5/18/2023 0 Comments Humble pie greencastle![]() ![]() Q:What makes these pizzas different? A: It's not just the ingredients. It's great to be able to experiment with various ingredients to come up with that favorite taste. Q: You don't see many of these combinations or ingredients on the menu of typical pizza franchises, such as the chicken Dijon, jalapenos, artichoke hearts, mandarin orange, fresh garlic and fresh basil. Q: What makes Nik-N-Willies' pizza different from chains'? A: First of all, it's made by people who care what you get, and make sure it's done right.īut it's part of the recipe, and we add everything.We don't use frozen dough or frozen cheese.We shred the cheese right here on the premises, which very few chain pizzerias still do. Q:What food-preparation requirements are there for you to use the Nik-N-Willies name? A: Since I'm in the original group of owners, nothing.īut people joining up now as real franchisees have to follow rules and regulations. Q:What is the value of having the Nik- N-Willies name? A: It's recognized by out-of-town people, especially from California and Colorado. Q: Were your parents or other family members in the food business? A: No.My father was an engineer. Q:Was this your first business? A: First time as an owner-operator. Hunt, a Reno resident, also opened an outlet in Dayton in 1996. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. The restaurant also sells calzones, salads, sandwiches, chicken wings, pizza by the slice, garlic bread, ice cream bars, beer, wine and soda. Patrons can design their pizzas in sizes from small to extra-large or opt for a menu favorite, such as the Garlic Chicken Dijon, which has Dijon sauce, chunks of chicken, red onions, garlic, basil, tomatoes and parmesan cheese. Nik-N-Willies' slogan is "A welcome escape from franchise pizza." The restaurant's pizza available as take-and-bake or hot to go is made with hand-tossed dough, cheese grated daily and special sauces.īesides the standard pizza toppings, Nik-N-Willies offers artichoke hearts, barbecue chicken, fresh garlic, basil and cilantro, jalapenos and mandarin oranges. That last year had him working double-duty: He also opened a Nik-NWillies.Īn original partner in Nik-NWillies in California approached Hunt about opening an independent restaurant using the Nik-N-Willies name. The lifelong bachelor then moved into selling restaurant equipment for six years. He remained with Arby's another five years, then, seeking a change of pace, earned a real estate license and sold houses for three years. He was sent west to manage two stores as director of operations for northern Nevada. Hunt had been managing 12 stores in the Chicago area. ![]() Then they sent me out here." "Here" was Reno, in 1980. "I was named manager of the year for the stores in Chicago. "I was moving on way too quickly and making way too much money" to consider pursuing a career as a psychologist, he says. ![]() He had been working part-time there and summers through school, and was rapidly advanced into management. Rather than pursue a career in his field of study, after college graduation in 1976 Hunt succumbed to the allure of management with Arby's, the roast-beef sandwich franchise chain. (Hemingway's hometown), and a graduate in psychology from DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind. and among commuters traveling to and from work in Reno and Carson City. This favorite of locals south of Reno sits a mile up from the Highway 341 junction with South Virginia Street (U.S.ĭave Hunt, 47, was and is the proprietor of this humble, friendly little pizzeria, whose faithful patrons hail mostly from the fivemile radius that encompasses Virginia Foothills, Virginia Highlands, Galena and other south Reno communities.īut the fame of Nik-N-Willies Pizza & Deli extends as far as Lemmon Valley, Sparks and Verdi. While the chain has spread nationwide to some 100 outlets, one of the original stores was opened in 1992 in the south Truckee Meadows on Geiger Grade (Nevada 341, occasionally known as the "Comstock Highway"). ![]() The original Nik-N-Willies pizzeria and sandwich shop is in Mammoth, Calif. ![]()
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