Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo is celebrating the launch of its newest refreshment beverage: Manzanita Sol, a crisp apple soda. Reminiscent of the flavors of Latin America and the Caribbean, the carbonated soft drink features a lightly sweetened taste, the company says.
Available in New York City, the brand is giving New Yorkers a chance to try the new beverage the way it was meant to be enjoyed.
For one weekend only ― April 17 and April 18 ― the brand is partnering with some of NYC's most beloved Black- and Hispanic-owned food trucks to cover free eligible meals and a 20-ounce Manzanita Sol for all consumers. Recognizing that some of these small-business owners and their communities could use support now more than ever after the past year, Manzanita Sol is giving back to the trucks and their customers while celebrating the unique neighborhood flavors that keep the city running.
“New York is a place where you'll find diverse cuisines around every corner and food trucks are what bring that authentic taste of home paired with a refreshing Manzanita Sol to the streets of the city,” said Angie Martinez, who helped announce the initiative, in a statement. “That's what I've always loved about this city and why I'm so proud to be working with Manzanita Sol to celebrate it.”
Located across the city and spanning Puerto Rican, Dominican, Jamaican, and Trinidadian specialties, the following food trucks are participating:
- Lechonera La Piraña, 766 E. 152nd St. (corner of Wales Avenue and 152nd Avenue), South Bronx (1-7 p.m. ET)
- Headed by the infamous machete-wielding "La Piraña" who is known for his classic Puerto Rican pork dishes.
- El Punto Final, 559 W. 185th St., Washington Heights (3-9 p.m. ET)
- Family owned and run, El Punto Final focuses on delivering a taste of home to the Dominican community.
- Nio's Trinidad Roti, Newkirk Avenue and Nostrand Avenue, Flatbush (12-7 pm E.T., Saturday only)
- Run by a mother and daughter duo that serve up Trinidadian and other Caribbean specialties, curries, and roti in Brooklyn.
- Island Spice Grill, 492 Malcolm X Boulevard, Harlem (12:30-6 p.m. ET)
- Jamaican and other Caribbean food created by a couple who channeled their efforts to keep essential workers fed during the pandemic.
Participation will be limited to one free eligible meal and one free 20-ounce Manzanita Sol for each customer. To accommodate demand, each food truck will only offer a limited menu of eligible items during the promotion period, available while supplies last.
In addition, Manzanita Sol will provide each vendor with $10,000 to help further support their business. Recognizing that street vendors are the fabric of the city, Manzanita Sol looks to show its support for iconic local trucks and their communities beyond launch weekend. This program ladders up to PepsiCo's "Racial Equality Journey" commitment where together with The PepsiCo Foundation, it is investing more than $570 million over five years to lift up Black and Hispanic businesses and communities in the United States, address issues of inequality, and create opportunity, including increasing its spending with Hispanic- and Black-owned suppliers and funding community engagement initiatives.
“Just as apple is a familiar flavor from home for many New Yorkers with Latin American and Caribbean roots, the diverse food trucks in the city also give that familiar taste of home they know and love,” said Esperanza Teasdale, vice president and general manager of the Hispanic Business Unit for PepsiCo Beverages North America. “Manzanita Sol is happy to give back to these cherished and loved neighborhood vendors that have worked tirelessly, many over generations, to serve their communities.”
Available widely in New York City, Manzanita Sol can be found in 20-ounce and 2-liter bottles at retail channels across the New York metro area, including local bodegas, delis, grocery chains and other independent small businesses.
