Photo by Madoline Markham.
0714 Nick Pihakis
Jim ’N Nick’s CEO Nick Pihakis with Keith Caton at a community farm in Mt Laurel near Pihakis’ home.
Tips for achievement were served with cheese biscuits when Jim ’N Nick’s delivered at the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce luncheon on June 25.
At the podium, keynote speaker, Jim ’N Nick’s COO Brian Lyman, shared with small business owners in Shelby County what makes its founder Nick Pihakis a successful entrepreneur. Lyman highlighted five attributes of the Mt Laurel resident.
1. Entrepreneur first and foremost
When Pihakis was 19 years old, he and his father decided to open a restaurant. Lyman described the pair as fearless as they reclaimed an old dry cleaner.
The Clairmont Avenue location dished out a small menu of pork, chicken, beans and slaw. Lyman said the business was a mom and pop place where relationships meant everything.
“He built everything on relationships,” Lyman said. “He told me when I first started, ‘The first thing you do [is] you just sit on down next to somebody in a booth, ask them how they are doing and ask what can I do for you.’ He did that every day.”
2. Fear versus reward
Even if there are a thousand risks associated with getting into a small business, Lyman said Pihakis stresses how amazing the rewards are.
Small business loans can be huge, even bigger than someone’s home, but Lyman said he did it because Pihakis inspired him. Pihakis encouraged Lyman to take risks and put himself out there, and Lyman said the rewards were worth the initial risk he took.
3. Opportunity
In 2000, Pihakis was left with four restaurants after his father passed away.
According to Lyman, Pihakis said, “I’m doing okay. I could stop now and be content, but I have folks that have been with me for many, many years, why don’t they deserve a shot at becoming an owner of a small business as well.”
Lyman was one of those partners, and he decided to open his own Jim ’N Nick’s in Atlanta. The location was in Rockdale County, and opportunity knocked even before the restaurant opened.
Every year, Rockdale County held a barbecue festival to benefit United Way for $10 a plate. Lyman called Pihakis and told him about the opportunity to feed about 1,500 people.
Pihakis said, “Why are you calling me? I raised you better than that. You need to give them the food.”
Lyman took the Jim ’N Nick’s recipes to culinary students at a local technical high school, and everyone at the festival feasted on food from Jim ’N Nick’s.
It raised $1,500 for United Way before its doors even opened.
4. People and places
When Lyman began working with Pihakis, Pihakis asked him if his wife and children were going to work with him as well. Lyman said they never had before, but Pihakis told him, “That’s what we do.”
“It’s a family affair,” said Lyman. “You think that gets a little dysfunctional, and yes it does. But I am proud to say my wife and two daughters work with Jim ’N Nicks today. It made a big difference because they got what I did, and they really helped lift me up.”
Lyman said every day they put on their shoes and slacks the same way, and they go out to treat people with respect. They get into the community and build relationships.
5. Influential instead
Lyman said Pihakis always asks, “Would you rather be rich or famous?” He then offers an alternative — being influential.
For Jim ’N Nick’s, Lyman said, influential means being one of the largest backers of the Southern Foodways Alliance and helping preserve Southern culture. It means going to Eva, Ala., and running a processing plant where they raise heritage hogs and put farmers back to work.
Lyman said influence is also illustrated by the Jones Family Farm that teaches inner city kids what the food pyramid is supposed to look like and how to garden and farm.
Pihakis is also involved in other small businesses such as Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, Octane Coffee, Big Bad Breakfast and The Little Donkey.
“These are all part of Nick’s unbridled enthusiasm to help create more opportunities and create that much more influence,” Lyman said.
