sbe Names PepsiCo Exclusive Beverage Partner

LOS ANGELES and PURCHASE, N.Y., Aug. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- sbe, an award-winning hospitality, lifestyle and real estate development company, today announced that PepsiCo will become its exclusive soft-drink and non-carbonated beverage partner, providing popular brands such as Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew Kickstart, Gatorade, Tropicana, Lipton Iced Tea, Naked Juice and IZZE. Through the new partnership, sbe and PepsiCo will focus on bringing unique innovations and opportunities to consumers to amplify their experiences with both companies' brands.

The relationship encompasses sbe properties in the U.S., including the new SLS Las Vegas, which opens on Aug. 23.

"sbe, like PepsiCo, strives to captivate consumers in a meaningful way and give them once-in-a-lifetime moments. We believe in bringing the best innovations to our guests and are looking forward to giving them new ways to touch, taste and experience PepsiCo beverages," said Sam Bakhshandehpour, President of sbe. "We're excited about our exclusive partnership with PepsiCo and know our guests will enjoy its delicious products, as well as the creative events we'll partner on."

Las Vegas' first Pepsi Spire, a state-of-the-art fountain beverage dispenser, will be located at the 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria at SLS Las Vegas. Pepsi Spire 2.0 gives consumers the opportunity to make up to 500 beverage combinations using a 15-inch interactive touchscreen. The unit pours a wide range of brands from PepsiCo's diverse portfolio of carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, as well as an assortment of no-calorie flavor shots, including cherry, lemon, vanilla and strawberry.

PepsiCo beverages will also be used to create specialty, trend-forward drinks as part of SLS Las Vegas' cocktail menu, which will only be available at that hotel. Innovations include out-of-the-box drinks and edible creations like Pepsi-Cola Made with Real Sugar sorbet and Pepsi, Sierra Mist and IZZE flavor capsules that burst in your mouth.

"Pop culture, music and entertainment are at the core of how both PepsiCo and sbe engage consumers – making this partnership a great fit," said Roberto Rios, Chief Marketing Officer of PepsiCo Foodservice. "We're proud to be able to provide our vast portfolio of beverage and food brands to its guests and are looking forward to working together on future product innovations and bringing consumers immersive experiences that will unlock the excitement of now."

As part of Pepsi's "Real. Big. Summer.," the brand gave one lucky consumer a weekend prize package to attend the upcoming SLS Las Vegas' private grand opening party and concert on Aug. 22 with headliner Iggy Azalea featuring a surprise guest. Fans can visit Pepsi Pulse (www.pepsi.com) for exclusive content.  

Many of PepsiCo's marquee food brands, including Frito-Lay, Quaker and Sabra, will also be sold in sbe gift shops and incorporated into room service menu items. The conversion of sbe properties to PepsiCo products is expected to be complete by fall 2014.

For Pepsi Spire photo and video assets, visit: Pepsi Spire 2.0 and Pepsi Spire B-Roll.

About sbe
sbe is a creative hospitality company that develops, manages and operates award-winning hotels, restaurants and nightlife. Through exclusive partnerships with cultural visionaries, sbe is dedicated to delivering the best in design, culinary and entertainment. Already a proven leader in the hospitality and real estate industries, sbe has over 80 properties currently operating or in development, and has expanded several of its flagship brands including SLS Hotels, Katsuya by Starck, The Bazaar by Jose Andres, Hyde Lounge and The Redbury, nationally and internationally. Founded in 2002 by Chairman and CEO Sam Nazarian, sbe is a privately held company.  More information about sbe can be obtained at sbe.com, or by downloading the sbe App.

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $66 billion in net revenue in 2013, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth in shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com. 

SOURCE PepsiCo