July Edition

CHEF PEPE STEPENSKY Porkyland, Margarita’s Kitchen & Cantina, and San Diego Burger Company

P EPE STEPENSKY AND HIS WIFE , Deborah Stepensky, own four restaurants in San Diego: two locations of Porkyland Mexican Grill, plus Margarita’s Kitchen & Cantina and San Diego Burger Company, the latter two long-time staples of the city’s Seaport Village. How did Pepe — a self-described “Mexican Jewish vegetarian” — end up as a restaurateur, with one concept focused on pork carnitas and one on burgers? Here, this entrepreneur shares the story that began when he arrived in the United States almost four decades ago.

1 When you moved to San Diego from Mexico in 1986, you worked at your brother’s dry cleaning business until you heard that the San Diego Burger Company was for sale. What made you think you could succeed in

restaurants despite having no experience in that field? When you move to a new country as an immigrant, you come ready to learn, to work hard, and to do whatever it takes — not just to get by, but to really “make it.” That was our mindset. There were no “what ifs,” just an opportunity that opened up — and we went for it Deborah is a fantastic cook, so I figured I’d learn the basics and then she could step in and make it even better. I went around to all the big-name burger franchises, sat there for hours, studying everything and picking out the best ideas from each one. Then I reached out to a young guy who had worked with me before, Edgar Garcia. The three of us teamed up and created a new menu and a unique flavor. That was the beginning of a partnership that’s still going strong — 35 years later. 2 How long did you own San Diego Burger Company before you took over the Mexican restaurant next door? And how different was it to operate a family-style Mexican restaurant? It was three years later. And it was a whole different story — a totally different animal! This concept needed more specific recipes, a full menu, and tons of prep from scratch::

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