At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the owner of Off the Bone restaurant in Dallas did whatever was required to survive.
“It was really tough but we were able to get through,” said Dwight Harvey, who owns Off the Bone Barbeque. “We were doing catering off-site for various facilities. We increased our carry out and we increased our catering and delivery.”
Although the worst of the pandemic appears to be over, Off the Bone Barbecue is still not out of the woods. “We could definitely still use help,” Harvey told Dallas Express.
Off the Bone Barbecue is one of five restaurants across the United States that participated in national Dig In Day, which was sponsored by PepsiCo.
“PepsiCo created the first-ever ‘Dig In Day’ as a national celebration that encourages all food lovers to come together in support of black-owned restaurants by simply dining with or ordering from them,” said Corey Alexander, senior account manager of PepsiCo Beverages North America.
The first annual Dig In Day took place locally on Saturday, November 6, at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, where Harvey was provided with a food truck.
“We had quite a bit of a new customer inquiries,” Harvey said in an interview. “We served meals out of the food truck. We had a sampling of baby back ribs. We gave out coleslaw that was made with blue cheese and bacon. We also had a vegetarian item called Jackfruit. We can’t thank Pepsi and Frito-Lay enough for helping us and making us a part of that program. The program is expanding and it’s nationwide.”
Other restaurants that participated were in Philadelphia, Oakland, College Park, Maryland, and Houston. Dig In Day’s goal is to jumpstart a national movement over the next five years to generate $100 million in sales for black-owned restaurants by uplifting entrepreneurs, chefs, and communities.
“While PepsiCo has been committed to leading with diversity and inclusion for many years, the pandemic followed by racial injustices have compounded the systemic barriers black restaurateurs disproportionately face,” Alexander told Dallas Express. “PepsiCo believes investing in black businesses can create a sustaining, positive ripple effect in our communities.”
Only 8% of restaurants are owned by black people, according to 2020 data from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and disparities have only grown with the COVID-19 pandemic. About 41% of black-owned businesses have shuttered since February compared to 17% of white-owned businesses.
“Wealth gaps, biased community perceptions, and gentrification have created disparities that have long affected black communities in the United States, and the pandemic only exacerbated those disparities,” Alexander said in an interview. “Dig In Day is about creating the kind of awareness that helps black-owned restaurants not only keep their doors open after being disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, but also grow their business to new heights.”
Of more than $400 million Pepsico has committed to advancing racial equality, $50 million is earmarked to support black-owned businesses.
In addition to the pandemic, black-owned restaurants face obstacles that are specific to Dallas. Off the Bone Barbecue restaurant is located in the Cedars area, which is south of downtown Dallas.
“Location is one,” Harvey added. “Marketing and getting the word out or finding sponsors to help you do that is another and getting the backing and support from the various banks in town.”
Dig In Day aims to overcome local and national obstacles by creating access, acceleration, and awareness of black-owned restaurants.
“We are continuing to prioritize ways Pepsi can do its part to help dismantle the systemic racial barriers that for generations have blocked social and economic progress for black people in the U.S,” Alexander said. “While there are areas where we’ve made progress, we realize we still have much work to do and this announcement is another important step in our year-round journey.”
Patrons who frequent Off the Bone Barbecue restaurant and other black-owned restaurants are asked to upload their receipts to DigInPassport.com on a regular basis so that progress towards the $100 million goal can be tracked. As digital badges accumulate, diners can redeem them for prizes, such as gift cards, cooking classes, and collectibles.
“We’ll look at the level of awareness we’ve been able to drive around our efforts, the number of receipt uploads we’re able to drive on and around that time, and we’ll also gather feedback from black-owned restaurants plus strategic partners like EatOkra, a black-owned tech company that helped us incorporate the first-ever database of verified black-owned restaurants into DigInPassport.com,” Alexander added.