Business partners Paulo Benavides (left) and J. Adan Delacerda (Photo by Jay Paul)
Carrying on a family tradition of being in the restaurant business, Paulo Benavides and his brother, Nelson, have opened three eateries in the Richmond area in the past dozen years: Pepe’s, Hibachi Box and Y Tu Mama. As the brothers prepare to introduce two new concepts, Paulo talks about business expansion, the duo’s industry roots and their decision to bring in a partner in recent years.
Richmond magazine: Can you tell me a bit of your story?
Paulo Benavides: We moved here from Jalisco, Mexico. My dad used to have a mom-and-pop place, traditional Mexican food, that he started in 1984 called El Toro; it was all family members that helped. He would serve fried potato tacos and taquitos, tostados, enchiladas, shrimp cocktail, ceviche. I just grew up in [the industry] and waiting tables when I was like 6 years old. In Mexico, if you are a family business, you have to work, [but it’s] not like we didn’t have a choice, I always enjoyed it. My father’s cousin owned Mexico restaurants and offered him a partnership in Hopewell. We moved there in 1995 and didn’t know any English, eventually we landed in Chesterfield and in 1999 my dad opened a place called Don Jose in Colonial Heights. He opened Don Pepe’s in Midlothian, and when he wanted to sell it, my brother and I bought it from him. I was 24, and he was 25. We turned it into Pepe’s.
RM: What other restaurants do you and your brother own?
Benavides: Pepe’s opened in 2011, and Hibachi Box was Jan. 1, 2016. We partnered with The Veil Brewing Co. to do the food program at Y Tu Mama, and that debuted in 2020. We haven’t been opening [businesses] like crazy; it has been spaced out and always been me and my brother, but we recently brought on a partner. My brother does a lot of the food recipe stuff, and J. Adan Delacerda is the overseer of everything, and I do a lot of paperwork and the marketing side.
RM: You’re also opening two more concepts this year; what sparked that decision?
Benavides: I feel like it was time, and we have a partner now that can help us. We’re putting our toes in the water for future expansion and to see if it’s easy to replicate. Hibachi Box was pandemic-ready, which I never thought I would say, but we survived that because it’s mostly takeout over there and quick food. Full-service places can be a little bit harder, and we can have a scaled-back overhead and a simpler menu — and everybody loves hibachi. At the new place, Hibachi House (3456 Lauderdale Drive) we may experiment more with veggie things, or bowls and salads. We are also going to open Cochiloco (1601 Roseneath Road) on the ground floor of The Otis apartment building. It is fast-casual, and we will serve burritos, tacos and margaritas.
