Alumni Spotlight: Robert Peplowski ’02

Carrying on a family legacy through leadership, community, and service

For Robert Peplowski ’02, leading Peppo’s Subs means carrying forward a legacy his father began five decades ago. As Owner and CEO of the family business, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, he balances preserving what customers have loved for generations with building a strong future.

“Being able to continue what my father started 50 years ago brings me great pride and joy,” Peplowski said.

His favorite part of the job remains personal: working alongside his team and connecting with customers. Through the years, Peppo’s has employed generations of families and served generations of customers, becoming part of their celebrations, milestones, and difficult moments.

“Getting to hear the impact we have had on employees and their families, as well as the stories from customers, is what pushes me to do my absolute best every single day,” he said.

Although Peplowski always expected to join the family business, his path there unfolded sooner than anticipated. At Providence Catholic, he was a starting football player on the 2001 state championship team and earned a full scholarship to play football in college. When his father faced cancer and heart surgery, however, his priorities shifted.

Having worked at Peppo’s during high school, he knew he could help. Taking on greater responsibility at a young age brought challenges, but it also helped him recognize the opportunity in front of him.

“I committed to not only being there for my family, but to become the best at what I do,” he said.

Today, he is especially proud that the business continues to play an active role in its community. Over the years, Peppo’s has built partnerships with professional athletes Max Strus and Julian Love, musician Bobby Wooten, Notre Dame, the Chicago Bears, and organizations supporting community and veteran causes.

For Peplowski, those relationships reflect both his father’s hard work and his own responsibility to sustain it.

The foundation for his approach to leadership began at Providence Catholic, where teachers, coaches, and friendships helped shape his confidence and expectations for himself.

“Providence gave me a foundation,” he said. “A foundation built on faith, pride, high standards, morals and ethics.”

He remembers teachers who recognized potential he had not yet seen in himself and coaches who demanded excellence. Their influence helped him develop habits and lessons he would later draw upon in business and military service. Friendships also opened doors, including one that connected him with a friend’s father who became an important mentor.

“Going to Providence was one of my best experiences and to this day continues to be a part of my life,” he said.

That foundation also encouraged Peplowski to seek opportunities to serve beyond his business. His journey included international mission trips, founding a nonprofit, and ultimately joining the Army while maintaining his key role at Peppo’s.

Choosing military service later in life became one of his most meaningful decisions. The Army’s standards, training, core values, and emphasis on teamwork strengthened his leadership. His combat deployments also broadened his perspective, exposing him to different cultures and people whose experiences deepened his understanding of leadership and life.

Rather than viewing business, service, and community involvement as separate paths, Peplowski sees each as an essential part of the person he has become.

Today, he shares those experiences as a guest speaker, coach, and mentor for high school programs such as DECA and Incubator, as well as college courses. He is also involved with business and veteran organizations, local networking groups, and fellow small business owners. Most recently, he has focused on helping small businesses connect with larger companies.

For current Providence students considering college, a career, or military service, his advice is to commit fully while remaining open to where experience may lead.

“Whatever it is, go all in. You will never regret doing your best,” Peplowski said. “When you are young, it is OK not to know exactly what you want to do. You can easily pivot, but do so boldly.”

Through every chapter, Peplowski continues to put those words into practice: honoring his family’s legacy, investing in others, and approaching each new opportunity with purpose.