Nick Pihakis

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Nick Pihakis (born c. 1957 in Birmingham) is the former owner of Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q chain, which he founded in 1985, and is current owner the Pihakis Restaurant Group. He was also a founder of Fresh Hospitality, the Fatback Collective competitive barbecue team, and the Good Smoke purchasing partnership.

Pihakis grew up in Birmingham and graduated from Shades Valley High School. He began working at Connie Kanakis' Rossi's Italian Restaurant when he was 19. He graduated from busboy to bartender and, with help from his father, Jim, an insurance executive, purchased a Pasquale's Pizza franchise at Clairmont Avenue and 29th Street South in Lakeview in 1985. The parent company did not allow Pihakis to purchase the franchise, so it was decided to open the location as a barbecue restaurant. In line with his commitment to freshly-prepared foods, he decided not to install a freezer in the restaurant's kitchen.

Pihakis and Jim 'N Nick's left Fresh Hospitality and the brand was acquired by Roark Capital Group of Atlanta, Georgia in 2017. He has since been involved in the Pihakis Restaurant Group, which manages the Saigon Noodle House, Rodney Scott's BBQ, Big Bad Breakfast, Little Donkey, Hero Doughnuts and Mile End Delicatessen.

Pihakis and his wife, Suzanne, have three children.

References

  • Black, Jane (March 6, 2012) "It takes a village to build a sustainable following." Washington Post
  • Carlton, Bob (November 21, 2014) "Alabama's Jim 'N Nick's, New York's Dinosaur form barbecue partnership." The Birmingham News
  • Carlton, Bob (July 3, 2020) "The story of Rodney and Nick, brothers in barbecue." The Birmingham News