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ORAL HISTORY
Irene Rich
When the SFA visited Irene Rich in 2009, she was celebrating the one-year anniversary of Peak Brothers’ reopening after a devastating fire. Her father and uncle, both World War II veterans, originally opened the restaurant in 1948. They served barbecue and beer to a mostly male clientele during the week, converting the space into a dance hall on Friday and Saturday nights. Irene and her sister and brothers have been working at the restaurant since they were teenagers. Peak Brothers is best known for its barbecue hams, which customers purchase whole for the holidays by the thousands. Lately, though, Irene has been experimenting with new menu items such as barbecue pizza and a barbecue sundae.