The PepsiCo-backed Black Restaurant Accelerator Program has reached a milestone of helping 100 businesses, and C.D. Glin, the vice president and global head of philanthropy at PepsiCo, and Marc Morial, the president and CEO of the National Urban League, joined Cheddar News to talk about the food conglomerate's $10,000 grant to a New Orleans restaurant and the $10 million in grants that it will use to assist even more black-owned restaurants nationwide.


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Black Restaurant Accelerator Program Reached 100 Grantees

there's a lot of businesses around the country are still rebounding from the pandemic. But one program has been a major lifeline in the restaurant industry, especially for black owned businesses. The black restaurant accelerator program is a $10 million commitment from Pepsi Coast Foundation that to the National Urban League all to ensure black restaurateurs survive and even thrive Now, I sat down with marc morial, the president and Ceo of the National Urban League and also Cd Glenn, the global head of philanthropy and vice president of the Pepsico Foundation. All to talk about what the achievement means for this program, Take a look. The black restaurant accelerator program is a expansion of the Pepsico uh companies and Pepsico Foundation's commitment to black people, black communities and black businesses and in partnership with the National Urban League. Um last year we launched this accelerated program to really help black restaurant survive, adapt to the new normal that they were facing in in the, in the midst of Covid 19 and then thrive. And so in one year we've been able to support 100 restaurants in 11 different cities throughout the US and really help them in terms of their access to capital needs, but also business management, mentoring and counseling. And so this is really a depiction of the company's commitment to black communities and to um the backbone, the lifeblood of the black community, black restaurants. This milestone of hitting 100 entering Year two is really, really a moment to celebrate, but also a moment to activate others to really see the opportunity in supporting black businesses and black restaurants in particular. Absolutely. So Mark, let's talk about one of my favorite cities on the planet. Your former place of new Orleans. Well, crescent sausage company, the last remaining food vendor to have served at the inaugural New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Gonna launch the vote crescent Creole Cafe and deli. So how is this program sort of impacted businesses in new Orleans? And and how does it sort of benefit people of the city? First of all, I guarantee if you try some of their sausage, you go back every time. Uh, you know, this is important. Focus on is a third generation black owned business and it's located in the heart of the historic seventh war. Uh, and they've been double to triple whammy hurricane Katrina impacted their business. Covid impacted it even further. Vance and julie uh in response to the pandemic, wanted to get back on their feet, get the business back on their feet in a new way. Uh, so focus on Cafe Creole and Deli. We're proud National Urban League along with the urban league of Louisiana and Pepsico to provide them with the support they needed to get that. Uh, Deli back open in spectacular fashion. And it's just an example of how and why this initiative is so important because the Covid 19 pandemic caused many, many, many businesses, Many, many restaurants but disproportionately african american owned restaurants to either close temporarily or permanently. And the thrust the animation. the focus of this initiative is to help them get back on their feet and help them get back reopened and uh focus on is just a perfect candidate for what we do because a track record of success, grit and determination and also impact on community is what they represent. Look, I'm looking for any excuse to go back to new Orleans. So if it's sausage, I'm into it city. Let's talk about Pepsico. How have you guys been supporting black owned restaurants during this time as well? You know this, this is true to who we are. We're a global company but we're also a local company and the direct support to these restaurants throughout the United States has really been emblematic of our broader support to the black community. And so grant funding from the Foundation linked with a glow with the local community connector. The National Urban League. We couldn't have chosen a better partner to really represent our long term, long lasting support for the black community. So we're providing grant funding. But with the National Urban League we're linking to the National Urban League entrepreneurship centers and so restaurants throughout the country can get affiliated with the National Urban League's entrepreneurship centers, get vetted for their business needs, go through some coaching and counseling and some are actually um really receiving financial support. We've actually over delivered in this program in year one we were um set to reach 101 100 businesses and we did that. But we supported through the National Urban League an additional 400 other businesses. So the need is really out there beyond the scope of our current program. And that's why it's important for us to have the opportunity like this to amplify the importance and the message that if we do support black businesses and in the black community through restaurants, we will see local economic development, we will see job creation. We will, we will see transformation and importantly to the last point that was made, we're gonna help create generational wealth. We're seeing both restaurants cafe again, third generation business that now is enabled. Been able to sort of continue on in a in a new way. So we're really proud of this program but it really is a local program in communities connected with communities connected with the National Urban League and Pepsico couldn't be prouder of the work that we're doing in communities support black restaurants because at the end of the day we're food and beverage business and we really want these local restaurants to be able to be to generate real capital in the communities that they live in and where they serve. Mark, let's talk about some of the unique challenges that the pandemic post for a lot of black restaurant owners. What are you sort of hoping here? Business owners will take away at least from the last two years. I think what they'll take away is a moment of learning. So obviously uh the under capitalization of black owned restaurants is a reason they didn't have the cushion or the reserve To be able to withstand the pandemic in the same way others may have. And let's let the records certainly reflect that it was not only black-owned restaurants would were damaged by the pandemic but disproportionately. So 41% of black-owned businesses uh ceased to operate during the pandemic, 17% of white owned businesses did. Uh So the disproportionality is what this program is designed uh to to address. But here it is. Here's also so we hope that restaurants, we'll also learn the delivery business, the take out business how to uh expand their customer base beyond simply those that come into the restaurant to dine in. Uh and those learnings are part of why the technical assistance. Uh and uh if you will, business development component is an important part of the black restaurant accelerated program. Beyond the money. Money is critical, but we do more than money. We give them the support to help adjust change, modify their business model to take advantage of changing consumer tastes and community. I might add that in many communities, black communities are no different restaurant is more than a place to eat. It's also a place to gather. It's also an anchoring institution. It's also something that means a lot to the character and fabric and history of many neighborhoods in America. Yeah, it's a safe space for so many people. I see, I have time for one last question. How do you sort of see the black restaurant accelerator efforts growing over the course of the next five years? You know, we see great question. We see this as as one but one um demonstration of the Pepsico Foundation and Pepsico's commitment to the black community, We've hit the second year milestone. Again, this program is a $10 million effort to support 500 restaurants over five years, but it's a part of a broader effort that the company has committed to a 400 million for black, the black community um, for black businesses and really to even increase black leadership and executives within the company. And so the suppliers that we utilize the restaurants that we support, the community initiatives that that we fund. So this is really one example, but we see this again as as a critical component because we said black restaurant, they celebrate black culture, they express love through the cooking and the cuisine they build family legacy. So this program is something that we, we hold really near and dear to us as, as a company, but it's also something that we're calling on others and, and, and doing so we look at the National Urban League as a way to to have sustainability in the community. How is it going to grow because this is not a one and done opportunity. This is, this is an investment in the community for years to come. And having a local partner like the National Urban League ensures that this won't be only a five year effort. We're talking about a 500 year effort to really continue to support black businesses through through black restaurants as one example, big thanks to marc morial, the president and Ceo of the National Urban League and City Glen, the global head of philanthropy and vice president over at the Pepsico Foundation for that very important conversation.