Unable to find steady business at first, the location was changed several times before finally settling in Alhambra in 1962, where the name was changed permanently to “Pepe’s.” During these early years, the brothers often relied on the help of family members to keep the business growing. In 1962, their nephew “Pepe” was sent to fight in Vietnam. This is when Tony, out of love for his nephew, renam
ed the restaurant after him, Pepe's. In the following years, the restaurant had become a great success. However, in 1973 Tony passed away leaving Joe and Fred to run the business solely. In 1976, the youngest of the three brothers, Fred, joined in helping to expand Pepe’s Restaurants with the opening of the Downey location. Since then, Pepe’s has continued to grow, opening locations in both Los Angeles, San Gabriel Valley and Orange Counties. The restaurants have continuously served authentic, high quality Mexican food, keeping their secret recipes inside the family. This has made Pepe’s the well-known establishment it is today.
