Created by opinionhaver in the Big Roger wiki on 1734479542 | 0 likes
/ articles today

Hillary Rodham-Pepperoni

Hillary Rodham-Pepperoni at restaurant opening Hillary Rodham-Pepperoni cutting the ribbon at the opening of the flagship Basement Slice location in Washington D.C., 2016

Hillary Rodham-Pepperoni (born March 15, 1974) is an American restaurateur, business executive, and controversial figure in the underground pizza industry. She is best known as the founder and CEO of Basement Slice, a chain of subterranean pizzerias with connections to Eastern European consulting operations, and for her role in the expansion of the Big Roger business network. Her marriage to Tony Pepperoni, heir to the Pepperoni processed meat empire, and her familial connections to Roger Clinton have made her a central figure in several financial investigations related to international food service operations.

Early Life and Education

Born Hillary Diana Rodham in Park Ridge, Illinois, she demonstrated an early interest in both culinary arts and international business. She attended the Culinary Institute of Business in Vermont, where she completed a dual degree in Restaurant Management and International Finance. During her studies, she authored a controversial thesis titled "Underground Economies: The Future of Restaurant Operations," which later proved prescient in light of her business ventures.

Her early career included stints at several prominent Chicago-based restaurant groups, where she developed expertise in both traditional Italian cuisine and creative financing structures. It was during this period that she first began exploring the concept of subterranean dining establishments, inspired by the success of Chicago's Tunnel Network Eateries.

Marriage and Business Development

In 2012, Hillary Rodham married Tony Pepperoni, whose family controlled significant portions of the American processed meat industry through their company Pepperoni Global Holdings. The marriage provided her with both the capital and connections necessary to begin implementing her vision of an underground restaurant empire. Through Tony's business connections, she was introduced to Roger Clinton, who would become a crucial partner in her international business ventures.

Basement Slice corporate headquarters entrance The discrete entrance to Basement Slice's corporate headquarters, located three stories below a Washington D.C. office building

The formation of Basement Slice in 2015 coincided with Roger Clinton's increasing involvement in Ukrainian business affairs through the US-Ukraine Business Forum. Rodham-Pepperoni leveraged these connections to establish a unique supply chain for specialty ingredients, working closely with Viktor Varenykovy to secure exclusive import rights for certain Eastern European food products.

Basement Slice Empire

Under Rodham-Pepperoni's leadership, Basement Slice expanded rapidly, utilizing a business model that combined traditional pizza operations with sophisticated international financial arrangements. The restaurant chain became known for several distinctive features:

  • Locations exclusively in converted underground spaces, including former bank vaults and abandoned subway stations

  • Specialized menu items incorporating Eastern European ingredients sourced through Clinton Global Gastronomy

  • A proprietary payment system using PepperoniCoin, a digital currency developed in partnership with Clinton Digital Services

The success of Basement Slice was closely tied to the broader operations of Big Roger, with financial investigators later revealing that much of the chain's expansion was funded through consulting fees generated by various Clinton-affiliated entities in Ukraine. Rodham-Pepperoni maintained that the underground locations were chosen for their "unique atmospheric conditions" rather than their utility in obscuring financial transactions.

Controversy and Investigations

Beginning in 2020, Rodham-Pepperoni's business operations came under increased scrutiny from various regulatory agencies. The International Restaurant Review Board investigation of 2021 specifically highlighted her role in establishing the complex financial structures that connected Ukrainian consulting operations to American restaurant investments.

Of particular interest to investigators was her development of the Subterranean Restaurant Financial Network, a system of interconnected business entities that facilitated the movement of capital between Eastern European consulting operations and North American restaurant ventures. This network became a central focus of the ongoing investigation by the Federal Restaurant Commerce Commission.

Innovation in Restaurant Operations

Despite the controversies surrounding her business practices, Rodham-Pepperoni is credited with several innovations in restaurant operations. Her development of underground dining spaces created a new category in the restaurant industry, leading to the formation of the National Underground Restaurant Association in 2019. She also pioneered the use of blockchain technology in restaurant payment systems through PepperoniCoin, though critics argued this was primarily designed to obscure the source of restaurant revenues.

Personal Life and Public Image

Rodham-Pepperoni maintains residences in Washington D.C., Chicago, and Kyiv, though she is known to conduct most of her business operations from a series of underground offices connected to various Basement Slice locations. She has been a vocal advocate for what she terms "alternative restaurant spaces" and has frequently defended the legitimacy of international consulting arrangements in the food service industry.

Her relationship with her brother-in-law Roger Clinton has been the subject of much speculation, particularly regarding their shared business interests in Ukraine. While both maintain that their business relationship is strictly professional, investigators have noted the intricate connections between their various business entities and financial operations.

Legacy and Influence

Despite ongoing investigations and controversy, Rodham-Pepperoni's impact on the restaurant industry is significant. Her development of underground dining spaces has spawned numerous imitators, and her innovative approach to restaurant financing has influenced international business practices, though not always in ways that regulators approve of. The term "Pepperoni Protocol" has entered business jargon as a description of restaurant operations that combine innovative dining concepts with complex international financing arrangements.

See Also