KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A legendary Knoxville staple is celebrating its 35th anniversary in the community!
Pete and Rita Natour opened Pete's Restaurant on May 21,1986, and they have been familiar smiling faces in the Knoxville community ever since.
Pete immigrated to the U.S. from Palestine as a child with his family in the 1960s. He was no stranger to the Knoxville restaurant scene before he opened Pete's, though. He, his father and his brothers all have managed restaurants through the years.
Pete later fell in love with Rita on a trip back to Palestine in the mid-1980s, and the two married and soon opened Pete's in downtown Knoxville -- serving up classic breakfast options and other delicious downtown diner dishes!
The rest has been history. After all these years, they and their sons are still working behind the counter and serving customers from all walks of life (including some celebrities), especially on busy gameday mornings when people from all around line out the door.
When people think of a classic Tennessee diner, Pete's is usually one of the first to come to mind. In 2019, the Food Network even recognized the restaurant's legendary status by naming it the most notable diner in the state!