IRVING — The Dallas-Fort Worth Urban League (DFWUL) today announced its role as the local delivery partner for the PepsiCo Foundation Restaurant Accelerator Program, a $10 million national initiative launched in partnership with the National Urban League to help provide small business restaurant and food service business owners with the capital, coaching, and connections they need to grow and thrive.
With applications closed and classes beginning the week of September 21, 2026, North Texas food service entrepreneurs have a first-time opportunity to engage with this program. The Accelerator program arrives at a critical moment for small emerging businesses across the Dallas-Fort Worth region — and DFWUL is here to make sure local owners do not miss it.
The PepsiCo Foundation Restaurant Accelerator Program is a five-year, $10 million national initiative developed in partnership with the National Urban League to serve 500 restaurant owners across 12 U.S. cities. As DFWUL’s inaugural major program offering, the initiative brings this transformative opportunity directly to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, helping empower local food service business owners to optimize operations, build sustainable revenue streams, and position their businesses for long-term success.
Participants in the program receive three distinct categories of support:
• Direct Grant Support providing meaningful funding to fuel business growth
• Technical Assistance including expert coaching and hands-on training in accounting systems, inventory management, operational efficiency, marketing strategies, and team development
• Mentorship Services pairing participants with experienced entrepreneurship advisors to build actionable, personalized growth strategies.
The program is open to any food service businesses located within North Texas and the 13-county Dallas-Fort Worth service area, including full-service restaurants, limited-service restaurants, mobile food services, and caterers (NAICS codes 722511, 722513, 722330, and 722320). Program classes are scheduled to begin the week of September 21, 2026.
“North Texas is home to one of the most vibrant and resilient communities of entrepreneurs in the country — and for too long, those entrepreneurs have been asked to build generational wealth without the tools, capital, or networks to do it,” said r. Brandy Alfred, President & CEO, Dallas-Fort Worth Urban League. “This program intends to help change that. Through our partnership with the PepsiCo Foundation and the National Urban League, DFWUL is delivering real, tangible resources to the people who need them most. We are not just opening doors — we are building the infrastructure for economic power right here in Dallas-Fort Worth, and that work starts now.”
Community Impact & Economic Context
The urgency of this program is underscored by glaring economic data. The restaurant and food service sector, already operating on narrow margins, has been among the hardest hit. In a region as economically dynamic as Dallas-Fort Worth, the loss of emerging restaurants represents not just a business failure, but the erosion of community anchors, cultural institutions, and local economic growth.
