Pepsi Invites People Across the Country to Make Their Meal Count on the First-Ever "Pepsi Dig In Day" Celebration of America's Black-Owned Restaurants

PURCHASE, N.Y., Oct. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Pepsi officially announces the first-ever Dig In Day, a celebration of Black-owned restaurants and chefs across America. On Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, everyone with an appetite is invited to dig in and uplift Black-owned restaurants in their community simply by enjoying delicious food and refreshing beverages.

Pepsi Dig In Day is the latest and most broad-reaching initiative the brand is spearheading to drive $100 million in sales for Black-owned restaurants over the next five years. A concerted effort to support these diverse culinary establishments that serve as the cornerstone for communities across the nation, the Dig In Day national call to action will be supported by dedicated advertising, partnerships, business resources and local events.

As Black-owned businesses encounter systemic barriers, which have been exacerbated during the pandemic, Pepsi built the Dig In platform last fall to drive awareness and support for Black-owned restaurants. Since then, Pepsi Dig In has rallied thousands of Americans to support Black-owned eateries and provided resources to help Black restaurateurs thrive. Many corporations and people vowed to support Black-owned businesses; Dig In Day gives everybody a way to reignite and sustain that commitment.

How Restaurants Can Participate in Dig In Day
Pepsi is sharing creative ways to get people ordering online or walking through the doors of Black-owned restaurants. Black restaurateurs are invited to visit PepsiDigIn.com to access resources to grow their business and make the most of Dig In Day, including dedicated toolkits to provide restaurant owners with templated brand materials to help bolster their marketing and social media efforts.

To gear up for November 6, Pepsi is collaborating with JJ Johnson, an award-winning chef, founder, TV personality, author and owner of FIELDTRIP restaurants located throughout New York City. Chef Johnson will help create immersive Dig In Day experiences for food-lovers, while also sharing the many ways industry colleagues can participate to help increase sales.

"Opening and sustaining a thriving restaurant is challenging, and these hurdles are even greater for my Black peers in the food industry," said Chef Johnson. "Pepsi Dig In Day is an opportunity to come together over a delicious meal while supporting restaurants that create jobs and uplift our communities."

How Consumers Can Support: Eat. Upload. Repeat.
Food lovers across the U.S. are invited to join together on Dig In Day to create a tidal wave of positive impact for Black-owned restaurants. The Pepsi DigInPassport.com, a new online destination, makes it easy to find one near you and earn rewards. The mobile-friendly site helps people seamlessly explore and select Black-owned restaurants, track purchases to show their support, and earn a chance for rewards that continue to pay it forward to the restaurant community.

Here's how people can get involved on Dig In Day and beyond:

1. Eat: Dine at a local Black-owned restaurant, in person or by ordering, and save your receipt.
2. Upload: Visit DigInPassport.com to sign up, upload your receipt, and automatically earn a chance to win culinary rewards. For those who upload their receipts on Dig In Day, Pepsi also will offer access to a soon-to-be-announced, limited-edition premium collectible item. 
3. Repeat: Start supporting local Black-owned eateries before, during and after the special day; and encourage friends and family to do the same by sharing delicious meals on social with #DigInDay.

"Black-owned restaurants shape the food scene in our neighborhoods. Now there's a dedicated day to support them as well as a resource to make it easy for people to explore and try their wide variety of delicious cuisine," said Scott Finlow, Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo Global Foodservice. "We're asking people to recommit their support and make their meal count on Dig In Day and every day. And we invite restaurateurs - no matter where they are in their entrepreneurial journey - to tap into free resources to help bolster their businesses and generate greater visibility."

How Companies Can Join the Movement
As employees increasingly want employers to act with purpose and many continue to struggle with stressors of remote working, Pepsi is inviting other companies to join the movement by inspiring their employees to participate in Dig In Day. Some of the first corporate partners to commit to buying their associates lunch from a Black-owned restaurant on October 28 leading up to Dig In Day include:

• James Beard Foundation, a nonprofit organization that celebrates, supports, and elevates the people behind America's food culture.
• BentoBox, a marketing and commerce platform dedicated to helping restaurants accelerate growth.
• Intersport, an independent media and marketing firm with services that span creative, digital, sponsorship, experiential and hospitality.
• Golin, a global public relations agency that helps companies create change that matters.

About Pepsi Dig In
In 2020, PepsiCo committed more than $400 million to advance racial equality within the company, industry and communities it serves. As part of that, the company dedicated $50 million to support Black-owned businesses over the next five years. As a result, PepsiCo has developed a multi-faceted platform designed to drive access, business acceleration, and awareness including millions in grants and resources. For example:

• Access: The PepsiCo Foundation bestowed a $10 million grant to the National Urban League to co-create the Black Restaurant Accelerator program, which will provide funding, mentoring and management training to 500 Black restaurant owners in 12 cities over the next five years. The program's first grantees were announced over the summer and the effort is on track to identify 100 grantees by the end of the year.
• Business acceleration: Pepsi kicked off Black Restaurants Deliver, a pro bono digital and delivery consulting program that is helping restaurant owners adapt to the new consumer landscape.

Restaurateurs interested in learning more can visit pepsidigin.com/resources-for-restaurateurs and all food lovers can follow @PepsiDigIn on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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 $70 billion in net revenue in 2020, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, Tropicana and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. "Winning with Purpose" reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of our business strategy and brands. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

About JJ Johnson
JJ Johnson is a James Beard Award-winning chef, TV Personality and Author best known for his barrier-breaking cuisine informed by the Caribbean flavors of his upbringing. Chef JJ's signature cooking style combines culturally relevant ingredients and classically trained technique with a global point of view. 

At FIELDTRIP, his made-to-order rice bowl shop that debuted in 2019, Chef JJ highlights rice as a hero ingredient and showcases it in recipes sourced from around the world. FIELDTRIP's first outpost opened in Harlem and has since grown to two additional locations throughout New York City in Rockefeller Center and Long Island City. As one of the only fast casual restaurants on Esquire's "America's Best New Restaurants" list in 2020, FIELDTRIP utilizes sustainable ingredients and ethically sourced vegetables and proteins, creating a flavorful and diverse dining experience. The brand's motto, "Rice is Culture," was born out of Chef JJ's belief that rice is the universal ingredient that connects us all and can be found at the center of the table in almost every community. Chef JJ is a Mastercard Ambassador and a television host on Just Eats with Chef JJ airing on TV One's network Cleo TV. 

Media Contact
Gina Judge
gina.judge1@pepsico.com

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SOURCE PepsiCo