Houston This is It Soul Food holds fond memories for H-Town celebrity Kelly Rowland. Before Destiny’s Child rose to fame, she says they would go to the family-owned restaurant together after church—talking, sharing the cafeteria-style food, and creating memories with each visit. And on September 12, she surprised diners of her favorite hometown spot with a visit.

“This place gives community,” Rowland says. “I remember one mom in particular—she had three kids with her, and one was little, so I said, ‘I’ll take your baby if you want to get everything else set up.’ That’s the kind of space this is. I just love it here.”

That’s why she chose the Third Ward restaurant, which has been serving Houstonians since 1959, as the launching pad for her newest campaign with Pepsi, the Local Eats Better with Pepsi Program. Rowland’s visit to Houston This Is It Soul Food officially kicked off the initiative, which aims to spotlight smaller gems and celebrate the places that keep guests coming back.

For Rowland, this is especially important because of her love for supporting locally owned businesses. One of the things she loves most about them is how they make their regulars feel—she notes that the relationship she had with her H-town favorite made her feel like a celebrity long before her own rise to fame.

“When you walk in—they start to learn your name, or your favorite drink, or favorite food,” Rowland says. “They make you feel seen, and when people feel seen and heard, that’s a great recipe for success.”

Rowland decided to pair up with Pepsi because she loves the mission of the campaign, but she notes that the fact it’s Pepsi makes things even sweeter (no pun intended), because she remembers enjoying cold Pepsis with her mom as far back as her memories go.

“It was a beautiful, intentional fit,” Rowland says.

To join Rowland and Pepsi on their journey of uplifting local businesses, you can nominate your favorite spot on the campaign’s website until October 31. If you enter, you’ll have the chance to be turned from local restaurant regular into a hometown celebrity, with a feature in a Pepsi ad and your favorite menu item named in your honor.

And if you want to enjoy Houston This Is It Soul Food the way Rowland does and feel like a celebrity while doing it, then order her $15 special, which will be available until September 24. The meal includes a peppered steak, rice, gravy, green beans, peach cobbler, and a Pepsi to help you wash it all down.

“I want people who visit [Houston This Is It Soul Food] to feel the way I felt,” Rowland says. “It’s a space of home and comfort.”