Pepper Palace was founded by Craig and Tanya Migawa in 1989 as a kiosk in a Central Wisconsin Mall and soon expanded to include two inline retail locations. After successfully operating in Wisconsin for eight years, a family trip inspired a move south to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Pepper Palace opened their first Gatlinburg location in 1997 in a small storefront on the outskirts of town. Several moves were made to better, larger locations until finally reaching its current location in 1999, a 3,000 square foot spot in a prominent Gatlinburg Mall. This was, and continues to be, the largest spicy themed specialty retail location in the world. Pepper Palace entered the online arena in that same year by launching pepperpalace.com.
Pepper Palace's second retail location was opened in 2008 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Expansion continued with openings in Saint Augustine, Florida in 2009, a second Gatlinburg location, and a Branson, Missouri location in 2011. Growth accelerated in 2012 with openings in New Orleans, Chicago, Charleston, Panama City Beach, Sarasota, The Mall of America and the first venture onto foreign soil with the opening of a location on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.
A commercial kitchen was opened in 2010 and has continued to produce Pepper Palace brand products.
Today, Pepper Palace operates over 100 retail locations in the US and Canada and plans expansion into the West, Northeast and Midwestern US and Central Canada. International expansion is on the horizon as well. Pepper Palace is a privately held corporation that has won hundreds of National Awards for product, marketing and flavor. Pepper Palace prides itself on exceptional customer service and professionalism, but feel that maintaining this should be a joy rather than a chore.