Celebrity Chefs, Bay Area Culinary Stars, NFL Greats, and Presenting Sponsor PepsiCo Team Up for GENYOUth’s Mission to Tackle Youth Food Insecurity
NEW YORK, Jan. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Get ready for an unforgettable culinary and gridiron adventure that scores big for students in need! Taste of the NFL returns to the Bay Area with an extraordinary fusion of world-class cuisine, gridiron greats, and purposeful giving – all dedicated to GENYOUth’s critical work to help end student hunger and foster nutrition security nationwide.
Presented by PepsiCo, this landmark event transforms Super Bowl LX Weekend into an opportunity for impact. Food and football fans are invited to join Taste of the NFL on February 7, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PST at The Hibernia in San Francisco for an evening where every bite fuels a brighter future for children across America. Tickets are available now at www.TasteoftheNFL.com or via Ticketmaster.
San Francisco’s reputation as a global food capital takes center stage as Taste of the NFL showcases the region’s extraordinary culinary diversity. Event hosts Chefs Andrew Zimmern, Carla Hall, Lasheeda Perry, Mark Bucher, and Sayat and Laura Ozyilmaz – along with special guest chefs Cat Cora and Tyler Florence – lead a powerhouse roster of over 20 acclaimed national and local chefs whose artistry has defined dining in the Bay Area and across the country. Featured restaurants include Abacá, Al Pastor Papi, Café Sebastian, Cocobreeze, Dalida, Doppio Zero, Eylan, Maria Isabel, Meski, Miller & Lux, Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement, Nopa, Parche, Shoji, 7 Adams, Reem’s California, Señor Sisig, Stateline Road Smokehouse, Tarts de Feybesse, and Willi’s Seafood. The Sonoma County Winegrowers will uncork the locally sourced flavors of nearby wine country, offering curated tastings and expert pairings that showcase the region’s world-class vintages.
PepsiCo brings additional culinary firepower with Chef Steven Dominguez, Associate Research Chef and Culinary Lead, and Chef Wiley E. Bates III, PepsiCo Culinary Senior Principal Scientist, alongside celebrated talents including Chef Eric Adjepong – the Ghanaian-American culinary trailblazer and PepsiCo Foods Culinary Advisory Board member known for championing West African cuisine’s profound influence on American food culture.
Showcasing the distinct flavors and vibrant diversity of the Bay Area’s own culinary community, Chef Antonio Inguscio of Doppio Zero, and Chef Miguel Escobedo of Al Pastor Papi, as well as Founder/CEO Evan Kidera and Gil Payumo of Señor Sisig, will each present their signature dishes. In addition to the PepsiCo Foundation’s support for GENYOUth’s End Student Hunger grants, the Foundation will award community impact grants to local nonprofit organizations working to combat food insecurity in the Bay Area, informed by the chefs’ deep community ties and shared commitment to giving back. The effort is part of PepsiCo’s longstanding focus on driving tangible impact in the places where its employees and customers live and work, and the PepsiCo Foundation’s work to expand access to nutritious food, helping build a future where everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Additional culinary artisans from partners including Doritos, Frito-Lay, Quaker Oats Tostitos, Hellmann’s, Peet’s Coffee, Lifeway, and See’s Candies will round out this spectacular gastronomic lineup. More than 30 NFL Legends will bring gridiron star power to the evening, including Doug Flutie, Kyle Rudolph, Bryant Young, and Mark “Mighty Mouse” McMillian (pulling double duty as both NFL great and chef representing Grillin’ McMillian).
Beyond the culinary experience, guests will enjoy exclusive autograph sessions with NFL legends and greats, plus thrilling auction opportunities featuring Super Bowl LX tickets and coveted sports memorabilia. Each attendee will receive special Taste of the NFL gift bags courtesy of Lay’s and a commemorative football for player and chef autographs, presented by NFL Extra Points Visa® Credit Card, while a distinctive fundraising “lunchbox” wall will offer another way to support the cause. Plus, all guests will have the opportunity for a unique San Francisco Trolley car photo opportunity hosted by Rice-A-Roni.
The Guests’ Choice program, presented by Pacific Gas and Electric Company, invites attendees to vote for their favorite dish from Taste of the NFL restaurant chefs – with the winning chef taking home $500. The Doug Flutie Band headlines the evening’s entertainment, with surprise performances throughout the night, and Extra Food, a local Bay Area food bank, will support food recovery efforts.
