Make Your Meal Count: People Across America Are Invited to Boost Local Black-Owned Restaurants on the First-Ever "Pepsi® Dig In Day" on Nov. 6

PURCHASE, N.Y., Oct. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Calling all food lovers! Pepsi is sharing a first look at some of the signature events and perks arriving for the first-ever Dig In Day, a celebration of all Black-owned restaurants and chefs across America. On Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, everyone is invited to uplift Black-owned restaurants in their community simply by enjoying delicious food and refreshing beverages.

"We all have to eat so let's create a positive butterfly effect for small businesses and communities alike by being intentional about where we dine or order from," said Chef JJ Johnson, Pepsi Dig In Day ambassador and James Beard Award-winning chef, TV personality, author and owner of FIELDTRIP restaurants located throughout New York City. "FIELDTRIP will serve a signature rice bowl in honor of Dig In Day, and I'm making plans to support my favorite Black-owned restaurants."

Pepsi is calling everyone to come together before, during and after Dig In Day by dining with or ordering from their Black-owned restaurant of choice, then uploading their receipts to DigInPassport.com – a new site that makes it easy to explore Black-owned restaurants, track purchases to show support, and earn a chance for rewards. Many Black-owned restaurants across the country are planning special offerings and activities that will make this first Dig In Day delicious for all.

Free Feasts on Pepsi Dig In Day (Nov. 6)

In all corners of the country, Dig In Day food trucks will serve up complimentary bites and ice-cold Pepsi Zero Sugar from various Black-owned restaurants:

• Ben's Chili Bowl will warm up fans with its three signature chili bowls at the University of Maryland vs Penn State University tailgate in College Park, Md.
• Brotherly Grub will share standout southern-inspired cuisine with a local twist at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pa.
• Off the Bone Barbeque of Dallas, Texas will dish out gourmet barbecue at the Baylor University vs Texas Christian University tailgate in Fort Worth, Texas.
• Trap Kitchen will whip up Cajun fare at the Black International Marketplace of Oakland, Calif.

For dine in, Seafood Connection will offer free, signature seafood dishes with house-made secret sauce at its restaurant in Houston, Texas.

Limited-Edition Merch Drop on NTWRK

To commemorate Dig In Day and inspire Gen-Z and Millennial audiences to get engaged, Pepsi joined forces with NTWRK, North America's premier livestream shopping platform, to create a limited-edition collectible. Chef Johnson and fashion designer/creative director Sheron Barber teamed up to design a Crossbody Culinary Case, which will be available exclusively on the NTWRK app on Nov. 6  at 9 a.m. PST/12 p.m. EST in ultra-limited quantities.

The all-original luxury leather bag and carrier was made with versatility in mind, combining functional features and easy-to-wear style elements for everyday use for everyone from chefs to on-the-go creators. The multi-purpose, black crossbody bag also features a detachable interior knife bag with cutlery compartments, pocketing, and reinforced padded walls.

How to Make Your Meal Count and Earn Rewards  

Food lovers are invited to create a wave of positive impact for Black-owned restaurants on Dig In Day. The mobile-friendly Pepsi DigInPassport.com helps people seamlessly find Black-owned restaurants, upload receipts, and earn just-unveiled digital badges that can be redeemed for tasty prizes that continue to feed the Black culinary community including gift cards, cooking classes and cool collectibles. Here's how to 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. 
3. Repeat: Start supporting 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.

"We're re-igniting support with individuals and companies alike by giving them an easy way to make their meal count on Dig In Day and every day," said Scott Finlow, Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo Global Foodservice. "Our goal is to go beyond this moment to feed a movement and we're already seeing incredible excitement from the restaurant community, our PepsiCo associates, and corporate partners who together can really make this big."

Organizations Buying Their Employees Lunch from Black-Owned Restaurants

Pepsi is inviting other companies to join the movement by buying their employees lunch from Black-owned restaurants or encouraging them to participate leading up to Dig In Day. Confirmed corporate partners to date include Arizona Diamondbacks, BentoBox, Eastport Holdings, LLC, Forward Motion Media, Fuse, Genesco Sports Enterprises, Golin, Intersport, The James Beard Foundation, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Rams, Lowe's, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Dolphins, Miami HEAT, Minnesota Twins, Monumental Sports, National Basketball Association, National Football League, Oak View Group, Pinterest, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ten35, Vail Resorts, Washington Capitals, Washington Football Team, Washington Mystics, Washington Wizards, and WCNC (ABC).

How Restaurants Can Participate in Dig In Day

Pepsi is sharing creative ways to get people ordering online and 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.

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 developed a multi-faceted platform designed to drive access, business acceleration, and awareness including millions in grants and resources. Restaurateurs interested in learning more can visit pepsidigin.com/resources-for-restaurateurs and food lovers can follow @PepsiDigIn on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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.

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: Rena Daum, [email protected]

SOURCE PepsiCo, Inc.