23 March 2023, Purchase, New York /PRNewswire/ — Following the conclusion of the Hollywood awards season, PepsiCo today unveiled the second iteration of its iconic Jefa-Owned (owned by a Latina employer) campaign to highlight the leading lights of the food and beverage sector:

Latina small business owners. The Jefa-Owned campaign, powered by PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos (Together We Grow) and in collaboration with famous chef, restaurateur, and author Lorena Garcia, aims to give Latina-owned companies access to business-building resources and national exposure.The Jefa-Owned promotion was launched today with an A-list brunch at the Latina-owned, Los Angeles-based Peruvian restaurant Qusqo Bistro and Gallery. Chef Lorena Garcia served as the brunch’s host, and Lucy Haro, the restaurant’s proprietor, created a jefa-curated menu for the event.Chef Garcia, along with representatives from PepsiCo Beverages North America and Frito-Lay, surprised Lucy Haro with the first-ever Jefa-Owned trophy at the brunch as a recognition of her hard work, commitment to overcoming systemic obstacles, and tenacity that allowed her to open one of the neighborhood’s most well-known Hispanic eateries.Latina-owned small businesses are the fastest-growing entrepreneurial segment, according to Esperanza Teasdale, Vice President & General Manager, Hispanic Business Unit, PepsiCo Beverages North America. “Latinos start one in four of all companies in America,” she added. PepsiCo is pleased to continue supporting Jefa-Owned small businesses on this National Jefa Day in order to highlight their accomplishments as entrepreneurs and to uplift Latinas across the country.

PepsiCo Picks Up The Tab on National Jefa Day:

PepsiCo encourages food lovers to visit Latina-owned small businesses in their own neighborhoods in order to increase consumer support for these companies. PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos will pay for customers’ meals at participating Jefa-Owned restaurants and bodegas in a few towns across the nation on March 31, National Jefa Day. Customers can enjoy their beloved dishes from specifically curated menus at each of the eight participating businesses during this one-day promotion. (At each of the sites listed below that is taking part, PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos will pay for the first 200 guests’ meals from a pre-selected menu. While supplies last, each individual is only entitled to one complimentary meal.

• Pink & Boujee and Qusqo Bistro and Gallery in Los Angeles
• Lucido’s Tacos and Hacienda Calavera in Chicago
• Los Chamacos in Arlington, VA
• Rosario’s Mexican Café and Cantina in San Antonio
• Mother’s Grocery and Mother’s Deli in New York

Each Latina-owned company has finished, or will soon finish, the PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos Hispanic Digital & Delivery Program, which provides business-building training and resources to help them improve their digital presence and capabilities to reach more online customers, at a cost of over $12,000 in total.

For more information on the Jefa-Owned campaign and the restaurants participating in the National Jefa Day promotion, please visit PepsiCoJuntosCrecemos.com.

Opening and maintaining a restaurant is difficult, and Latina-owned companies in the food industry face additional obstacles, according to Chef Lorena Garcia. “As a restaurateur, I am personally aware of the arduous effort, selflessness, and tenacity required to not only open, but successfully maintain, a restaurant. I’ve dedicated my professional life to assisting Latinas in the food and beverage industry, so I consider it an honor to represent this year’s Jefa-Owned campaign, which seeks to support Latina small business owners in local areas across the nation.

According to Antonio Escalona, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Hispanic Business Unit, PepsiCo Foods North America, “twice as many Latina-owned companies experienced closure during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to their male counterparts,” and “for many Latina small business owners, the compounding of external pressures such as cultural and gender roles have made them feel unseen and unheard, particularly in business.” “As we continue our commitment to Hispanic-owned small businesses nationwide with the PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos program, we’re excited to partner with Chef Lorena Garcia, a restaurateur herself, to shine a spotlight and encourage people to support Latina-owned small businesses.”

PepsiCo has developed important business-building initiatives to assist Hispanic-owned restaurants, bodegas, and cantinas make strategic improvements to their technology, services, and business models as consumers shop more and more online.

Hispanic small business owners in the food and beverage sector can now apply nationally for the PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos Hispanic Digital & Delivery Program. One-on-one expert advice is available through the customized business-building program for delivery logistics, technology, marketing, and search engine optimization. (SEO).

Applications for The PepsiCo Foundation’s IMPACTO Hispanic Business Accelerator will open in the summer of 2023 in participating cities. The accelerator is committed to assisting entrepreneurs maintain companies that generate wealth and employment in their communities. (Las Vegas, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, El Paso, Chicago, New York City and San Antonio).