PEPSI Dig In Brings Pinky Cole Hayes's Slutty Vegan and Five More Restaurants to Las Vegas For the First Time as Part of Culinary Residency Program at MGM Resorts International

PRNewswire 19-Sep-2024 9:00 AM

The renowned entrepreneur's cult-favorite vegan burger chain joins Q1227, Sienna Wings, Taco Mell, NYAM, and Vyoone's with limited-edition menu items exclusively at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and Luxor Hotel & Casino

PURCHASE, N.Y., Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- PEPSI® Dig In, a platform designed to drive access, business growth and awareness for underserved restaurants, is bringing six all new dishes with four new crafted cocktails to Las Vegas for its third annual Restaurant Royalty Residency. Starting September 21, MGM Resorts International's Fan District at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and Luxor Hotel & Casino will be the only place to experience the limited-edition menu items, showcasing concepts from some of the best restaurants from across the country.

This year's residency kicks off with Slutty Vegan's widely popular plant-based Fussy Hussy burger, Pinky Cole Hayes's signature dish that has fans lining up everywhere it debuts. In addition, foodies can also try Chef Q Bennett's beloved Bourbon Chicken Lollipops from Q1227 in Roseville, CA, fan-voted and crowned this year's Pepsi Dig In Restaurant Royal. In May, Pepsi Dig In tasked foodies to submit and vote for their favorite neighborhood restaurant that uplifts and supports the Black community as part of its annual Restaurant Royalty program. As this year's winning restaurateur, Chef Bennett was awarded a spot in this year's residency and will gain valuable mentoring from entrepreneur Cole Hayes's along the way.

"Las Vegas is a culinary destination where people go to taste the best of the best. It's an honor to be joining Pepsi Dig In alongside an incredible line-up of talented restaurateurs, and be bringing Slutty Vegan's iconic burger to Las Vegas for the first time exclusively to MGM Resorts. The real winners here are the foodies who have so many delicious reasons to keep coming back!" said Pinky Cole Hayes.

This year's Pepsi Dig In Restaurant Royalty Residency at Mandalay Bay's Libertine Social and Luxor's Public House will run from September 21 through February 7, featuring each dish for four weeks. Diners will be able to select from custom cocktails featuring a variety of Pepsi-Cola® beverages created by master mixologist Tiffanie Barriere such as the PEPSI® Wild Cherry Margarita, STARRY® Shimmering Martini, Smoky PEPSI® Old Fashioned and Bubly Boulevardier, along with delicious dishes from eateries across the country that include:

• Slutty Vegan, CEO and Founder Pinky Cole Hayes (Atlanta, GA) - September 21 - October 18, 2024
  • Slutty Vegan is giving Las Vegas a taste of the crowd-pleaser Fussy Hussy burger, a plant-based patty loaded with pickles, vegan cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato and special sauce on a vegan Hawaiian bun.
• Q1227, Chef Q Bennett (Roseville, CA) - September 21 - October 18, 2024
  • Voted the number one fan-favorite restaurant through Pepsi Dig In's Restaurant Royalty program, Q1227 is serving its Bourbon Chicken Lollipops, for a mix of spicy and sweet thanks to sriracha and honey. 
• Taco Mell, Owner Jermelle Henderson (Los Angeles, CA) - October 19 - November 15, 2024
  • Known for putting their own flavorful spin on classic Mexican food dishes, Taco Mell will offer its carne asada steak and chicken quesadilla with cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses served with fire-roasted salsa and sour cream.
• Sienna Wings, Owner and CEO Tyla-Simone Crayton (Missouri City, TX) - November 16 - December 13, 2024
  • The twenty-year-old founder of Sienna Wings is serving up their much-loved flavorful wings with an award-winning sauce, Sienna Sauce Lemon Pepper Wings, for a perfect balance of cracked black pepper and a tangy punch of lemon zest. 
• NYAM, Chef Brittney "Stikxz" Williams (New York, NY) - December 14, 2024 - January 10, 2025
  • The renowned chef, who specializes in spotlighting the Jamaican diaspora, will offer a duck breast bossam glazed lettuce wrap with a Pepsi tamarind gastrique and orange zest.
• Vyoone's, Owner Vyoone Lewis (New Orleans, LA) - January 11 - February 7, 2025 
  • Specializing in contemporary French cuisine with an Afro-Creole French fusion twist, Vyoone's will serve its savory crawfish beignets with crawfish cream sauce.

"Four years ago, we launched the Pepsi Dig In program to help spotlight and uplift underserved restaurants. Through our partnership with MGM Resorts, the Restaurant Royalty Residency gives diners from around the world the opportunity to experience new, delicious flavors made even better with Pepsi. In its third year, the program gives restaurateurs a coveted spot on the Las Vegas Strip, unparalleled visibility for their business, and brings their incredible dishes in front of a larger audience," said Scott Finlow, Chief Marketing Officer of PepsiCo Away From Home.

Tony Gladney, Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, MGM Resorts International, added, "This partnership and culinary residency with Pepsi Dig In is important to our ongoing commitment to celebrating the diverse talent in the culinary world while delivering our guests a world-class experience." 

To celebrate each restaurateur's spot in the residency, foodies who visit the participating restaurant's original locations during their respective residencies will get a free PEPSI® Zero Sugar while supplies last* to pair with their meal.

Foodies may also enter to win a chance at their own Las Vegas getaway for two including roundtrip airfare, two-night stay and complimentary dinner to try out one of the exclusive dishes during the residency. To enter, fans can post a short video on Instagram describing their own favorite dish that is unique to their hometown and tag @PepsiDigIn, #Sweepstakes and #CityLove. Additional rules will apply.

*Offer only redeemable at store locations. Open to legal residents 18+ years. While supplies last. Limit one 20 oz bottle or fountain Pepsi® Zero Sugar per transaction.

About Pepsi Dig In
Pepsi Dig In is a platform designed to drive access, business growth, and awareness to underserved restaurants that uplift and support the Black community. Pepsi Dig In helps diners discover, dine at, or order from these establishments while providing resources, mentorship, and training to restaurateurs. Utilizing the scale and reach of PepsiCo and its partners, Pepsi Dig In aims to create opportunities for under-resourced restaurants to thrive.

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

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $91 billion in net revenue in 2023, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.

About MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is an S&P 500® global entertainment company with national and international locations featuring best-in-class hotels and casinos, state-of-the-art meetings and conference spaces, incredible live and theatrical entertainment experiences, and an extensive array of restaurant, nightlife and retail offerings. MGM Resorts creates immersive, iconic experiences through its suite of Las Vegas-inspired brands. The MGM Resorts portfolio encompasses 31 unique hotel and gaming destinations globally, including some of the most recognizable resort brands in the industry. The Company's 50/50 venture, BetMGM, LLC, offers U.S. sports betting and online gaming through market-leading brands, including BetMGM and partypoker, and the Company's subsidiary LeoVegas AB offers sports betting and online gaming through market-leading brands in several jurisdictions throughout Europe. The Company is currently pursuing targeted expansion in Asia through the integrated resort opportunity in Japan. Through its "Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet" philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make a bigger difference in the lives of its employees, guests, and in the communities where it operates. The global employees of MGM Resorts are proud of their Company for being recognized as one of FORTUNE® Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies®. For more information, please visit us at www.mgmresorts.com. Please also connect with us @MGMResortsIntl on X as well as Facebook and Instagram.

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