Every element of Taste of the NFL drives support for GENYOUth’s unwavering commitment to eliminating food insecurity among America’s students. Net proceeds increase access to healthy school meals by providing essential meal equipment packages to K-12 school nutrition programs serving at-risk youth throughout the Bay Area and all 32 NFL Club markets across the country.
Steven Williams, Executive Vice President and Vice Chairman, PepsiCo, said: “PepsiCo is proud of our continued partnership with GENYOUth through Taste of the NFL, an event that demonstrates how we turn purpose into meaningful action. Through this program and the work of the PepsiCo Foundation, we can help ensure that students have consistent access to nutritious meals and the resources they need to thrive. We are honored to stand alongside GENYOUth in the fight against food insecurity and to help every child reach their full potential.”
Ann Marie Krautheim, M.A., R.D., L.D., CEO of GENYOUth, emphasized the urgency: “When one in five American children doesn’t know where their next meal will come from, we cannot afford to wait. Schools serve as nutritional lifelines for 30 million students nationwide, providing healthy meals including milk, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Our partners – especially the NFL and mission-aligned supporters like PepsiCo – recognize that school meal programs can transform lives. Together, we’re working to ensure the only hunger a child experiences is the hunger to learn.”
“Taste of the NFL is one of the most exciting traditions of Super Bowl weekend, bringing together the best of football and food for a purpose that truly matters,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL EVP of Events, International and Club Business. “As we celebrate Super Bowl LX in the San Francisco Bay Area, a region known for its incredible culinary scene, we’re proud to unite fans, chefs, and NFL Legends to make a lasting impact off the field. By leveraging our biggest moment of the year, we’re helping advance GENYOUth’s mission to ensure youth have access to the nutrition they need to learn, grow, and thrive.”Â
“We are so proud to partner with GENYOUth, said Culinary Institute of America President Michiel Bakker. “Today’s chefs are called on to do much more than cook. They are called to be conscious culinary leaders – to lead with empathy and to care for their communities. CIA faculty, students, and alumni embody those qualities both in and outside the kitchen, and we are honored to have several of them participate in Taste of the NFL and help further stem the tide of food insecurity in children.”
Taste of the NFL is supported by the NFL, presenting sponsor PepsiCo, Rice-A-Roni, Lay’s, and GENYOUth End Student Hunger partners including Cintas, Pacific Gas and Electric Corporation, Bread Financial, NFL Extra Points Visa® Credit Card, PNC Bank, Hellmann’s, Best Foods, Peet’s Coffee, Lifeway Kefir, Charles Woodson’s Intercept Wines, the Bay Area Host Committee, Sonoma County Winegrowers, FARE, Culinary Institute of America (CIA), National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF), FEED, San Francisco Chronicle, NBC Bay Area, Area De La Bahia, NBC Sports, and Yelp.
¹ PG&E support is completely funded by PG&E shareholders and not customers.
About Super Schools
GENYOUth’s Super Schools initiative, a Bay Area lead-up initiative to Taste of the NFL, transforms high-need Bay Area and California schools by delivering comprehensive school meal equipment packages and NFL FLAG-In-School kits that strengthen nutrition security and physical activity opportunities for students. Collaborating partners include the Bay Area Host Committee, San Francisco 49ers and Dairy Council of California, plus corporate champions including Amazon Access, Domino’s Smart Slice, the NFL Foundation, Pacific Gas and Electric Corporation, and the PepsiCo Foundation, Super Schools will generate access to 9.0 million school meals annually while expanding daily physical activity for over 33,000 students across the Bay Area.
Taste of the NFL and GENYOUth: 35 Years of Tackling Hunger
Since Wayne Kostroski founded Taste of the NFL in 1992, this event has spent 35 years building awareness and raising critical funds to combat hunger and food insecurity in Super Bowl host cities and across all 32 NFL Club markets, uniting America’s finest chefs with the league’s greatest players. GENYOUth proudly enters its fifth year as the event’s charitable beneficiary. Last year’s Taste of the NFL in New Orleans generated $2.2 million in collective impact, delivering 146 million school meals to food-insecure students nationwide.
