Case Study: Pete’s Restaurant achieves seamless payment processing and trusted growth with Elavon

Guarding and growing a Knoxville icon Pete’s Restaurant

Pete’s Restaurant, a Knoxville institution for nearly four decades, faced a major transition when longtime owner Pete retired and new owner Jake La Grander took over. The challenge was to preserve the restaurant’s legacy and loyal customer trust while making careful improvements to the food, service, and overall experience. Elavon supported the business with payment processing, which Jake said is critical because credit card transactions drive 65% to 70% of sales.

Elavon provided a seamless, dependable payment solution that “just works,” allowing Jake to focus on hospitality instead of processing issues. With Elavon, Pete’s Restaurant avoided stress over outages and fees while continuing to operate smoothly and grow. The result was a stronger guest experience, smarter small upgrades like fresher ingredients and customer-requested menu items, and packed Saturdays after the restaurant reopened that day.

Pete’s Restaurant

Jake La Grander

Former Hotel Manager and Insurance Agency Owner