Chef Carla Hall Shares How “Pepsi Dig In Day” Amplifies Black-Owned Restaurants

Chef Carla Hall is teaming up with Pepsi Dig In to announce the second annual Pepsi Dig In Day on Saturday, November 5, aimed at celebrating Black-owned restaurants.

The initiative encourages fans to show their love and support by visiting their favorite Black-owned restaurants that day and driving business. The initiative is part pf the company’s purpose-driven platform, Pepsi Dig In, geared at leveling the playing field between Black-owned restaurants who often don’t receive the same visibility and access to opportunity as their peers.

Who better to help spread the word than Hall?! The American chef, TV personality, and former model who has made a name for herself in the culinary world with standout appearances on popular cooking shows like Bravo’s Top Chef and ABC’s The Chew.

Hall knows firsthand how crucial initiatives like Pepsi Dig In Day are for Black-owned restaurants and African-American cuisine.

“Programs like Pepsi Dig In also highlight the diversity of African American cuisine these restaurants provide from traditional Southern to new twists on classic American favorites and more,” Hall tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.

The efforts are “showing that African American cuisine is more than one type of meal,” she adds.

As part of Pepsi Dig In Day, fans who post a photo of their favorite Black-owned restaurant and tag @PepsiDigIn will have the chance to win $5,000 for themselves and $5,000 for the restaurant.

“It’s important to champion and spotlight other Black-owned restaurants so that we’re continuously uplifting the whole community,” Hall says. “This is a chance for fans to share their favorite Black-owned restaurants with others and discover new ones to visit in the future. ”

In celebration, Pepsi Dig In will also partner with Black-owned restaurants across the country to host lively brunches for fans to gather and attend the festivities in person with music and drinks. The impactful initiative, along with culture shifts that have gained steam in recent years, shows positive change for Black-owned restaurants.

“I do see the landscape STARTING to change,” she says. “The World Expo had the first African Food Hall this year. There are more food festivals highlighting Black chefs.”

“Food cannot be separated from culture,” Hall continues.

“There is a shift in the world toward acknowledging the importance of diversity, and as people push to see themselves represented, they want those cultural touchpoints to also be present in their food.”

Chef Carla got in on the fun and listed a few of her favorite Black-owned eateries across the country.

“Gregory Gourdet at Kann, Pete Smith at Market Salamander, Eric Williams at Virtue, Shorne Benjamin’s Fat Fowl, Tiffany Derry’s Roots Southern Table, Angel Bareto at Anju, Mashama Bailey at The Grey, and John Hall at Postal Pies” were her choices.

For more information on Pepsi Dig In, visit PepsiDigIn.com and follow @PepsiDigIn on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for updates.