagh figure pucked the head off another, before an accomplice lost all self-control and barrelled at his opponent. Jim McGuinness and Aidan Forker clash. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO There is something insanely compelling about the photography of that moment. Of Jim McGuinness displaying the body language of a man trying to de-escalate tensions but at the same time getting a bit ragged all the same, of a deeply-aggrieved Aidan Forker remonstrating with McGuinness, of a veteran Donegal supporter, his 2004 Abbey Hotel jersey stretched tight over his midriff while he ill-advisedly appears to be either getting stuck in or is the only man to settle everything. And in the middle, a flare that offers a texture, haze and contrast. These pictures might be some of the most dramatic images ever captured around a game of Gaelic Games. Or maybe, maybe, maybe that's just me. Clones holds secrets. Clones holds truths. Think of the day when Tyrone won their very first Ulster title in 1956. They were captained by 19-year-old Jody O'Neill of Coalisland. After the game he washed himself and made his way down the hill towards the Creighton Hotel, on the corner of the Newtownbutler Road. Underneath the arches of the old stables, there were haybales left out that people sat on, smoking, drinking, chatting. He met his father with some Coalisland people who were eager to take a sup out of the Anglo-Celt Cup. Once they had one, they urged the county captain to do the same. He looked nervously at his father, who said, 'Whatever you like, son.' He didn't take the drink. There's a million stories like that. Of the Eoin O'Duffy Terrace, named after an Ulster Council Treasurer, IRA man, the second Commissioner of An Garda Síochána and later Fascist sympathiser who raised an army to go fighting for General Franco. Of James McCartan's boot flying into the stand, propelled by Tyrone's Paul Donnelly acting the maggot. Of the multiple Armagh pitch invasions in 1999 before the final whistle. Of the Frank McGuigan masterclass of 1984. Is there anyone out there who is insane enough to believe that a British Government – who would rather see Bridie Brown, the widow of murdered GAA official Sean Brown, pass away without ordering a Public Enquiry as ordered up by the Court of Appeal – will ever make up the shortfall of funding for a redeveloped Casement Park? Related Reads 'Why not us?' - Sam Mulroy on Louth's belief as they end 68-year wait for Leinster glory It's bananas and bonkers but Armagh-Tyrone thriller shows Gaelic football is back Armagh land 1-20 in blistering second half to see off Antrim in Ulster quarter-final If so, they need to be cared for. But let's say the money is found from wherever. And a brand new stadium that surpasses the capacity of Clones is built in Belfast. There would be a wow factor for a time. But the links back through history would be severed. No more silage fields stripped bare in the heat of summer for car parking. No more pitch celebrations, with the St Tiernach's bell tolling in the background. No more of a town becoming an Ulster final theme park for the day. No more on-street drinking, haybales, long strolls out the capillary roads leading out of an Irish country town, glowing in victory, muttering cursewords in defeat. It's been this way for 30, 60, 90 years. It traces all the way back to 'The Creamery Manager' short story by John McGahern, when Garda Casey is reluctant to arrest a local businessman for financial impropriety. Because he once commandeered a vehicle to bring a few of them to an Ulster final. 'You gave us a great day out,' said Garda Casey. 'A day out of all of our lives.' You lose Clones, you lose that.
Boston Globe
10-04-2025
- Boston Globe
Man accused of 9 rapes while posing as rideshare driver now charged with assaulting an officer in jail
A spokesperson for Campbell's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Globe Wednesday evening. Suffolk County prosecutors say that for the better part of two years, Campbell pretended to be an Uber driver when he In once case, Campbell is accused of kidnapping and assaulting a women he picked when she left a holiday party at the Harp club near TD Garden in December 2019. Authorities allege that Campbell took the woman to his home in Rhode Island where she was sexually assaulted and held for three hours. Advertisement Campbell had a penchant for recording his attacks, according to prosecutors. When Campbell was first arrested, detectives found video recordings showing seven different women being assaulted. Campbell's ninth victim was discovered after Boston police found a recording of a sexual assault from 2018 of an 'unconscious or semi-conscious or unresponsive' woman that lasted at least 46 minutes, court records show. Campbell's newest charge for assault and battery on a correctional facility employee stems from an incident on the morning of Nov. 27 at the Suffolk County Jail, according to a statement from Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden's office. Advertisement During recreation, Campbell tried to take a uniform top that did not belong to him, the statement said. When an officer intervened, Campbell cursed at him, called him a name, and told him to 'shut up,' Hayden's statement said. Campbell punched the officer in the face twice, giving him a bloody lip. 'Just like we often see with all our other law enforcement partners, the daily duties of a correctional officer can be unpredictable,' Hayden said in his statement. 'I am thankful the situation here was quickly contained.' Campbell pleaded not guilty to the assault charge in March in the central division of Boston Municipal Court and his bail was set at $150, according to court records. Campbell's next hearing in the assault case is set for April 24. On the rape charges, Campbell is scheduled to be in court on May 21 for a motion to suppress. Tonya Alanez can be reached at
New York Times
26-03-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Why Are We Living in the Golden Age of ‘Gut Soda'?
