Barrow: Fire Destroys Landmark Restaurant
Sep 12, 2013, 11:59 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Sacramento, CA, US
Posts: 2,229
Barrow: Fire Destroys Landmark Restaurant
Barrow's famous Pepe's North of the Border restaurant was destroyed by fire on August 31, with the conflagration also causing substantial damage to the adjoining Top of the World Hotel, the largest hotel in Barrow.
I was fortunate to visit Barrow July 28-30, stayed at the Top of the World, and exclusively had meals at Pepe's (4). Needless to say, the news item left me speechless.
http://www.adn.com/2013/08/31/305251...destroyed.html
I was fortunate to visit Barrow July 28-30, stayed at the Top of the World, and exclusively had meals at Pepe's (4). Needless to say, the news item left me speechless.
http://www.adn.com/2013/08/31/305251...destroyed.html
Oct 6, 2013, 2:47 pm
#3
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Atlanta GA
Programs: DL FO, HH Ag
Posts: 57
This is terrible news. My wife and I had lunch there in Dec 2011 and also got to meet Fran Tate. Losing Pepe's is a terrible blow to the community - hope they are able to rebuild it somehow.
-JimG
-JimG
Oct 6, 2013, 7:31 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland
Programs: BA gold
Posts: 3,902
I was one of the last customers that evening at Pepe's and stayed in the adjacent hotel that night until the police banged on my door just before 3am. They told me the restaurant's on fire and hotel guests were to leave as a precaution.
Spent the night in Barrow police station watching the restaurant burn down.
Spent the night in Barrow police station watching the restaurant burn down.
Apr 9, 2014, 8:27 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Barrow Alaska
Posts: 14
I thought folks would like an update on this topic, and now is the right time.
The new Top of The World Hotel, located about 1/2 mile from the previous hotel damaged by the fire last fall, will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 22, 2014! The new hotel doesn't quite have the same cluse up view of the ocean, but instead looks across across the lagoon at Barrow. It will be roughly twice the size of the original Top of the World.
Pepe's North of the Border is now a parking lot. That is not expected to change.
Pepe's owner, Fran Tate and Joe the Waterman (one of her two son's) have both had serious health issues in the past year, but are doing fine. Fran, who is 84 years old, is living in Anchorage and is suffering serious side effects of age and diabetes. But she's alive and kicking like a mule. Joe the Waterman, and his brother Mike, are both in Barrow and "taking care of business".
The new Top of The World Hotel, located about 1/2 mile from the previous hotel damaged by the fire last fall, will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 22, 2014! The new hotel doesn't quite have the same cluse up view of the ocean, but instead looks across across the lagoon at Barrow. It will be roughly twice the size of the original Top of the World.
Pepe's North of the Border is now a parking lot. That is not expected to change.
Pepe's owner, Fran Tate and Joe the Waterman (one of her two son's) have both had serious health issues in the past year, but are doing fine. Fran, who is 84 years old, is living in Anchorage and is suffering serious side effects of age and diabetes. But she's alive and kicking like a mule. Joe the Waterman, and his brother Mike, are both in Barrow and "taking care of business".