PepsiCo and 11 Partners Develop Initiative to “Dig In and Support Racial Equality” for Black Restaurateurs
December 8, 2021
As part of its five-year $50 million commitment to help set Black restaurateurs up for success, PepsiCo launched Pepsi Dig In, an initiative created to “dig in and support racial equality.” It partnered with the National Urban League, Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance, 4thMVMT, MyBlackReceipt, EatOkra, Black and Mobile, Black Restaurant Week LLC, Figure 8 Logistics, Hudson Creative, Ten35, and Golin as part of the initiative, with the goal of driving at least $100 million in sales for Black-owned restaurants.
How to Get Involved as a Restaurant Patron
As of Dec. 6, 2021, Pepsi and its partners have driven $304,600 into Black-owned restaurants. To help increase this amount of revenue, here are a few ways restaurant-goers can get involved.
Upload Your Receipts to MyBlackReceipt.
Make your meal from a Black-owned business count towards the $100 million by documenting your receipts. As of Dec. 7, 2021, 804 receipts have been uploaded as part of the Pepsi Dig In initiative. Upload yours here.
Find New Black-Owned Restaurants on EatOkra and Black and Mobile.
Some of the best Black-owned restaurants are not always located in high-traffic areas. While most of the popular ones in Southeast Michigan are in Midtown or Downtown Detroit, there are still many throughout the rest of the region that are worth a visit. Find them on EatOkra, a local guide to Black-owned neighborhood restaurants, and Black and Mobile, an app that sources Black-owned restaurants nationally.
Resources for Black Restauranteurs
Black restaurant owners can also get involved with Pepsi Dig In in various ways. Here are a couple of opportunities.
Digital Marketing and Delivery Support. Pepsi noted unconscious biases as one of the many challenges that come with starting a new restaurant. This bias makes online visibility critical to their success, so Pepsi Dig In is offering Black restaurateurs free digital marketing and delivery support to guide their growth in and out of the restaurant. Apply for Black Restaurants Deliver, an eight-week consultation, to level up your digital and delivery presence.
Mentorship and Training. According to the Federal Reserve, Black-owned businesses have the hardest time getting loans. Pepsi Dig In creates additional paths for them to exist and thrive, with mentorship, training, and business support. One path is through the Black Restaurant Accelerator, created in partnership with the National Urban League and the PepsiCo Foundation. Over the next five years, $10 million from the Foundation will go to the development and growth of 500 Black-owned restaurants. Another path is The Pathways to Black Franchise Ownership program, which offers leadership development and business ownership opportunities for Black people in the restaurant industry. Through this program, PepsiCo committed to $2.5 million over the next five years to assist 100 Black-owned franchise businesses by 2022 and partnered with the Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance and 4thMVMT to do so. Learn more about both programs here.
Learn more about Pepsi Dig In at pepsidigin.com.