PHILADELPHIA - Restaurants nationwide are still struggling to recover from the pandemic. According to the Independent Restaurant Coalition, 91% of restaurants reported they are hiring. As many as 8 in 10 say they’re in danger of closing without assistance. Among those at risk of closure are Black-owned businesses, which have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Philadelphia Black-Owned Restaurants Still Need Support Amid Pandemic Recovery
PepsiCo has created two programs to support these Black-owned restaurants: the Black Restaurant Accelerator, funded by the PepsiCo Foundation and executed by National Urban League, and Pepsi Dig In from the foodservice and brand teams. These programs offer Black restaurateurs across the country promotion, technical assistance, access to capital, and guidance on shifting their business model to online ordering and delivery services.
So far, these programs have left an extraordinary impact on restaurants in the Philadelphia area, as shown below.
Since participating in the Pepsi Dig In Black Restaurants Deliver program, LJ’S Midnight Munchies has fully revamped its digital ordering process and features to better serve its customers and is looking forward to growth in 2022.
For Philadelphia restaurant Victoria’s Kitchen, the Black Restaurant Accelerator gave the restaurant the support it needed to survive the pandemic after facing a sharp downturn in business. Additionally, through the Pepsi Dig In Black Restaurants Deliver program, the restaurant created its own ordering and delivery app to serve its community and neighbors.
