Pepe’s Italian & Liquor opened its doors revealing the epic transformation from the original Trunk Restaurant & Bar on Exhibition Street. Owner Nick Kutcher drew inspiration for the Italian-American style menu from his time living in New York, which celebrates Italian immigrant cuisine, starring classic pizza and pasta dishes, as well as family-style shared mains.
The refurbished space transports diners back to 1940s New York with burgundy leather banquettes and a red and white chequered floor. The show stopping 13-metre zinc-topped bar boasts a wall of spirits that form the cocktail list which showcases a whole page solely dedicated to martinis.
To celebrate the opening, we held an intimate media & influencer dinner in September, with attendees including Italy on My Mind, Broadsheet Melbourne, The World Loves Melbourne, ForkSake, Concrete Playground, Crumbs of a Foodie, A Chronicle of Gastronomy.
KDPO pitched the brand new Pepe’s to print and online media and gained coverage in The Age (Good Food), Herald Sun, Delicious, The Urban List, Broadsheet, Time Out, Concrete Playground, The World Loves Melbourne, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, and Sitchu.
Images by Gareth Sobey.
