Though the "Real Housewives of Westchester" has yet to materialize, that didn't stop a local business from participating in a different kind of reality show.
Restaurant Stakeout—a Food Network show hosted by Uncle Jack's Steakhouse founder Willie Degel that helps troubled restaurants identify the problems plaguing their establishments—featured Mamaroneck's Roasted Peppers in an episode called "This Place is a Ghost Town!"
According to the Food Network website, owner Juan Lepe has struggled with the restaurant losing money since it opened in 2009; recently, his 11-year-old son was diagnosed with a brain tumor, making profitability a more urgent goal than ever.
Lepe—who grew up in Jalisco, Mexico and came to the U.S. when he was 16—worked at several Westchester establishments before working his way up to cook at the now-defunct Rockwell's in Mamaroneck. He launched Roasted Peppers in 2009 with Darrell Belcher and Ruben Ochoa, Jr.
The episode This Place is a Ghost Town can be viewed on the Food Network on June 8 and 16 at 3 p.m.
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