Include Nick's Quotes

Nicholas Sarento Nickolas, a.k.a. Nick Nickolas, is recognized as one of the top restaurateurs in the country. Creator of over 30 restaurants, he has been praised from coast to coast for his famous service and timeless cuisine. SUN Sentinel's Robert Tolf writes, "Nicholas Nickolas is one of the living legends in the industry."

The son of a Greek produce wholesaler, Nick took his first cooking class when he was twelve and continued his culinary education throughout high school and college. He learned his work ethic from his father. And how to make people feel at home from his mother, who spent her days in the kitchen preparing keftedes and moussaka and pastitsio for the extended family. He took these lessons to heart. Nick was never just a figurehead in his restaurants, often working alongside his employees doing whatever needed to be done.

A football scholarship led Nick to San Jose State College where he graduated with a degree in business. He left for Hawaii in 1960 with $85 in his pocket and the name of a family friend who exported pineapples. The $85 was gone in three days.

Nick found his first restaurant job as a bus boy and, in 1965, met his life-long business partner Jeff Harman. Hired by Jeff as a waiter at The Red Vest, it didn't take long before Nick was managing the restaurant. 3 years later, he approached Jeff with an idea for a first class seafood restaurant with impeccable service. In 1968, Nick's Fishmarket was born.

Nick's philosophy is simple. Food should be that old-fashioned word -- delicious. And service should be warm and professional. He personally trained every cook, waiter, bartender, busboy and manager. Said one of his waiters, "A job with Nick lasts a day or a lifetime." It wasn't an exaggeration. If you were willing to do things Nick's way, you had a job for life. Many of Nick's employees were with him for over 30 years. He was employer, mentor and friend.

Education and training has always been important to the passionate businessman. Today, Nick is a founding member of the board of directors for Sullivan College's National Center for Hospitality Studies. In 1994 he was presented a honorary doctorate of business administration from Johnson & Wales University.

Throughout his career, Nick has devoted time and money to charity. In Chicago, he helped develop food programs that converted restaurant and hotel leftovers into thousands of meals for the hungry. In 1987, he was named Spokesperson and Board Member of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. In Florida, he supported South Florida's Daily Bread Food Bank's Extra Helpings which donated thousands of pounds of prepared food monthly to the needy in Broward, Dade and Palm Beach Counties.

Diabetes research is close to Nick's heart. The disease runs in his family and took the life of his youngest sister Dolly when she was just 24-years-old. He has worked tirelessly with the American Diabetes Association's Retinopathy Research Program. In 1982, the Hellenic Voters of America voted Nick the "Most Distinguished Greek American" for his charitable and civic-minded endeavors, as well as for his business accomplishments.

As a guest columnist for Restaurant Hospitality and frequent industry speaker, Nick's expertise in the hospitality business is legendary. He has appeared on numerous radio and television shows, such as Oprah Winfrey, and hosted his own show in Chicago called "The Good Life with Nick." His reputation as an impeccable host and restauranteur has attracted dignitaries and celebrities from around the world, including Arnold Palmer, Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley McLaine, Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali. His column "Nick's Space" exploded in popularity for its brash style. Most of his commentaries didn't win him many fans among critics, but restaurateurs thanked him for saying what they were all thinking.

"I've done everything in restaurants that you can do, from dishwasher to bouncer to maitre d'. And the first rule I ever taught myself is as true today as it was when Eisenhower was president -- kill your customers with service. Fine dining is not a trend, it is tradition. And tradition isn't trendy -- it's timeless. And given the right flare, it'll never go out of style." -- Nick

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Nicholas Sarento Nickolas, a.k.a. Nick Nickolas, is recognized as one of the top restaurateurs in the country. Creator or over 30 restaurants, he has been praised from coast to coast for his famous service and timeless cuisine. SUN Sentinel's Robert Tolf writes, "Nicholas Nickolas is one of the living legends in the industry."

