The platform supporting Black-owned restaurants once again encourages diners to nominate their favorite establishments for its Restaurant Royalty program, with bigger rewards for diners and restaurateurs alike, including bringing a nominated restaurant to MGM Resorts International in Las Vegas

(Black PR Wire) PURCHASE, N.Y. - Pepsi Dig In, a platform designed to drive access, business growth and awareness for Black-owned restaurants, is kicking off its latest call for submissions for its Restaurant Royalty program with one of social media's most well-known diners: food reviewer Keith Lee who boasts twelve million TikTok followers. Entering its sophomore year, Restaurant Royalty, a program which recognizes the country's best Black-owned restaurants, will tag team with Lee to help transform the lives of Black restaurant owners and their businesses with his posts.

With a shared mission to give restaurants the recognition they deserve, Pepsi Dig In and Lee are combining forces to rally consumers to nominate their favorite Black-owned restaurants for Restaurant Royalty, and unlock rewards for themselves and their nominated restaurants alike.

Now through July 1, fans can submit their favorite local eatery on DigInShowLove.com or by scanning the code on display at a participating Black-owned restaurant to enter to win exclusive rewards. Prizes include one of ten $1,000 gift cards towards dining at fans' recommended restaurant, along with other foodie experiences in New York City and Las Vegas with Pepsi Dig In and its partners.

"I'm fortunate that people's response to my honest food reviews has turned into a platform that has made a difference for local businesses across the country. That's why I'm excited to pay that forward for Black-owned restaurants with Pepsi Dig In. The Restaurant Royalty program is about spreading the word to celebrate great food and boosting businesses along the way. I can't wait to see what people recommend and discover more new spots to try," said Keith Lee.

Pepsi Dig In's Restaurant Royalty program is a way for foodies to share their favorite Black-owned restaurants and discover new ones, while driving business growth and visibility for these restaurants long term. To celebrate the Restaurant Royals, Pepsi Dig In is leveraging its partnership with MGM Resorts International to bring a restaurant to Las Vegas to showcase their signature dish on one of the country's largest culinary stages.

"Restaurant Royalty is an integral part of the larger Pepsi Dig In platform and is designed to spotlight and support Black-owned restaurants year-round by tapping into their key audience: engaged foodies," said Scott Finlow, Chief Marketing Officer of PepsiCo Global Foodservice. "Social media can be transformative for restaurateurs and food lovers like Keith Lee reinforce the life-changing impact an individual and their platform can make. Our goal with Restaurant Royalty is to get even more diners excited to support Black-owned restaurants and use Pepsi's network, partners and scale to help grow these local businesses."

In addition to the grand prize, 10 Restaurant Royals will have the chance to receive additional amplification across Pepsi Dig In and EatOkra's social channels, and to be enrolled in Black Restaurants Deliver, an eight-week program that offers personalized expert consulting services designed to support restaurants in building online ordering capabilities and search presence. Black Restaurants Deliver upskills restaurateurs and their offerings to increase sales and revenue long term. Five Restaurant Royals will also have the chance to receive $10,000 in digital media buys for their businesses.

To help consumers find local Black-owned restaurants near them, Pepsi Dig In has continued its ongoing partnership with EatOkra, the largest database of Black-owned restaurants. The 10 Restaurant Royals will be announced later this summer via EatOkra leading up to Pepsi Dig In Day, an annual celebration to inspire Americans to show love for their favorite local Black-owned eateries.

One grand prize winner will be awarded a trip for two to Las Vegas in February 2024 plus tickets to football's biggest game on February 11 and a chance to dine at Pepsi Dig In's Restaurant Royalty Residency at MGM Resorts International. One first prize winner will be awarded a trip for two to New York City for an exclusive experience at Platform by the James Beard Foundation – a brand new show kitchen, educational hub, and event space for culinary arts programming at Pier 57's newly launched Market 57 food hall, featuring Black chefs from across the country in partnership with Pepsi Dig In. See official rules for details and restrictions.* 

To nominate your favorite Black-owned restaurants, visit DigInShowLove.com. For further information on Pepsi Dig In, fans can visit PepsiDigIn.com and follow @PepsiDigIn on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok for the latest updates.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Data rates may apply. Internet Access Required. Open to legal residents of the 50 US/DC, 18 or older (19 or older for AL/NE) at time of entry. Void where prohibited. Began 6/5/23, 12:00:00 p.m. ET & ends 7/1/23, 11:59:59 p.m. ET. To enter without scanning the code, and for Official Rules, visit DigInShowLove.com. Subject to Official Rules. Limit one entry per person/email address per day. Sponsor: Pepsi-Cola Company, 700 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY 10577. Entrant cannot participate solely by scanning code.

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.  

SOURCE PepsiCo Beverages North America