- Photos:
-
related items
There are already lots of regulars at Pete’s Original Restaurant Too, said owner Spero Conits, and many of them have their own personal story connecting them with the street corner where Pete’s Too now stands.
For more than 50 years, the site was home to a different restaurant, Big Clock No. 2. That restaurant closed several years ago after the passing of its owner, marking the end of an era filled with memories for many in the surrounding community.
“Some of them got engaged in the parking lot,” Conits said. “Some used to, when the Air Force was stationed at Donaldson, would meet their girlfriends down here. There’s a whole lot of history on this one corner.”
Conits opened Pete’s Too in early June, to complement his other venture, Pete’s Original Restaurant, which has been a favorite among West End patrons for almost 60 years. Conits has been managing that restaurant since 1980, when he took it over from his father, who inherited the business from the original Pete himself, Pete Manos.
“My father had worked for him, and Pete Manos offered my father the next location, which was Pete’s No. 3, which is now called Pete’s Original,” Conits said.
That makes Pete’s Original one of only four existing restaurants bearing the Pete’s name that were part of the original chain. Conits said he and his brother grew up working weekends at the restaurant for extra spending money.
As far as the new Pete’s is concerned, Conits said he bought the property from the estate of the former owner, but had to wait until the right time to open a new restaurant there.
“I just kept it closed until we saw a good time to totally redo everything, because it was in bad shape,” Conits said. “We totally gutted it, gave it a face lift.”
Pete’s Too is not simply a replica of the original restaurant, though. Whereas Pete’s Original features full-fledged wait service, at Pete’s Too, customers place their orders at a counter, and the food is brought to their table by runners.
And while many of the best-selling menu items are available at Pete’s Too, the classic meat-and-three dishes are not offered there. But diners will find a new breakfast line featuring omelets, pancakes and other popular breakfast items.
Conits describes the décor at Pete’s Too as “kind of retro,” with historical photographs and a homey feel. Outdoor seating and its proximity to Richland Creek, which flows behind the restaurant, add to the ambiance.
Conits said his two sons have taken over the management of Pete’s Original now, freeing him up to spend his time at the new location.
“It’s a fun place to work. I catch myself sitting there all day, because I enjoy it so much,” Conits said.
And the support of the surrounding community never gets old.
“Total strangers will come in and they’ll hug us and say, ‘We’re so glad you’re open! We’ve been waiting for something like this down here for so long,’” Conits said. “It gives you a lot of energy and drive to get that kind of feedback.”
