 |
| RePete Turner Westword Photo (thanks!) |
More on Pete and RePete
see below.
Thanks
to Pete’s musical roots the Tempe venue hosts live music.
Speaking
of singing different tunes, recently, Pete Jr. just won a major lawsuit against
naysayers who believed the name was racist.
Courts said the name Illegal Pete was free speech. Enough said.
 |
| Burrito that won the West |
Downside
for me (not others obviously) is having to order from a counter instead of a
wait staff but nobody asked me. Yes,
it’s a management trend to cut costs but frankly the no-waiter concept reeks of
“fast food.” Give me Casa Guadalajara in
San Diego’s Old Town any time for the vibe that real waiters bring to the
dining experience. Click here.
But
when in Tempe, Illegal Pete’s will do just fine.
 |
| Tempe location indoors |
MEET DAD
Illegal Pete's Origin
Story
Pete
Turner II loves burritos. In 1995, Pete opened up shop in a 600-square-foot
space on University Hill, to serve the hungry college town of Boulder,
Colorado.
He
named his shop Illegal Pete's, after his beacon of moral support: his father,
Pete Turner Senior, who was terminally ill with cancer and passed away in 1997.
Pete Sr. co-signed the loan, and was his daily source of calm and confidence in
opening and running the restaurant. He was also the name and spirit behind
Illegal Pete's.
"Growing
up hearing stories of my dad's good-natured hell-raising romanced and inspired
me, and might have gotten me into some trouble as a younger man," says
Turner. "It was his rock'n roll-ish boundary-pushing that inspired the
name Illegal Pete's, and is an attitude we seek to live out in the restaurant.
My dad loved the name. He lives in every Illegal Pete's in a series of paintings
that include his birthday, 3-31-40."
Today,
Pete's formula - fast, healthy food + a vibrant cultural atmosphere - remains
at the core of the Illegal Pete's experience. Even 23 years after its humble
beginnings, half of Pete Turner's lifetime, since Illegal Pete's has blossomed
into eleven extraordinary locations across Colorado and now Tucson and Tempe,
Arizona.
At
Illegal Pete's, it's about meeting customers where their interests lie. This
anti-cookie-cutter, ever-changing formula enables that customer-directed
sympatico to click. It's the secret behind our customer loyalty.
After
Delaware Secretary of State refused to incorporate Illegal Pete's based on
their name, the company sued for First Amendment infringement
The
Delaware Secretary of State settled the lawsuit out of court, paying for the
restaurant's legal fees and changing their naming guidelines for corporate
entities. Here’s what they went
through. Read below:
 |
| Quesadilla con Salsa y Guacamole |
IT’S CALLED THE BILL OF
RIGHTS
By Erin Barnes--Denver, CO (October
30, 2019) - The State of Delaware has settled the First Amendment court case
against them made by Colorado-based restaurant group Illegal Pete's, reversing
their previous decision not to allow the company to incorporate in their state
based on their name. In doing so, Delaware has agreed to pay for the
restaurant's legal fees and change their corporate naming guidelines to better
honor the First Amendment.
"This
was an interesting linear elevation of the 'Illegal' word issue we first
encountered in 2014," says Illegal Pete's founder and president, Pete
Turner. "We took this debate to the courts, suing the State of Delaware
for First Amendment infringement, and winning; we see this as vindication of
our position."
In
early 2019, the State of Delaware refused to incorporate Illegal Pete's,
claiming the name had "a negative connotation" and "might cause
harm to the interests of the public or the state." Illegal Pete's issued a
statement refuting any racial or immigration-related connotations, explaining
that the company was named after Pete Turner Senior, the founder's father who
was "a bit of a good-natured hell-raiser in his day."
The
Associated Press' coverage of the news included a list of business entities
that were somewhat ironically deemed acceptable by the Delaware officials,
including "Illegal Civilization Inc.," "Illegal People Touring
Inc.," "Hot Asian Buns LLC," "Crabby Dick's Delaware
Inc.," "Killer Beverages LLC," "Murder on the Menu
Inc" and even "Dickshark, LLC." The reason for the sudden
stringent attitude towards Illegal Pete's, the company theorized, was the
incorrect assumption that the name was racially-charged.
"In
our current political times, divided and filled with racial tension, our name
has been unwittingly rolled into a larger conversation about race, the United
States, who belongs here and if a human being should ever be referred to as
'illegal,'" reads the statement. "The word 'illegal' in our name is a
reference to the countercultural, to the rebellious, to the very picture of
challenging authority that the restaurants were founded upon. It's in this
spirit that we challenge the decision made by Delaware officials."
The
court settlement announcement hit the presses in August of 2019, but Illegal
Pete's has waited to make their announcement until final receipt of the cash
settlement.
After
a long and hard battle to incorporate in Delaware, Turner is announcing his
decision to remain a Colorado-based entity instead, incorporating in the
company's home state. Illegal Pete's is in the process of re-registering in
Colorado, which will be complete by end of year.
"This
was a reminder that Illegal Pete's always has been and always will be a
Colorado company," says Turner. "Even as we continue to grow out of
state, with two locations in Arizona and even more out-of-state locations
planned in the future, we'll always call Colorado home...except when they're in Arizona."
No comments:
Post a Comment