Mikalah Harp's weekly Whole Foods run starts in the produce section, dutifully winds through the store and ends with the best part. On a shelf at the far end of the store is her favorite treat: Olipop's grape-flavored 'prebiotic' soda. This category of beverage, which appeared seemingly everywhere almost overnight, is hard to miss thanks to its beckoning pastel packaging and brightly printed text. The flavors alone do not sound all that exciting: 'Cherry Cola,' 'Classic Grape,' 'Crisp Apple,' but that's part of their appeal. To shoppers like Ms. Harp, the simple names suggest the drinks are made with just a few clean ingredients that can help keep them healthy. When Ms. Harp, 30, gets home, she patiently places her four-pack in the perfect spot in the fridge. By the time she reaches for a can at dinnertime, it's perfectly chilled and fizzy. She does her best not to pop one open before dinner, she said, but after successfully drinking only water all day, every once in a while she just can't resist. 'Sometimes, I get a little eager and I'll open it up just before dinner's ready and I tell myself I can go ahead and have a little sip now,' she said. 'I use it as kind of a reward to myself.' As an added benefit, she says she does not feel guilty like she once did when she treated herself to traditional soda. Ms. Harp, who loves this treat, is lucky. She's living in the golden age — or fizzy bubble — of gut soda. From January 2024 to January 2025, Olipop and Poppi retail sales totaled more than $815 million in the United States. Coca-Cola, which recently introduced its own prebiotic soda, said it expected these products to generate more than $2 billion in sales by 2029. In announcing that it had purchased Poppi for nearly $2 billion this month, PepsiCo said it acquired the brand partly because it hoped to 'offer more positive choices' to shoppers. 'People feel as though this is going to finally make them healthy,' said Gary Wenk, a psychology and neuroscience professor at Ohio State University. 'It's a fad, it's a gimmick. But you know what? In this case, it's kind of a good gimmick.' Mr. Wenk, who has studied soda for decades, said the drinks were better alternatives to traditional soda because they had fewer sweeteners, which is a step in the right direction for people's health. But more than anything else, he said, people are gravitating to them because they're novel. On the heels of Coca-Cola announcing its new prebiotic soda and PepsiCo entering the space, Atlanta — Coca-Cola's hometown and the city with the third-highest soda consumption in the country — offers a window into the modern-day soda wars and the people who love the new drinks. Fans, who in many cases were loyal traditional soda drinkers, said they noticed the arrival of the new-age sodas on shelves, at events and in restaurants, and they welcomed the change. After all, everyone needs a treat. And unlike traditional soda, which they've been told is unhealthy, they say popping a can of a prebiotic with lunch or at the end of a long shift comes with no guilt. Whether they're watching their sugar consumption or trying to get through a sober spell, the new sodas are a way to balance decadence with abstinence. In one Kroger in Atlanta, packs of Poppi sit in their own section at the very front of the store; at Publix, a mix of the most popular brands can be found in the 'soft drink' aisle on a shelf above classic brands like Coke and Pepsi. A Walmart representative said that after seeing growth in the sparkling beverage market, especially among brands with purported added health benefits, the company created a special 'modern soda' aisle to house the beverages around the country. Kate Terentieva, an Atlanta-based creative director in the advertising industry, recalled spotting an enormous billboard for Olipop's lemon-lime soda along the city's constantly busy Piedmont Avenue last year. She said everything about the ad, from the flavor to the location, felt like an intentional play for Coke's customers. 'Atlanta is home to Coca-Cola and that's always getting shoved down our throat,' she said. 'Brands like Olipop and Poppi may tap into people's FOMO and deprivation of variety' in the city, she said. Ms. Terentieva's hunch about the flavor was not exactly wrong. Ben Goodwin, Olipop's chief executive, mixes and tests Olipop's flavors in a lab. Soda, in many ways, is an essential part of American life and culture, he said, and that's why many of Olipop's flavors are inspired by classic flavors that connect to deep memories for people. 