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Pepsi's Bay Area Local Eats: Key Findings
Campaign Snapshot
Pepsi is taking Super Bowl week in San Francisco beyond the game, highlighting seven Bay Area restaurants.
The Bay Area Local Eats experience, presented by Pepsi and the Bay Area Host Committee, runs until February 7 and features food, drink, music, and a special appearance by Martha Stewart at Yerba Buena Gardens.
PepsiCo’s campaign aims to spotlight the region’s culinary diversity during one of the biggest cultural moments of the year.
At the heart of the effort is a belief that memorable food and Pepsi create shared experiences for fans.
"The Bay Area has extraordinary range. You’ll find everything from vibrant Mediterranean dishes to innovative Korean-Japanese fusion," said Stewart.
"I’m very much looking forward to visiting some of these neighborhood spots with Pepsi."
Scott Finlow, CMO of PepsiCo Away From Home, adds that the celebration honors the people behind the city’s food culture.
“Pepsi is proud to present Bay Area Local Eats to celebrate the culinary heroes of Super Bowl week — the chefs, pitmasters, and local restaurants turning meals into memories,” he added.
Bay Area Local Eats builds on Pepsi’s wider "Local Eats Deserve Pepsi" platform, which has supported more than 75,000 local restaurants nationwide since its launch.
Across different cities, the program has aimed to drive awareness for independent eateries by highlighting their signature dishes in a wide variety of events.
Festival in the Fan Zone
At Yerba Buena Gardens’ BAHC! Live San Francisco Fan Zone, fans with Super Bowl Experience tickets can embark on a local food tour in one place.
Participating restaurants include:
- Goodfellas
- Joyride
- KoJa Kitchen
- Oasis Grill
- Steps of Rome
- Tacolicious
- Upper Cut
Each of the restaurants serves its most popular menu items to celebrate its unique culinary roots.
Furthermore, Pepsi is giving away free Pepsi beverages during “Pepsi Hype Hours” from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM daily.
The activation creates a festival-like energy with live music, culture, and community energy as visitors move between stands and taste dishes ranging from shawarma and Detroit-style pizza.
For local restaurant operators, the festival does more than give them temporary attention.
It’s part of a longer play to cement Pepsi’s presence as a partner to their food and the bustling culture surrounding it.
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Similar efforts like the Pepsi Philly Eats Fest show how nationwide activations can create awareness and goodwill for independent businesses that need the most support.
How Pepsi’s Campaign Captures the Hearts of the Locals
For marketers, Pepsi’s Bay Area Local Eats presents a clear example of tying local culture to national moments.
- Combining celebrity appearances with local restaurants hits two birds with one stone, validating both the brand and community partners in one activation.
- Free, time-limited incentives like Pepsi Hype Hours can drive traffic and engagement during off-peak periods.
- Rolling out the program city-by-city creates repeatable, scalable campaigns that retain local authenticity while building national recognition.
Last year, PepsiCo reported nearly $93.9 billion in annual revenue, serving as further proof of its role as one of the leading soda brands around the world.
Our Take: Can Pepsi Increase Its Part in Local Food Culture?
Pepsi’s Local Eats campaign shows how a national brand can plug into a city’s culinary scene while keeping scale.
Spotlighting neighborhood restaurants during Super Bowl week gives these small businesses the extra visibility they otherwise might not have gotten on their own.
At the same time, pairing signature dishes with ice-cold Pepsi subtly establishes the brand as part of the local food experience.
When brands invest in community-based activations like this, they earn culture points and show that they understand what locals care about.
Connecting to foodie moments, even if it's as simple as grabbing a taco or fusion dish, can make a brand feel like part of the city’s story.
In other news, Pepsi also recently launched its Super Bowl spot, stealing Coca-Cola's bear mascot and having it go through a blind taste test.
Brands building competitive campaigns need partners who understand when provocation strengthens positioning.
Take a look at the top creative agencies in our directory.
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