Even at the height of the pandemic, Peppo’s Subs had a steady stream of loyal customers ordering sandwiches with the establishment’s famous “guts” — diced pickles, tomatoes and onions topped with seasoning.

Since it opened in 1976 the restaurant has moved from its original Palos Hills location at 106th and Roberts Road to its current home at 103rd Street, and its fans have followed.

That’s no accident, according to owner Robert Peplowski, who began 20 years ago taking over the restaurant from his ailing dad Jim. Now the owner, Robert still can count on his dad, aka “Mr. Peppo,” to help out.

Robert Peplowski worked at the restaurant in high school but said he was “thrown into the business” when his dad had cancer and he had to take the helm.

“I just took it on as a family business,” said Peplowski, now 39. “I recognized the importance of it and I took it very seriously.”

He didn’t take the traditional route after obtaining a Fulbright scholarship for football and attending Saint Xavier University in Chicago.

But he was itching to get his hands dirty with real work and ended up dropping out of college a few times, including once when his dad got sick.

“I didn’t excel because I needed to be doing something right in the mix — like doing a podcast and applying it right away,” Peplowski said. “I tried to go back to school, but the school part wasn’t for me.”

Instead, Peplowski learned from his dad, watching him work and hearing his tips, as well as finding other business mentors and reading up on his own.

“When I would read a book, I could go and apply it today,” he said. “I found answers that came from a different outlet than traditional school.”

His educational pursuits took him to far-flung locations as well. A native of New Lenox, he visited Kenya through mission work with his church.

“That was sort of getting outside of my comfort zone to have a better worldview,” Peplowski said.

He also served in the Illinois National Guard from 2016-22 and was deployed to Afghanistan for a time.

“It was a great learning experience as well,” said Peplowski. “These are new situations you have to adapt to, and you have to do really well because you’re not sure what will happen today, and apply the same theory with staff and family.”

He’s taken that adage to partnering with the community and lecturing about entrepreneurship and acting as a mentor at area high schools. He also works with the city, catering events with the police department’s National Night Out, as well as events at Palos Hills Municipal Golf Course.

Now a resident of Homer Glen, Peplowski said he considers Palos Hills a home.

The Palos Hills City Council and Mayor Jerry Bennett are among his fans.

“I can say nothing but good about that man,” said Ald. Donna O’Connell, 5th Ward. “He’s an amazing icon in the city of Palos Hills. He’s an inspiration to anybody he meets.”

Even his employees say he brings out the best in them.

“I put my heart and soul into it, and they saw something in me that could help them grow and grow bigger,” said Leandra Gershon, of Hometown, who started as a part-timer preparing sandwiches and working the cash register several years ago and is now a full-time general manager.

“He’s very understanding and it’s very family-oriented.”

Alex Peplowski, Robert’s wife and a manager at the restaurant, can vouch for that.

She met her husband on the job and helped run the business when he was deployed overseas.

“Being a family business, you would think it would be more stressful, but it’s not,” Alex said.

That extends to Jim Peplowski, the original owner, who can still be found preparing sandwiches because, he says, “It’s in my blood.”

“He said it keeps him busy,” said Robert Peplowski.

“It’s still fun for him to do (and) we like having him around.”

Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.