PEPSI Dig In Taps Slutty Vegan's Pinky Cole Hayes as Ambassador to Uncover the Nation's Best Black-Owned Restaurants and Reward Diners for Nominating Their Favorite

PEPSI® Dig In, a platform designed to drive access, business growth and awareness for Black-owned restaurants, is calling upon foodie fans to nominate their favorite restaurant for its Restaurant Royalty program. Returning for the third consecutive year, the program is partnering with Pinky Cole Hayes, CEO and Founder of fan-favorite plant-based fast food chain Slutty Vegan, as an ambassador to help recognize the country's best Black-owned restaurants – and unlock even more rewards for diners and restaurants alike.

As a long-term supporter of Hayes' business from its early stages, Pepsi Dig In is partnering with the entrepreneur to highlight the power of fan support as well as leverage her experience and insights to inspire the next Black-owned restaurant success story.

"Slutty Vegan wouldn't be where it is today without its community of fans. From the start they've been dedicated and loyal in supporting Slutty Vegan's journey from a food truck to a multi-city restaurant chain and $100 million brand. That's why I'm thrilled to be partnering with Pepsi Dig In, a platform that has been there for me since the beginning, to inspire even more foodies to be vocal about their favorite restaurants and help crown them Restaurant Royalty," shared Pinky Cole Hayes.

Fans have until June 30 to submit their favorite local restaurant on DigInShowLove.com and enter for a chance to win one of several food-centric experiences. This year, Pepsi Dig In is giving away multiple chances for fans to get their culinary fix across the country, including a grand prize trip for two to football's biggest game in New Orleans in 2025, an intimate chef's table experience in New York City, an opportunity to take part in the 2024 Pepsi Dig In Day celebrations, curated food tours, and roundtrip JetBlue travel certificates to embark on their next adventure. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void Where Prohibited. U.S. res. of 50 US/DC, 18+ (19+ for AL/NE). Ends 6/30/24. Rules: DigInShowLove.com.

The winning fan-nominated restaurant will once again be featured in the Pepsi Dig In Restaurant Royalty Residency in Las Vegas, one of the country's largest culinary destinations, as part of an ongoing partnership with MGM Resorts International. This year's winner will also receive one-on-one mentoring from Pinky Cole Hayes, someone who shares the Pepsi Dig In mission to address the barriers that restaurateurs face.

"Pepsi Dig In has been a proud supporter of Slutty Vegan since the beginning, and part of the restaurant's success is a testament to the platform's mission to help grow the businesses it backs. Programs like Restaurant Royalty are an integral step in that process because it rallies restaurants' existing fans, engages new ones, and leverages the Pepsi brand's network and scale to help make a long-term impact," said Scott Finlow, Chief Marketing Officer of PepsiCo Global Foodservice.

This year's Restaurant Royalty program will also unlock additional business resources for the five most-nominated restaurants, including point-of-sale hardware courtesy of Square, as well as digital and financial tools to enable future growth. The restaurants will also receive $4,000 in Yelp digital media credits and digital amplification by Pepsi Dig In and EatOkra, the largest database of Black-owned restaurants, plus be enrolled in Black Restaurants Deliver, a program designed in partnership with Figure 8 Logistics to help build online presence and ordering capabilities.

To find Black-owned restaurants, foodies can visit EatOkra and nominate their favorite at DigInShowLove.com. For further information, visit PepsiDigIn.com and follow @PepsiDigIn on Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok for the latest updates.

For more information, visit pepsidigin.com and follow @pepsidigin on X, Instagram and Facebook.