Pepsi’s Philly Eats Fest Honors Local Restaurants With $150,000 Donation And Performances By Clipse And Ari Lennox

Philadelphia got a proper celebration this weekend, and it came with good food, good music, and a major financial boost for the city’s restaurant scene. So if you missed this, you really missed out!

On Saturday, the Pepsi Philly Eats Fest wrapped up with hip-hop duo Clipse (who, as a collective, have arguably been having the best musical year ever) announcing a $150,000 donation on behalf of Pepsi to support 15 local Philadelphia restaurants. The announcement marked a major moment for the city’s small business community, which has faced significant challenges over the past few years in a post-COVID world. 

And it didn’t stop there. The surprise gift capped off a day that brought together some of the city’s best eateries with performances from Grammy-nominated artist Ari Lennox and Philly native Freeway.

At its heart, the festival was a love letter to the city’s food culture. After all, it is the city of “Brotherly Love” so it only makes sense. They showed love to the corner spots, family-owned kitchens, and local favorites that have helped define Philadelphia’s flavor. Crowds spent the afternoon sampling local staples, many of which have been part of the city’s culinary identity for decades. Fans lined up to taste everything from savory sausage sandwiches at Rocco’s Italian Sausage to the famous crabfries from Chickie’s & Pete’s. Comfort food from Curly’s, steaks from Philip’s and Oregon Steaks, and offerings from Café Carmela, Jacobs Northwest, The Flavor Spot, and Three Monkeys Cafe rounded out the lineup. Each dish came paired with Pepsi, but the focus remained on the restaurants and the people behind them.

The performances matched the energy of the crowd. Clipse took the stage and reminded everyone why Philly has been in their corner since the beginning. Their set included new tracks like “Chains & Whips,” “So Be It,” and “Ace Trumpets,” as well as fan favorites like “Grindin’” and “What Happened to That Boy.” Before announcing the donation, Malice addressed the crowd directly. “We do this for community, fellowship, we do this for Philly, for local restaurants not just here but across the city,” he said.

Ari Lennox brought a different kind of energy earlier in the day, performing her recently debuted single “Vacancy” with the soulful vocals she’s known for. Her set gave the crowd a chance to catch their breath before things ramped up again with Freeway. Freeway followed with a hometown set that included his hit “Eagles Bounce” and a surprise appearance from fellow Philadelphia artist Neef Buck of Young Gunz.

The $150,000 donation through Pepsi’s Local Eats Deserve Pepsi initiative will go directly to supporting the 15 restaurants that participated in the festival. For many of these businesses, that support could mean upgrading equipment, hiring more staff, or simply having breathing room to keep growing. To keep the giving going, Pepsi is also extending the celebration beyond Philadelphia on Sunday with a DoorDash offer for a free Philly-inspired dish at local eateries nationwide. 

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