Pepe's Mexican Restaurants
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants is a privately held, family-owned full-service casual Mexican dining chain operating 25+ individually owned and operated locations across the Chicagoland area and Northwest Indiana, founded in 1967 and serving families and individual diners via dine-in, carryout, third-party delivery, and a private label food distribution business through Pepe's Incorporated.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Pepe's Mexican Restaurants does
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants is a privately held, family-owned full-service casual Mexican dining chain founded in 1967 by Mario Dovalina and Edwin Ptak in Chicago, Illinois. The company operates more than 25 individually owned and operated locations concentrated across the Chicagoland area and Northwest Indiana, offering dine-in and carryout service with a full menu spanning appetizers (Botanas), nachos, quesadillas, salads, combination plates, fajitas, grilled meats (Asador), traditional dishes (Tradicionales), tacos, burritos, kids' menus, American fare, and desserts. Each restaurant is owned and operated by independent franchisees/operators who typically greet customers at the door, reflecting a decentralized ownership model that delegates unit-level operations while Pepe's Incorporated serves as the corporate parent headquartered at 1325 West 15th Street, Chicago. Bob Ptak serves as President.
The company generates revenue through three streams: (1) on-premises casual family dining and carryout at the 25+ restaurants, with menu pricing set locally by each location; (2) private label Mexican food products distributed by Pepe's Incorporated across the United States and internationally, including into Mexico; and (3) franchise opportunities and institutional/wholesale sales programs for buyers seeking wholesale pricing and availability. Distribution channels include dine-in, carryout, third-party delivery partnerships with Uber Eats, DoorDash, and GrubHub, and wholesale distribution. Marketing is multi-channel and includes the pepes.com website, a VIP Club email loyalty program, social media, community events (e.g., the Annual Taco Eating Contest at Balmoral Racetrack), and promotional offers. Nutrition and allergen/gluten information is publicly available for menu items.
There is no proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capability disclosed, no mobile app, no public revenue disclosure, no parent company, no subsidiaries, no external funding or institutional investors, and no patents or trademarks listed. The business is incorporated in Illinois as Pepe's Incorporated, operates as a for-profit corporation, and is reported to have 11-50 corporate employees (excluding individually-owned location staff). Customer segments are primarily individual consumers and families seeking authentic Mexican food for casual dining and celebrations, with a secondary segment of wholesale/institutional buyers for the private label product line.
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pepe's Mexican Restaurants
- Legal name
- Pepe's Incorporated
- Website
- https://pepes.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Pepe's Mexican Restaurants is a privately held, family-owned full-service casual Mexican dining chain operating 25+ individually owned and operated locations across the Chicagoland area and Northwest Indiana, founded in 1967 and serving families and individual diners via dine-in, carryout, third-party delivery, and a private label food distribution business through Pepe's Incorporated.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Dining Restaurants
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Family-Style Restaurants (THAFACAC)
Keywords
Where Pepe's Mexican Restaurants is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices25 records
Markets served
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Restaurant Dining and Carryout Sales: Traditional restaurant revenue model generating income through on-premises dining and carryout orders at individually owned and operated locations. Full service restaurants offering casual family dining.
- Private Label Food Products: Pepe's Incorporated supplies private label Mexican food across the United States and internationally, with products even sold in Mexico.
- Franchise and Institutional Sales: Franchise opportunities and institutional sales program for wholesale pricing and availability.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | In-restaurant dining pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants operates a chain of full-service casual family dining restaurants serving authentic Mexican-style food at individually owned and operated locations across the Chicagoland area and Northwest Indiana. The company also supplies private label Mexican food products nationally and internationally, and offers franchise opportunities for new restaurant locations. Core operations include dine-in service, carryout, and participation on third-party delivery platforms.
Product overview
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants is a restaurant chain that operates as a collection of individually owned and operated full-service restaurants offering authentic Mexican style food. The portfolio consists of the core Pepe's Mexican Restaurant dining experience (dine-in and carryout), private label Mexican food products distributed nationally and internationally, a VIP Club loyalty program, franchise opportunities, and catering services. The restaurant menu is organized into distinct categories including Botanas (appetizers), Nachos, Quesadillas, Ensaladas (salads), Combinaciones (combination plates), Favoritos (popular dishes), Taco Dinners, Burrito Dinners, Asador (grilled meats), Tradicionales (traditional dishes), Fajitas, Kids Menus, American Fare, and Postres (desserts). The company also provides nutrition and allergen information for health-conscious customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Full-Service Casual Mexican Restaurant Dining Full-service casual family dining restaurants offering authentic Mexican-style food at 25+ individually owned and operated locations across the Chicagoland area and Northwest Indiana. Targets families and individual diners seeking traditional Mexican recipes in a family-friendly atmosphere.
