Pete’s Grille is for sale but will remain open, the owner announced this week.
The popular Waverly breakfast and lunch spot has been open for more than 40 years at 3130 Greenmount Ave. Known for its “large plate comfort food,” it was a favorite of Olympic Gold Medal winner Michael Phelps, who wrote about it his 2005 autobiography, “Beneath the Surface: My Story.”
“It is with a bittersweet heart that we announce Pete’s Grille is for sale (the business, not the building),” owner Ray Crum posted in a message on the business’ website and on social media.
“As you all know, Pete’s has been a staple on Greenmount Ave since 1980 and has been a spot that many of our friends and their families have made fond memories at,” the message continued.
“We are grateful to have made so many friends along our journey of ownership and we appreciate so much all the love and support you all have shown to us over the years. It’s time we pass the torch to someone with a love for community and a passion for the restaurant industry. We are still open regular hours, so stop in and see us when you can.”
Pete’s Grille’s summer hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jenn Crum, the owner’s daughter, posted on Facebook that there are “no plans of closing the doors.” She said on Wednesday that her father wanted to test the market and is seeking at least $500,000 for the business, which is a tenant of the building at 3130 Greenmount Ave. and has eight years to go on its lease.
“We’re not closing at all,” she said on Wednesday. “Even if he was to sell it, it has to stay a restaurant…because it’s in the lease.” He posted the message because “he wants to see what somebody would offer him,” she said.
According to state land records, the three-story corner building dates from 1925 and the landlord has a Timonium mailing address. Parties with serious interest in purchasing Pete’s Grille are invited to contact Ray Crum at petesgrille@gmail.com.
Jenn Crum said Pete’s Grille is named after Peter Rose, the initial owner, and has had a series of owners. She said her father, 68, has owned it since the end of 2017.
In 2021, Ray Crum leased Werner’s Restaurant at 225 East Redwood Street and in 2022 reopened it with a menu similar to the one at Pete’s Grille. A new operator replaced him earlier this year.
Phelps, 39, grew up in Rodgers Forge and attended Towson Senior High School, where the entrance drive has been renamed Michael Phelps Way. He is the most decorated Olympian of all time, having won 28 medals, 23 of them gold, over five Games. He retired from competitive swimming after the 2016 Rio Games and now lives in Arizona with his family.
On one wall of Pete’s Grille are framed images and posters of Phelps from his days as a competitive swimmer.
One image shows what Phelps ate for his “Morning Meal” at Pete’s Grille: two BLT sandwiches with mayo and cheese; one five-egg Western omelet; a bowl of grits; two fried eggs with French toast and three large chocolate chip pancakes with syrup. Another shows a banner that Pete’s Grille made when he was competing in the Olympics: “Congrats Michael!,” it reads. “We think you are EGGseptional! No Yolk!”
Jenn Crum said Phelps was a regular customer at Pete’s Grille when he lived in the Baltimore area but hasn’t been in since he moved to Arizona. Some commenters on social media suggested that Phelps buy Pete’s Grille so it could stay open. Phelps is currently part of the NBC team covering the 2024 Olympics in Paris and couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
