PepsiCo opened their first ever restaurant this past September, and you might be surprised how the company approached it. “Kola House” is located in Chelsea, a very trendy Manhattan neighborhood in the heart of the meat packing district. The restaurant takes a “farm-to-table” approach, with a modern, American flare. Stated on the Kola House website, the menus consist of “a specialty cocktail menu curated by Alex Ott with a culinary menu of american shareables with global influence crafted by Chef Jon Feshan.”
However, at it’s core, this menu focuses on the kola nut. The kola nut is added to several cocktails and protein based dishes, but there still are of flavor option across all categories, from pizza and pasta to fresh veggies and salads. Pepsi seems to have approached this from a completely different direction than what was to be expected. With no “Pepsi” or “Dorito” products in sight, it is no branding opportunity for the food and beverage giant. PepsiCo developed Kola House “to create a modern hub for consumers to share social and immersive experiences that were anchored in the exploration of our cola’s 
artisanal craft and flavor,” shared Seth Kaufman, Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo North America Beverages. “The Kola House represents a new space for us to support our consumer-first approach to drive authenticity and innovation around our beverage offerings and ideals.” (Source: PepsiCo)
The Chelsea restaurant will not only serve as an upscale American cuisine eatery, but Kola House will also be home toevents in music, art, style, film, sports and more. Pepsi’s partnership with Live Nation is being used to help build out Kola House as a venue, but it seems to be off to a good start with LCD Soundsystem to kick off things at the restaurant opening.
Next time you find yourself looking for a place to eat in New York City, stop by the Kola House if your around the meat packing district. Want to carry Pepsi products in your business? Contact us today to find out how!
SOURCE: PepsiCo