- Carryout Service
Companies that use Pepe's Mexican Restaurants
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Uber EatscoreThird-party food delivery partnership allowing customers to order Pepe's Mexican food for delivery through the Uber Eats platform.
- DoorDashcoreThird-party food delivery partnership allowing customers to order Pepe's Mexican food for delivery through the DoorDash platform.
- GrubHubcoreThird-party food delivery partnership allowing customers to order Pepe's Mexican food for delivery through the GrubHub platform.
- Power 92 RadiominorRadio station partnership for marketing promotion, including the 'Pepe's and Power 92 Trip to Mexico' contest winner announcement.
- Balmoral RacetrackminorVenue partnership for hosting the 6th Annual Taco Eating Contest at Balmoral Racetrack.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Cafe Rio Mexican Grill: Regional fast-casual Mexican chain with menu overlap (fajitas, burritos, salads). Competes on convenience and price in some markets where Pepe's operates.
Broad incumbents
- Taco Bell: Largest Mexican QSR brand in the US, with deep presence in Chicago and Indiana. Represents the value-tier alternative within the same cuisine category.
- Moe's Southwest Grill: National fast-casual Mexican chain. Competes for lunch and casual dinner occasions in the broader Mexican category rather than full-service dining.
- Chipotle Mexican Grill: National fast-casual Mexican leader. Not a direct competitor in full-service dining, but draws trade from the same Mexican-eating occasions in Chicago and Indiana.
- Qdoba Mexican Eats: National fast-casual Mexican chain competing for the same meal occasions through carryout and delivery in the same Chicagoland/Northwest Indiana footprint.
- On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina: National casual-dining Mexican chain offering full-service family dining and a bar program — directly comparable service model to Pepe's at larger scale.
Direct peers
- Don Julio Mexican Restaurant: Chicago-based full-service Mexican restaurant operating dine-in and carryout, comparable to Pepe's in service style and menu breadth.
- Las Fuentes Mexican Restaurant: Long-standing Chicago-area full-service Mexican restaurant offering dine-in, carryout, and private events. Directly competes for the same family-casual Mexican segment.
- Garcia's Mexican Restaurant: Chicago-area full-service Mexican restaurant chain. Closest comparable to Pepe's by geography, service model (full-service casual family dining), and menu positioning.
- El Famous Burrito: Chicago-area regional Mexican chain with dine-in and carryout locations, competing for the same neighborhood family-dining occasions as Pepe's.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants social profiles
Digital presencePepe's Mexican Restaurants financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pepe's Mexican Restaurants
What does Pepe's Mexican Restaurants do?
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants operates a chain of full-service casual family dining restaurants serving authentic Mexican-style food at individually owned and operated locations across the Chicagoland area and Northwest Indiana. The company also supplies private label Mexican food products nationally and internationally, and offers franchise opportunities for new restaurant locations. Core operations include dine-in service, carryout, and participation on third-party delivery platforms.
Is Pepe's Mexican Restaurants a public or private company?
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Pepe's Mexican Restaurants founded?
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants was founded in 1967. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Pepe's Mexican Restaurants based?
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pepe's Mexican Restaurants make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Dining and Carryout Sales are the primary driver. The others are private Label Food Products and franchise and Institutional Sales.
Who are Pepe's Mexican Restaurants's main competitors?
Cafe Rio Mexican Grill is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Taco Bell, Moe's Southwest Grill, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Qdoba Mexican Eats and On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina. Direct peers are Don Julio Mexican Restaurant, Las Fuentes Mexican Restaurant, Garcia's Mexican Restaurant and El Famous Burrito.
Does Pepe's Mexican Restaurants have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pepe's Mexican Restaurants.
What industry is Pepe's Mexican Restaurants in?
Pepe's Mexican Restaurants's product category is Casual Dining Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAD, Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants, with a secondary code of THAFACAC, Family-Style Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.