Downriver favorite, Pete’s Place Restaurant, celebrates its 40th year in business!
Founded in 1983, Pete’s Place recently celebrated its 40 years of service. The Downriver restaurant brought back favorites of coney islands, Greek tacos, and loose burgers as well as serving its standard menu. The prices on the the celebratory 1983 menu reflected those from when Peter Ochab first opened the restaurant on Telegraph Road.
“It’s really fulfilling to continue a legacy our family has been building for the past forty years.”
“It’s crazy to think we’ve been here for 40 years now,” says Pete. “And that at this time, that long ago, I was sitting at a coney island in Eastern Market, having just graduated high school. It was there at that moment that I decided I could do this, and that I wanted to open a restaurant. I never thought we would end up here, and I’m grateful for everyone who has been a part of the journey so far.”
Pete’s Place is located at 12245 Telegraph Rd. in Taylor, but the family did have two other locations over the years. The first location was in a strip mall in Brownstown, on Telegraph Road. between Sibley and King Roads. Another resided in the former Taylor Lanes bowling alley. The expanded Taylor location is now the family’s main focus. Still, it has evolved from a small coney island, fast-casual diner, and coffee shop, to an All-American tavern-style restaurant with a bar that offers handcrafted cocktails, wine, and 40 craft on draft.
“I remember my first shift like it was yesterday,” Pete says. “Sharron, a regular of the Brownstown location, came in on a breakfast shift, and I was cooking. She said she wanted basted eggs, and that was one style I hadn’t yet practiced. So, she came in the back and showed me how to add a little water, cover it with a lid, and cook the whites until fully set.”
Pete also runs the restaurant with his family, and his son Jacob Ochab is working on taking over the reins of the Taylor location.
“It’s really fulfilling to continue a legacy our family has been building for the past forty years,” Jacob says. “From growing up in this space to now working on implementing my own ideas and takes on the concept, that’s something I’m excited to be a part of.”
The Ochab family thanks the Downriver community for joining them in their celebration, which was unlike any other the restaurant industry has seen! It was a special way to thank the community for the years of support and celebrate 40 years of dedication and hard work.
Pete’s Place is located at 12245 Telegraph Rd. in Taylor. For more information, or to place an order, please visit www.petestogo.com