'Ninety percent of the flavors have purposefully had some kind of nostalgia,' he said. The Crisp Apple flavor — the company's 'runaway hit' — is reminiscent of Martinelli's, its Peaches and Cream shares the flavor profile of the peach gummy rings Mr. Goodwin grew up eating, and its Watermelon Lime flavor is like a watermelon jolly rancher. Mr. Goodwin says he labors over the company's flavors, trying to find the right balance of flavor-filled, but not too sweet because he does not want customers to feel guilty for enjoying their little treat. By all accounts, his plan is working. In February, Olipop — whose investors include Gwyneth Paltrow, Mindy Kaling and the Jonas Brothers — reached a $1.85 billion valuation after raising $50 million in its latest round of funding. A week later, Coca-Cola released Simply Pop, its own prebiotic soda through its Simply brand. Simply's senior director of brand marketing, Terika Fasakin, told Marketing Dive that 'you would have to be under a rock' to miss the growth in the prebiotic soda market. In Atlanta, people's desire for nonalcoholic options is also most likely driving the turn to prebiotics. A 2024 study analyzing national search terms related to sobriety and nonalcoholic drinks concluded that Atlanta was the most sober-curious city in the country. The city's first nonalcoholic bottle shop, the Zero Co, opened in December 2022; the next month, the Sober Social, an alcohol-free bar and coffee shop arrived; that summer, Soberish, a store selling nonalcoholic wines, beers and spirits along with CBD and THC adaptogenic drinks followed. 'There's a really heavy presence of wellness offerings in Atlanta,' said Blair Crosby, a beverage recipe developer and drink content creator in the city. Prebiotics play into that. A little peach purée, apple cider vinegar and honey mixed in with Olipop, Poppi or even a sparkling water and topped with basil leaves and peach slices can transform someone's day, she said. Ms. Crosby said the city's 'love of fizz' was most likely driven by people's desire to bring an element of simple luxury into their homes while being mindful about their health, a trend she thinks began during another difficult time: the coronavirus pandemic. 'Things are expensive, life sometimes just overwhelmingly sucks and it's great to be able to create a little moment of joy in your own place, whether that's with a solo sleepy time mocktail or while hosting friends,' she said. Doctors, dietitians and scientists agree that while prebiotic sodas are generally better than traditional sodas because of their lower sugar content (and better than the sugar replacements in most diet sodas), the jury's still out on whether they contain enough fiber to have significant gut health benefits. A can of Olipop has nine grams of fiber, almost a third of the recommended amount for adults, and a can of Poppi has about 2 to 3 grams of fiber, about 10 percent of the recommended amount. In June, Kristin Cobbs, a California resident, took Poppi to task, leading a class-action lawsuit against the company — whose cans used to say: 'Be Gut Happy. Be Gut Healthy.' Poppi reached a settlement with the plaintiffs this month, agreeing to pay $8.9 million. 'Poppi acknowledges no fault, liability or wrongdoing, and instead, we are focused on bringing consumers the innovation they expect from the brand they love,' Farial Moss, Poppi's communications director, said in an email.' Keysha Milana, a wellness coach and Ph.D. student now living in Illinois, said she first tried a prebiotic soda after being flooded with Poppi ads while living in Atlanta. Though she's a fan of both Poppi and Olipop, she now almost exclusively drinks Olipop. 'At first, it was an alternative to something bad, but now it's just the norm,' Ms. Milana said, adding that when her 17-month-old son is older, she plans to keep traditional soda off-limits, but not prebiotic soda. During the week, she takes Olipop's tropical punch or strawberry vanilla to work and about 30 minutes before lunch, she sticks it in the freezer so it's 'ice, ice cold' when she drops a reusable straw in the can. 'That gives me an endorphin boost to signify that I'm getting something that I worked for,' she said. 'I still feel good when I'm drinking that versus what I normally would have been drinking, so I feel proud of myself, too.'
