Foodies can raise their forks to events showcasing African-American, African and Caribbean cuisine as Black Restaurant Week embarks on a local market tour this fall with Pepsi as its first-ever national title sponsor since its founding in 2016. Through diverse menu selections and virtual events, Black Restaurant Week spotlights restaurateurs, bakers, chefs, caterers, food trucks and more to celebrate inspired flavors and generate social and economic support for the Black culinary community.
Black Restaurant Week champions culinary tastemakers across the nation through a combination of enticing consumer offerings – including local events, prix fixe menus highlighting unique cultural fare and pop-up dinners – along with industry engagement designed to boost business owners, like interactive learning opportunities and resource sharing. As the first national title sponsor, Pepsi kicked off its collaboration with Black Restaurant Week in Greater Washington D.C. where the campaign is underway through Sept. 27, setting the table for upcoming Black Restaurant Week celebrations:
New Orleans, LA: Oct. 2-11, 2020
Philadelphia, PA: Oct. 16-25, 2020
New York, NY: Nov. 13-22, 2020
Florida: Nov. 27-Dec. 6, 2020*
Alabama: Dec. 11-20, 2020*
*Taking place in all major cities of the state.
“We’re energized by the appetite we’ve seen for supporting Black-owned restaurants and celebrating the talented Black culinary professionals shaping the food and beverage scene,” said Warren Luckett, founder of Black Restaurant Week. “Pepsi shares our goal of increasing equality in the industry and this partnership allows us to have an even bigger impact by expanding Black Restaurant Week to reach more businesses, communities and diverse food lovers.”
The systemic barriers faced by Black-owned restaurants, such as disproportionate access to business loans, demonstrates the importance of Black Restaurant Week’s collaboration with Pepsi. These disparities have only grown with the COVID-19 pandemic; 41% of Black-owned businesses have shuttered since February compared to 17% of white-owned businesses.*
In 2019, Black Restaurant Week collaborated with nearly 250 Black-owned restaurants and culinary businesses in cities across the U.S., generating $1.5 million in economic impact. Participating restaurants reported a 25-40% increase in revenue during each local celebration. Since kicking off its 2020 campaign in July, Black Restaurant Week has highlighted more than 340 Black-owned culinary businesses in Houston, Los Angeles, Oakland, St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago and Atlanta. With the exception of prix fixe menu ordering at participating restaurants, all event programming for the 2020 campaign will take place virtually to ensure a safe experience.
“We’re committed to increasing access, accelerating growth and expanding awareness for Black-owned restaurants,” said Scott Finlow, Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo Global Foodservice. “The work Black Restaurant Week is already doing fits perfectly with our mission. We want our collaboration and the power of the Pepsi brand to help take the organization’s fantastic efforts to the next level to engage more consumers and boost Black foodservice businesses.”
Visit blackrestaurantweeks.com to view the complete tour schedule and learn more about upcoming events and resources. Stay connected with @BlackRestaurantWeek and @Pepsi on social networks.
