Chef Richard Pepino is a graduate of Drexel University (’02), holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management with a focus in Business Administration. Chef Pepino is entering his ninth year as Executive Chef at Drexel University. In addition to his culinary and administrative responsibilities, Chef Pepino promotes an enthusiastic community-based education program in the neighboring West Philadelphia community. He has thirty-four years of experience in the food service industry along with 16 years of experience in culinary education. Before accepting his current position at Drexel University, he served eight years as a Chef Instructor/Production Chef at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College. While teaching he stayed busy working with local chefs on private dinners and staging in up-scale restaurants, most notably at Hostellerie De Levernois in Beaune, France under the tutelage of Chef Philippe Augé. Previously, he has held director-level positions at Aramark Corporation. These positions include Executive Chef at the Charming Shoppe’s in Bensalem, PA; Senior Food Service Director at JPMC in Newark, DE; Food Service Director at Accenture, Wilmington, DE; and Assistant Food Service Director at Boeing, Ridley Park, PA. Chef Pepino while in school, worked for The Main Street Restaurant Group in Philadelphia, PA, and began his culinary adventures in his family’s kitchen and in Voltaco’s Italian foods in Ocean City, NJ. Richard is married to his wife Alyssa, and they live in Haverford Township with two lovely children.
Professional Society
• American Culinary Federation (ACF) Member (2007 – Present)
Selected Publications
Pepino, R., Sherman, R. and Deutsch, J. (ms in development). Sustainable Cooking. American Technical Publishers (ATP).
Lahne, J., Pepino R., Zellner, D. (2016). “You’ll spoil your dinner: Attenuating hedonic contrast in meals through cuisine mismatch,” Food Quality and Preference, 56 101-106.
O’Donnell, T., Deutsch, J., Pepino, R., Milliron, BJ, Yungmann, C., and Katz, S. (2015). “New Solutions for Food Loss and Waste Prevention,” 56 (11), 34.
Odonnell, T., Deutsch, J., Pepino R., Milliron, BJ, Yungmann, C., and Katz, S. (2015). “Food Was Never Meant to be Wasted,” BioCycle, 56 (9), 34.
Grant Participation
Immersive Education of Urban Educators in Food and Agricultural Sciences. 2023-2026. Quinlan, J.J. (PD), Lee, V. (Co-PD)
USDA – NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Grant $500,000
MA, Creativity & Innovation, 06/25 (anticipated)
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
BA, Hospitality Management, 06/2002
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA