Illegal Pete’s owner says he won’t change the name of his restaurant

The owner of a Denver Mexican restaurant chain says he won’t change the name of his eatery despite calls from community members who charge its meaning is offensive to illegal immigrants.

"I will not change the name of our company," Illegal Pete’s owner Pete Turner wrote in a lengthy letter on the company’s blog detailing its 20-year history.

Although Turner writes that he “appreciates” those who took the time to voice their concerns, he stands by the name and goes on to discuss what the word illegal means to him.

“When it came to the name Illegal Pete’s, I settled on the name of a bar in a novel. The name resonated with me for the obvious reason that my name is Pete, but of equal importance, it was my father’s name.”

Turner says Illegal Pete’s refers to Turner’s father’s reputation as a “good-natured hell raiser” and was not meant to imply anything political.

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