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Meet Pete Turner the President, and Founder of Illegal Pete鈥檚! is a Mexican restaurant dedicated to serving fast, healthy food to customers in an incredibly social environment.

Pete was born and raised in Littleton, Colorado. In high school, Pete worked at several restaurants where he gained valuable experience in the industry. He slowly began to develop a vision of owning his own restaurant or bar. In 1989, Pete attended 精品SM在线影片 where he majored in English. While in school, he was exposed to a new style of Mexican food that was popular in the Bay Area. He fell in love with this style and decided it was time to bring it to Boulder.

Pete graduated in 1993 and by 1995 he opened Illegal Pete鈥檚 first location on The Hill in Boulder, Colorado. Today, Illegal Pete鈥檚 has 12 restaurants located across the Colorado front range and in Arizona!

About Illegal Pete鈥檚

Growing up, Pete鈥檚 mother was heavily involved in the restaurant industry. He became exposed to business operations at a young age, and by high school, he had been employed at several different restaurants. While working in the restaurant industry, Pete began to develop a vision of owning his own restaurant or bar in the future.

In 1989, Pete began school at 精品SM在线影片. While in school, he became close friends with students from the Bay Area. They introduced Pete to mission-style burritos which were extremely popular in the Bay Area. Pete fell in love with these burritos, and would often visit the area just to get one!听

Pete identified the opportunity to bring mission-style burritos to Boulder, where they鈥檇 likely become popular among college students. He began searching for potential locations in Boulder, and came across the perfect spot on The Hill!

In 1993, Pete graduated from 精品SM在线影片 with a degree in English. By August 15, 1995, the first Illegal Pete鈥檚 was officially open for business. Today, there are 12 Illegal Pete鈥檚 restaurants located across the Colorado front range and in Arizona!

Upcoming Projects and Events

Unfortunately, as a result of the COVID19 pandemic, Illegal Pete鈥檚 has put a hold on many in-person events. Pete hopes to have live bands, comedy shows, and late-night bar hours again in the near future.

Recently, Illegal Pete鈥檚 announced three new locations opening in Colorado Springs, Lakewood, and Wheat Ridge! For updates on new store openings, check out the Illegal Pete鈥檚.

Additionally, Pete will be guest speaking at on Wednesday, February 2nd. He mentioned,

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to have this opportunity to connect with students, especially those who are interested in entrepreneurship, and have discussions about the way industries are changing as a result of the pandemic.鈥�

Startups & Sandwiches is a recurring series hosted by the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship! Each Startups & Sandwiches event provides students with a unique opportunity to meet and network with executives and founders alike. If you are interested in attending, !

Challenges Faced

Pete鈥檚 father, also named Pete, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer during Pete鈥檚 first semester at CU. He was a huge supporter of Illegal Pete鈥檚 and continued to provide assistance in any way he could. The father-son duo worked together on getting the restaurant up and running and in August of 1997, after two years of operation and an 8 year battle of the disease, Pete鈥檚 father passed away. Pete鈥檚 father lives on through the name 鈥淚llegal Pete鈥� as it embodies not only Pete himself, but also his father who helped build the restaurant from the ground up in those first two years.

The recent Covid19 pandemic has also created challenges for Illegal Pete鈥檚 and the restaurant industry as a whole. Pete is taking the pandemic as a learning experience and using this time to focus on Illegal Pete鈥檚 core values as they wait for restrictions to be lifted.听

Advice for Current Students

Pete provides the following advice for current students,

鈥淜eep doing what you're doing! Pay attention and continue educating yourself on the community and world around you. There鈥檚 so much to learn and it鈥檚 important to appreciate where you鈥檙e at now. Understanding your values will help guide you.鈥