Summer 2024

180 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 4 D uring the past four decades, Rich Pèpe and his family have brought their warm hospitality, Italian influenced cuisine, wine and cocktails to the Monterey Peninsula. With wife Sandra and sons Christian and Gian Antonio, Rich manages Pèpe International, which includes a historic bakery, cozy restaurants, wine, spirits and more. Q: Please explain the highlights of each of your restaurants. A: Carmel Bakery, opened in 1899, is known for its giant Bavarian pret- zels, Scottish shortbread, scones and Danish and Italian pastries. Carmel-by-the Sea was created as a bohemian artist colony in the late 1800s.The seaside village consisted of Leidig’s grocery store, Slevin’s sta- tionary store, the Pine Inn and Carmel Bakery. I am so proud to have owned this piece of Carmel history since 1988. I started working in a family bakery in New Jersey at the age of 14. I’m a baker first, a chef second. No strangers to getting up early, our staff motto is “we bake while you sleep.” Little Napoli was opened by my family in 1990 and we opened Vesuvio in 2011. Both restaurants are a trib- ute to Italian culture and cui- sine. Little Napoli possesses old-world charm with an outdoor dining patio and Bar Napoli next door.Vesuvio is “molto trendy” with a contem- porary twist and a rooftop lounge called the Star Bar. Both have been considered the iconic Italian restaurants in Carmel, fea- turing antipasti, pizza, pasta and risotto prepared with the handed-down Pèpe family signature recipes reminiscent of the Italian countryside with a Jersey attitude. Q: How does your Italian heritage influence your cuisine and the cul- ture of your restaurants? A: “Noi siamo Italiani” (we are Italians). I come from a proud Italian family that emigrated from Southern Italy to America in 1902. Not a bit of the lively traditions of Italy were lost and coupling that with a childhood spent in a large Italian neighborhood in Hoboken, New Jersey, I grew up with an appreciation of the richness of our heritage. I arrived on the Monterey Peninsula in 1974…I worked as a baker until I bought Carmel Bakery in 1988... Sandra was a Carmel girl who I met at Monterey Peninsula College in French class, and we have been married since 1986. She has always been a fabulous partner and a brilliant businesswoman, handling the bookkeep- ing and human resources and promoting a positive staff culture, giving me the opportunity to focus on the kitchen and dining rooms. Sandra and I have been involved in many community projects and non- profit organizations, always willing to donate our time and resources. Q: What makes each location so successful and welcoming? A: Above all, our guests get a sense that our businesses are family run with a family member in the kitchen and at the front of the house. We are ever-present at our locations, something rare in America today where so many businesses are run by large corporations. We treat our staff, and hope to treat our guests, like family. Q: Why do you think you’ve had such longevity? A: Customer focus, atten- tion to detail and service, goal setting and a commitment to learning and improving have been our family and business culture. Our family motto is “Avanti March.” Q: What do you love most about this area? A: There is no place on earth like the Monterey Peninsula. When I landed here at 21 years old, I thought I hit the lottery. Being Italian, I was welcomed by the local Sicilian fisherman families. On the Monterey Peninsula, you are never far from the view of the sea, and it reminded me of growing up in Hoboken along the Hudson River overlooking Manhattan and my grandparents’ hometown of Napoli, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. For anyone interested in nature, agriculture, the arts, sports, exotic cars and great food and wine, this is truly the West Coast’s Shangri-La. Q: Please give details about your sons’ involvement in the family business. A: Christian and Gian Antonio are an integral part of our business as it enters its second generation and now run the day-to-day operations. Both grew up working in the family business, went off to college and returned La Dolce Vita Chef Rich Pèpe i s Par t of the Carmel Landscape B Y B R E T T WI L BUR It has always been my passion and dream to pass along and share my family lifestyle and traditions through my restaurants, bakery, wine and spirit, and hospitality ventures.