DRIPS by Pepsi: Crafted Beverages as a Restaurant Growth Strategy

Dirty soda, cold foam, popping boba, custom drinks — at what point does a beverage trend become a real growth strategy? On a new episode of The Hospitality Hangout, PepsiCo's Scott Finlow and Alison Dempsey explain how DRIPS by Pepsi is turning crafted, personalized beverages into a serious revenue opportunity for restaurants, theaters, and QSRs — and why the next big check-builder may be sitting in the cup.

What is DRIPS by Pepsi?

DRIPS by Pepsi is PepsiCo's platform for crafted, customizable beverages — a way to bring the kind of personalized drink experience guests love (think dirty sodas, flavored cold foams, and popping boba) into restaurants and other venues at scale. Rather than treating drinks as an afterthought, DRIPS positions the beverage as a destination in its own right.

Why are crafted beverages becoming a growth strategy?

Finlow and Dempsey argue that customization has moved beverages from commodity to craft. Guests increasingly want a drink that's personalized and shareable, and that demand creates a high-margin attachment opportunity for operators. In a year when traffic is soft and operators are focused on growing revenue per visit, a crafted beverage program is a natural lever to lift check size without discounting the food.

Where does DRIPS by Pepsi fit across venues?

The platform is built to work beyond the traditional restaurant — in theaters, QSRs, and other high-traffic venues where a signature drink can drive both incremental spend and social buzz. The conversation explores how personalized beverages travel across these formats and why the experience can differentiate a venue in a crowded market.

How can operators turn beverages into check growth?

The takeaway for owners and C-suite leaders: treat the cup as a profit center. A crafted, customizable beverage program can raise average order value, create Instagrammable moments that market themselves, and give guests a reason to come back for the drink alone. Finlow and Dempsey make the case that beverage innovation is one of the most underused growth strategies in the restaurant playbook.

What's the bigger opportunity behind DRIPS by Pepsi?

Beyond a single trend, the episode frames crafted beverages as a durable shift in how guests think about drinks — personalized, experiential, and worth paying more for. For operators, the opportunity is to build a beverage strategy that's as intentional as the food menu, using platforms like DRIPS by Pepsi to deliver craft at scale.

Want the full conversation on the beverage growth opportunity? Give The Hospitality Hangout a listen and catch the full DRIPS by Pepsi episode — candid conversations with the leaders shaping the restaurant industry.

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