The platform is kicking off a month of programming during Black Business Month to encourage dining at Black-owned restaurants with a block party, dinner events, free food at 25 restaurants nationally, and more

(Black PR Wire) PURCHASE, N.Y., - PEPSI® Dig In, the brand's platform designed to drive access, business growth, and awareness to Black-owned restaurants, returns with Pepsi Dig In Day, its annual calling to encourage diners across the country to visit Black-owned restaurants. This year, Pepsi Dig In Day is on Saturday, August 19, timed to National Black Business Month and is expanding its efforts to amplify and support Black-owned restaurants. New marquee activities across the country include a block party in Washington, D.C. highlighting local Black businesses, curated dinner events featuring chefs and restaurateurs in partnership with the James Beard Foundation, and Pepsi Dig In covering $100,000 in free meals for consumers when they visit select restaurants across the country.

In addition, Pepsi Dig In is once again encouraging foodies to show the love on social media by posting a photo of their meal from a Black-owned restaurant and tagging the eatery and Pepsi Dig In for the chance to win $5,000 to dine at their favorite Black-owned restaurants as well as unlock a $5,000 donation to the restaurant.

"Our goal for Pepsi Dig In has always been to celebrate and generate awareness for Black-owned restaurants, not just on Pepsi Dig In Day, but all year long," says Scott Finlow, Chief Marketing Officer of PepsiCo Global Foodservice. "This year, we're turning up the flavor and excitement with the support of renowned partners like the James Beard Foundation and events like our Washington D.C. block party where people can indulge in delicious food, cheer on talented chefs, and soak up the vibrant culture that accompanies every dish."

Pepsi Dig In Day on August 19
This year, Pepsi Dig In is giving food lovers a chance to discover every bite is Better With Pepsi and explore more ways to get involved and dine at Black-owned restaurants across the country, including:

• Offering complimentary signature dishes at 25 restaurants (while supplies last) in major cities nationally. Pepsi Dig In is covering $100,000 in free food to encourage diners to discover Black-owned restaurants and explore their diverse offerings in cities including Los Angeles, Nashville, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia and more. Fans can visit EatOkra – the largest database of Black-owned restaurants – to find participating locations and other establishments in their area. In addition, foodies can check out Black and Mobile to order delivery from Black-owned restaurants in their local neighborhood.
• Hosting a Pepsi Dig In Day Block Party on August 19 in Washington D.C., already a city that boasts one of the largest concentrations of Black-owned businesses in the U.S., Pepsi Dig In is bringing its festivities to Anacostia – one of the country's historic African American neighborhoods. The block party at Sandlot Anacostia will host performances by GRAMMY Award nominated artist Pusha T, Alex Vaughn, Black Alley, DJ Five9 and DJ Money to bring locals together, create connections, and foster a sense of community while spotlighting Black restaurateurs and small Black-owned businesses. Featured local restaurants include Roaming Rooster, Jerk at Nite, Money Muscle BBQ and more.
• Giving fans the chance to win $5,000 when they post their meal on Instagram or Twitter and tag their favorite local Black-owned eatery and @PepsiDigIn with #DigInShowLove #Sweepstakes from August 1 to August 31. See Official Rules for details and restrictions.*

Additional Pepsi Dig In Programming
Beyond Dig In Day, Pepsi Dig In is also encouraging diners to visit or order in from Black-owned restaurants throughout the month of August by:

• Spotlighting four Black chefs with week-long residencies during August at Platform by the James Beard Foundation (JBF)—a show kitchen and event space for culinary arts programming in NYC—with live cooking demonstrations, special dining experiences, and workshops for consumers. John Cleveland of Post & Beam in Los Angeles, Shenarri Freeman of Cadence in New York City, Ricky Moore of Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham, North Carolina, and Maya-Camille Broussard of Justice of the Pies in Chicago will showcase their talents to a new food-loving audience. Together, Pepsi Dig In and JBF will offer short-term and long-term tools to drive the continued success for these restaurateurs.
• Partnering with more than 40 corporate partners, as they offer employees a sponsored lunch from Black-owned restaurants during Pepsi Dig In Corporate Week from August 14 to 18. Companies include: National Football League, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Guardians, Dallas Cowboys, D.C. United, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Football Club, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Marlins, Motive, New England Patriots, New England Revolution, New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins, Washington Commanders, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota United FC, Orlando City SC, Orlando Pride, James Beard Foundation, Acceleration Community of Companies, FUSE, Golin, Genesco Sports Enterprises, Figure 8, Bento Box, Intersport, and more.

Pepsi Dig In continues its work year-round to support and spotlight Black-owned restaurants, offering restaurateurs access to Black Restaurants Deliver - a free eight-week program that offers personalized expert consulting services to support restaurants in building online ordering capabilities and search presence. With program management by Figure 8, Black Restaurants Deliver upskills restaurateurs and their offerings to increase sales and revenue long term to stay competitive in today's ever evolving digital world. To date, the program has helped more than 250 restaurant locations across the country nearly double their online sales. Additionally, Pepsi Dig In has partnered with global gaming and entertainment company MGM Resorts International to give Black restaurateurs opportunities to be recognized on a national scale with its Restaurant Royalty Residency program. In alignment with MGM Resorts' commitments to greater inclusion, this initiative features talented chefs and their curated, limited-edition menu items for four weeks at specialty restaurants at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

For further information on Pepsi Dig In, fans can visit PepsiDigIn.com and follow @PepsiDigIn on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest updates.

About Pepsi Dig In

Pepsi Dig In is a platform designed to drive access, business growth, and awareness to Black-owned restaurants. Pepsi Dig In helps diners discover, dine at, or order from Black-owned restaurants while providing resources, mentorship, and training to Black restaurateurs. Utilizing the scale and reach of PepsiCo and its partners, Pepsi Dig In aims to create opportunities for Black-owned restaurants to thrive.

Launched in 2020 as part of PepsiCo's Racial Equality Journey (REJ), the company committed $50 million to support Black-owned businesses over five years, part of PepsiCo's larger REJ initiative totaling more than $400 million to increase representation within the company, support Black-owned businesses, and help to create economic opportunities in the communities it serves.

For more information, visit pepsidigin.com and follow @pepsidigin on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $86 billion in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complimentary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for the planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo. 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Begins 8/1/23, 12:00:00 a.m. ET and ends 8/31/23, 11:59:59 p.m. ET. Open to legal U.S. residents residing in the 50 US/DC who are 18 or older (19 or older for AL/NE) at the time of entry. Void where prohibited. To enter without making a purchase, email pepsidigin@genescosports.com with "Pepsi Dig In Entry" in the Subject line and include (a) your first and last name, complete street address (no PO boxes), day phone number, DOB and email address; and (b) the name and address of the Black-owned restaurant you would have tagged if you were entering via Twitter or Instagram. Limit one entry per person per day, regardless of entry method. Subject to Official Rules: bit.ly/3CPMfga. Sponsor: Pepsi-Cola Company, 700 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY 10577.

SOURCE PepsiCo Beverages North America