Pete's Restaurant is no longer family-run, but new owner has same vision – plus Saturdays

Pete's Restaurant, a fixture in downtown Knoxville, is no longer a family-run restaurant, but the new owner does not plan to change anything − except for reopening the diner on Saturdays.

Jake La Grander purchased the business at 540 Union Ave. on July 19 and has worked side-by-side with Pete and Joey Natour to "sponge every bit of knowledge" during the ownership transition. The Natours will be there for another week.

La Grander moved here from Phoenix with hospitality experience in managing hotels before working in insurance for the past decade. He wants to return to his roots, and Pete's Restaurant is exactly what he was looking for.

"The only thing that's changing is who unlocks the door at 5 o'clock every morning, and that's me instead of Pete," La Grander told Knox News. "We're keeping the name. We're keeping the menu. We're keeping the staff. We're keeping everything the same."

Some menu items might be added, he said, but "this is a highly perfected thing.

"I don't want to mess that up," he said. "I want to keep it just like it is."

Same name, same menu, same Pete's Restaurant

La Grander hopes fans of the restaurant who can't visit during the week will be able to come in on Saturdays.

Pete decided to close the restaurant on Saturdays in late 2021 to give him and his wife, Rita, more time to spend with family.

"It was a blessing and a curse," Pete said at the time. "It's really hard for me because I've been working so long. I've been working since I was 13."

La Grander will hire a few new staff members, which will help in bringing back Saturday hours.

"The staff is probably the biggest asset I have in buying this business," he said. "I wouldn't replace them for anything."

La Grander encourages Knoxville to come say hello and to hold him accountable in maintaining the same quality and atmosphere that makes Pete's Restaurant popular.

Pete's Restaurant is a longtime family-owned establishment

Pete and Rita opened the restaurant in 1986 , serving breakfast and lunch in downtown Knoxville while maintaining the three Cs: courtesy, consistency and cleanliness.

Over time, the restaurant grew in popularity, even attracting celebrities like Harrison Ford and Kiefer Sutherland for a meal. Pete's son, Joey Natour, became a co-owner, and the family worked together to keep the business going.

Pete has considered selling Pete's Restaurant before, but it took time to find the right buyer.

“This is his baby. It's his legacy," La Grander said. "He wanted to make sure that it carried on in a certain fashion, and I don't think he found a person that he felt confident could or would do that. And then we met and, luckily, we hit it off. He felt good about my goals for the business being pretty close with his goals.”

Pete's Restaurant is open 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. every weekday, with Saturdays returning soon.

Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Pete's Restaurant is no longer family-run, but new owner has same vision – plus Saturdays