Andrew Zimmern, Emmy Award-winning TV personality, chef, author, Taste of the NFL culinary host, and Goodwill Ambassador for the UN World Food Program, said: “For two decades, I’ve witnessed Taste of the NFL bring together extraordinary people around a simple truth: no child should go hungry. Nutrition equity drives my work every single day, and GENYOUth stands at the forefront of this fight. Join us in San Francisco to enjoy Super Bowl LX weekend’s finest cuisine while supporting a cause that changes lives. Every ticket, every bite, every moment matters.”
Patty Hubbard, Chief Marketing Officer, Bay Area Host Committee, added: “GENYOUth exemplifies the type of partnership that creates lasting value for our region. As we prepare to welcome the world for Super Bowl LX, initiatives like Super Schools and Taste of the NFL demonstrate our commitment to meaningful community investment. We’re not just hosting an event—we’re equipping Bay Area schools with tools their students need to succeed long after the final whistle blows.”
PepsiCo’s Support of GENYOUth’s Mission to End Student Hunger
PepsiCo has been an essential ally in GENYOUth’s mission to help ensure all children receive proper nutrition and physical activity opportunities. Since 2011, PepsiCo’s total contributions of $12.64 million have benefited more than 3,300 schools, positively impacting over 2 million students and generating access to over 520 million school meals.
These investments in partnership with GENYOUth have funded Quaker Oats breakfast equipment grants, launched the Spanish-language Fuel Up to Play 60 en Español program, expanded Grab and Go breakfast initiatives through PepsiCo’s Move for Good program, and advanced the PepsiCo Foundation’s Food for Good Program to help build more equitable food systems in which communities have more food security and access to nutritious meals.
In 2025 and leading into 2026, PepsiCo invested nearly $3 million supporting GENYOUth’s Taste of the NFL event, Super School Meals initiative, and broader End Student Hunger and physical activity efforts—enabling access to more than 50 million school meals nationwide. In Super Bowl LX’s Bay Area host market, 33,000 students are expected to benefit from increased access to over 8.9 million meals.
About GENYOUth
GENYOUth is a 501c3 national nonprofit dedicated to helping school children thrive by living a well-nourished and physically active life. A catalyst for youth health and wellness, GENYOUth has supported over 77,000 U.S. schools to equip them with the resources needed to ensure millions of children have equitable access to nutrition and physical activity. As part of the Action for Healthy Kids Network, GENYOUth convenes a network of private and public partners, including Fortune 100 companies and foundations, to ensure all children are nourished and active to be their best selves. Committed to ending student hunger and promoting physical activity, GENYOUth provides grants that increase access to healthy school meals for food insecure students and empower kids to develop lifelong healthy habits through movement and activity. GENYOUth is the official charitable partner of Taste of the NFL, a purpose-driven Super Bowl culinary experience, and Taste of the Draft, both of which raise awareness and generate funds to fight hunger and food insecurity. To learn more and support GENYOUth, visit www.GENYOUthnow.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About the National Football League
The National Football League is America’s most popular sports league, comprised of 32 franchises that compete each year to win the Super Bowl, the world’s biggest annual sporting event. Founded in 1920, the NFL developed the model for the successful modern sports league, including national and international distribution, extensive revenue sharing, competitive excellence, and strong franchises across the country.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated nearly $92 billion in net revenue in 2024, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn PepsiCo.
About PepsiCo Foundation
The PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits and experts around the globe, we’re focused on helping communities obtain access to food security, safe water and workforce development opportunities. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we live and work — collaborating with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to us and are of global importance. Learn more at www.pepsicofoundation.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.
Taste of the NFL Super Bowl Bay Area Advisory CommitteeÂ
Chefs Sayat and Laura Ozyilmaz, Dalida
Patty Hubbard, Bay Area Host Committee Â
Michiel Bakker, Culinary Institute of America
Becca Prowda, Office of the Governor
Bryant Young, San Francisco 49ers Legend
Justin Prettyman, San Francisco 49ers Foundation
Juan Maio, NBC Universal Bay Area
Megan Schoettmer, PNC Bank
Emily Smith, San Francisco Chronicle
Laura Cubillos, Bright Fork
Christy Delisle, Culinary Kickoff
Michelle Magat, La Cocina
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SOURCE GENYOUth
