Hundreds gathered July 3 at Peppo’s Subs in Palos Hills to celebrate the sandwich shop’s 50th anniversary — and to test the 1976 menu and prices.
Jim “Peppo” Peplowski and two business partners opened the shop on July 1, 1976, in a 550-square-foot building at 106th and Roberts. The timing was fortuitous: Palos Hills was celebrating Independence Day with a parade down Roberts Road, and hungry residents needed food.
“People got to know us right away because there was nobody else, no place to eat,” Peplowski said. “We were able to get a good reputation early.”
The partners eventually became a duo, then Peplowski took over alone. He credited two things with the shop’s longevity: consistency and personal connection.
“We like to talk to people. We got to know them by their first name,” Peplowski said. “All our meat was delivered by the same guy from the day we opened, and we use the same product.”
Peplowski’s son Robert, who started working at the shop in high school, gradually took on more responsibility over the last 25 years, especially after Peplowski battled cancer. Robert’s wife Alex, whom he met while working at Peppo’s, now serves as the shop’s operations manager.
“I couldn’t have done it without him,” Jim Peplowski said of his son. “Without him and Alex, I’d be in trouble.”
Jim’s wife Brenda was one of the shop’s first employees.
The anniversary party drew far more customers than expected. Robert Peplowski said the shop ordered its largest bread delivery ever and ran out by 3 p.m.
“We expected a good turnout,” he said. “It was quadruple what we expected.”
Brenda Peplowski said the family’s connection to the community runs deep.
“What’s so great about Palos Hills is these customers have come in for years,” she said. “They’d move away and still come back. There’s always that connection, and Palos Hills is definitely our second home.”
With Robert now leading the business, he has introduced new menu items, launched a food truck and deepened community ties. He understands the shop’s strengths but is focused on growth.
“It took a lot of guts to get where we are, and it’ll take a lot more guts to get where we’re going,” Robert said.
