PEPSI® Celebrates the Flavor of Local Restaurants With Free Events Nationwide

The brand is teaming up with TV personality and foodie Dylan Efron to kick off the festivities by joining fans at PEPSI^® Eats Fest Chicago with his own limited-edition menu item to show why Food Deserves Pepsi^®

• PEPSI^® is hosting celebrations nationwide to spotlight local restaurants and the dishes that keep foodies coming back for more as part of its Local Eats Deserve Pepsi™ platform, providing local restaurants with resources to help grow their businesses. 
• The festivities kick off June 27 at PEPSI^® Eats Fest Chicago, where TV personality and foodie Dylan Efron will join fans on-site and debut a custom fish taco special he co-created at Big Star in Wicker Park, available for a limited time only.
• PEPSI^® Eats Fest events will roll out in more cities throughout the year, including Nashville, Boston, and Los Angeles, bringing together fan-favorite dishes with the iconic taste of Pepsi for the perfect pairing. Guests will get to enjoy complimentary bites, exclusive Pepsi-infused dishes and cocktails, The Pepsi Challenge, live music, and more, at different local restaurants across the country.

PURCHASE, N.Y., June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- PEPSI^® is on a mission to get everyone to take another look at the restaurant next door because sometimes the best places are the ones you don't need to travel far for. Starting this summer, the brand is spotlighting neighborhood restaurants across the country through its Local Eats Deserve Pepsi™ platform, with a series of food-forward events that celebrate their signature dishes made even better with the crisp, refreshing taste of Pepsi. The events are one part of how the platform drives visibility to local restaurants, while providing them with tools and resources behind the scenes to help their businesses grow.

Pepsi Brings Dylan Efron to Pepsi Eats Fest Chicago
Kicking off with PEPSI^® Eats Fest Chicago on Saturday, June 27, Pepsi is teaming up with Daytime Emmy^® award-winning producer, reality TV star, and foodie Dylan Efron, who is no stranger to uncovering local hidden restaurant gems and sharing his favorite food finds with fans. Pepsi will be taking over Chicago's beloved neighborhood taco spot and honkey-tonk hangout, Big Star in Wicker Park, for a free one-day only event serving complimentary bites, Pepsi-infused cocktails, and more, all in celebration of the Windy City staple. Guests will also have the chance to try an exclusive limited-edition fish taco featuring roasted garlic, lemon crema, and pico de gallo, co-created by Dylan and inspired by his love of tacos.

"Whether I'm at home or on the road traveling, I am always looking for those local spots that everyone's obsessed with. The local restaurants known for unforgettable dishes and the people who bring them to life every day. Events like PEPSI^® Eats Fest help shine a light on the restaurants and communities that define local flavor and I'm excited to play a part in that with my own limited-edition dish paired with Pepsi," said Dylan Efron.

Pepsi Eats Fests To Host More Stops Nationwide
Following Chicago, PEPSI^® Eats Fests events will be rolling out throughout the year, with additional events planned in Nashville, Boston, Los Angeles, and more. Each event will take over local restaurants with one-day celebrations designed with foodies in mind, with complimentary food, exclusive menu drops, Pepsi-infused dishes and cocktails, live music and more. Fans will have the chance to experience the restaurant in a new way, giving them another reason to come back for more. Guests will also get to put their taste buds to the test with the iconic Pepsi Challenge and experience firsthand why nearly 66% of participants chose Pepsi^® Zero Sugar as the superior-tasting cola in the 2025 national tour.

"Local restaurants are at the heart of our communities, and they need more than recognition to thrive. Local Eats Deserve Pepsi™ is focused on delivering meaningful resources and support to help operators build stronger businesses and succeed long term, and we're proud to shine a spotlight on restaurants across the country this year," said Scott Finlow, Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo Away From Home.

Local Eats Deserve Pepsi™: Those who know great flavor, serve Pepsi
Local Eats Deserve Pepsi™ supports local restaurants with resources to help grow their business, while showcasing their incredible food, bringing people together, and delivering next level enjoyment with a superior tasting cola. As an extension of the brand's Food Deserves Pepsi platform, the program is rooted in the fact that Pepsi elevates every moment and bite – because those who know flavor, serve Pepsi.

Since launching the program in 2024, Pepsi has supported more than 75,000 local restaurants across the country, including through previous events in Denver, Savannah, Dallas, and Houston designed to drive foot traffic and introduce fans to neighborhood favorites. Visit @pepsilocaleats for more.

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 nearly $94 billion in net revenue in 2025, driven by a complementary 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 drinks, 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 places sustainability at the center of our business strategy, seeking to drive growth and build a stronger, more resilient future for PepsiCo and the communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.

SOURCE PepsiCo Beverages North America