Stadium Eats

Where to eat at the UT stadium this season — including 2 new Austin favorites

Salt Lick BBQ and Mighty Cone are now available at DKR. Texas Football/Facebook

University of Texas football fans have plenty of homegrown options for dining at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. This football season, Longhorn fans can enjoy a handful of staples — plus the addition of two Austin favorites.

Head to these tasty stands throughout the stadium during the Longhorn's season opener on September 2 at 11 am.

Salt Lick BBQ
New to the stadium this year, Salt Lick will be offering sliced brisket sandwiches, pulled pork sandwiches, smoked sausage dogs, and sloppy nachos. There are two outposts: Section 30 on Level 1 and Section 6 on Level 3.

Mighty Cone
Another fan favorite and new addition to DKR Stadium, Mighty Cone serves hot and crunchy chicken in a cone. Celebrating its 15th anniversary, Mighty Cone is launching a light and healthy cone, named the "Lighty Cone," for those who want a gluten-free and lower calorie option.

Torchy’s Tacos
Grab a delicious Trailer Park taco or some chips and green chile queso from the Red McCombs Red Zone to snack on while rooting for your team.

Austin's Pizza
Offering some of its original pizzas along with three gluten-free varieties, Austin's Pizza is located at Gate 8 on the stadium's northwest corner.

Pluckers Wing Bar
Pluckers offers popular chicken wings, buffalo bites, and waffle fries in Section 18 on Level 1.

Mighty Fine
Head over to Mighty Fine for a mouthwatering burger or a yummy milkshake in Section 32 on Level 1.

Amy's Ice Creams
What's better than cooling down from the heat of the game with some of Austin's favorite ice cream? Amy's Ice Creams has two stands, located in Section 15 of Level 1 and Section 110 of Level 10.

Beverage news

Austin-based Poppi acquired by behemoth soda brand for $2 billion

undefined Facebook/Poppi

PepsiCo is acquiring the Austin-based prebiotic soda brand Poppi for $1.95 billion.

The acquisition, announced Monday, March 17, gives PepsiCo a fast-growing brand in the popular functional beverage category.

“More than ever, consumers are looking for convenient and great-tasting options that fit their lifestyles and respond to their growing interest in health and wellness,” PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta said in a statement.

PepsiCo said the transaction includes $300 million of anticipated cash benefits, bringing the net purchase price to $1.65 billion.

Allison Ellsworth, the Austin co-founder of Poppi, said the combination with PepsiCo will expand Poppi’s reach.

“We can’t wait to begin this next chapter with PepsiCo to bring our soda to more people — and I know they will honor what makes Poppi so special while supporting our next phase of growth and innovation,” Ellsworth said in a statement.

Ellsworth developed Poppi — then known as Mother Beverage — in her kitchen in 2015 because she loved soda but was tired of the way it made her feel. She mixed fruit juices with apple cider vinegar, sparkling water and prebiotics, and sold the drink at farmer's markets.

The brand took off in 2018 when Ellsworth and her husband pitched it on Shark Tank. An investor on the show, Rohan Oza, took a stake in Mother Beverage and undertook a major rebrand. Poppi, with its brightly-colored, fruit-forward cans, was born.

“We’re beyond thrilled to be partnering with PepsiCo so that even more consumers across America, and the world, can enjoy Poppi,” said Oza, the co-founder CAVU Consumer Partners, which has also invested in beverage brands like Oatly and Bai.

But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for Poppi. Last summer, multiple class-action lawsuits were filed against the brand by consumers who said its products don’t improve gut health as much as their marketing suggests.

Poppi denied those claims, and noted that it removed references to “gut health” from its packaging in late 2023. But according to a court filing last week, Poppi has agreed to a settlement that includes an $8.9 million fund for payments to consumers. A hearing on the settlement is scheduled for May 8.

PepsiCo shares rose nearly 2 percent in morning trading Monday.

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