When Pepe Fierro first arrived in Lincoln, Nebraska, he had no idea that he would end up making a big impact on his city—twice over!

In fact, Pepe's early days in Lincoln were tough. The apartment that he thought was ready for him to move into was nonexistent, so he lived out of the back of his car for a while. He was low on money, so he salvaged a beat-up bicycle to serve as his transportation to and from the restaurant he was working to establish. Step by step, Pepe got a life together in Lincoln.

His restaurant, called Pepe's Bistro, carved out a niche for itself. Guests can order traditional Mexican food with a "countercultural" twist: everything the restaurant serves is vegetarian. As he began to find fans of his beautifully composed meat-free dishes, Pepe felt more and more at home in Lincoln. But Pepe's Bistro didn't end up being the only way that Pepe put his mark on his new city!

"After a while, I noticed a lot of students walking to school, just a lot of people walking," Pepe recalls. This inspired him to start collecting bikes that had been discarded, fixing them up, and giving them away for free to Lincoln residents. Pepe wanted to pay his good fortune forward, and his actions quickly snowballed into a totally new project. After a while when he gave bikes away, Pepe decided to open up a community bike shop called Lincoln Bike Kitchen.

"When you've got an idea, just make it happen," is Pepe's advice to people who are thinking of establishing their own businesses. "Don't wait for others to give their opinion. Others will believe in you when you start believing in yourself."

Do you want to stay connected to Pepe Fierro and the Lincoln Bike Kitchen? You can check out Pepe's culinary creations by visiting the Pepe's Bistro website or follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

This video was produced by Rob Decina and shot/edited by Jordan Green Productions. Want to see inspiring videos? Check out the HooplaHa YouTube Channel...and don't forget to smile!