The son of a Greek produce wholesaler, Nick took his first cooking class when he was twelve and continued his culinary education throughout high school and college. He learned his work ethic from his father. "My dad didn't say a lot, he only went up to the ninth or tenth grade, but he told me, 'If you're going to make it, you have to know how to work.'" He learned how to make people feel at home from his mother who spent her days in the kitchen preparing keftedes and moussaka and pastitsio for the extended family. "I've always wanted to give guests a sense of the mealtime tradition I grew up with."

He took that lesson to heart. Nick was never just a figurehead in his restaurants. "There is nothing in restaurants that I cannot do or that I won't do. I stoop over and pick up rubbish, straighten out napkins, look at water glasses, cook, and answer the phones, whatever needs to be done."

A football scholarship led Nick to San Jose State College where he graduated with a degree in business. He left for Hawaii in 1960 with $85 in his pocket and the name of a family friend who exported pineapples. "I had played ball with a lot of Hawaiians and I dug their spirit. I was always a sun-worshipper and I loved water. I was 21 and I was probably running away from home. When I told my folks I was going to Hawaii, everyone panicked. I come from an extended family of over 150 people and no one had ever left the area code, ever. But I had some gypsy in me. I got a job with my Dad's friend. The $85 was gone in three days. My first pay check was for $40. I eventually got $75 a week. If I got paid on Friday, it was gone by Monday."

Nick found his first restaurant job as a bus boy and, in 1965, met his life-long business partner Jeff Harman. Hired by Jeff as a waiter at The Red Vest, it didn't take long before Nick was managing the restaurant. 3 years later, he approached Jeff with an idea for a first class seafood restaurant with impeccable service. In 1968, Nick's Fishmarket was born.

Nick's philosophy is simple. Food should be that old-fashioned word -- delicious. And service should be warm and professional. He personally trained every cook, waiter, bartender, busboy and manager. Said one of his waiters, "A job with Nick lasts a day or a lifetime." It wasn't an exaggeration. If you were willing to do things Nick's way, you had a job for life. Many of Nick's employees were with him for over 30 years. He was employer, mentor and friend.

Education and training has always been important to the passionate businessman. Today, Nick is a founding member of the board of directors for Sullivan College's National Center for Hospitality Studies. In 1994 he was presented a honorary doctorate of business administration from Johnson & Wales University.

Throughout his career, Nick has devoted time and money to charity. In Chicago, he helped develop a food program that converted restaurant and hotel leftovers into thousands of meals for the hungry. In 1987, he was named Spokesperson and Board Member of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. In Florida, he supported South Florida's Daily Bread Food Bank's Extra Helpings which donated thousands of pounds of prepared food monthly to the needy in Broward, Dade and Palm Beach Counties.

Diabetes research is close to Nick's heart. The disease runs in his family and took the life of his sister Dolly when she was just 24-years-old. He has worked tirelessly with the American Diabetes Association's Retinopathy Research Program. In 1982, the Hellenic Voters of America voted Nick the "Most Distinguished Greek American" for his charitable and civic-minded endeavors, as well as for his business accomplishments.

Nick also was a guest columnist for Restaurant Hospitality. "Nick's Space" was popular for its brash style and Nick became known for bashing restaurant critics. Wrote Nick, "How would you like critics sneaking around your restaurant trying to remain anonymous, wearing disguises, talking into pocket tape recorders and stealing menus? Man, it's spooky. And what would I do if I knew who they were? Tell the chef, 'Bring out the good trout, I've got a critic in the house?'." It didn't win him many fans among critics but restaurateurs thanked him for saying what they were all thinking.

"I've done everything in restaurants that you can do, from dishwasher to bouncer to maitre d'. And the first rule I ever taught myself is as true today as it was when Eisenhower was president -- kill your customers with service. Fine dining is not a trend, it is tradition. And tradition isn't trendy -- it's timeless. And given the right flare, it'll never go out of style." -- Nick

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