Vito & Nick's franchising

http://www.vitoandnicks.com/franchises/default.htm

Not sure about the status of the current relationship between this grandson of the original Vito, who owns two suburban Vito and Nick's II restaurants and the South Side location.

The original one in the city has a shrine on the wall to the late Nick, so I assume the split is that V&N in the city is owned by descendants of Nick, while the V&NII locations in the south suburbs are owned by descendants of Vito.

Although I am confused further by the fact that this grandson of Vito seems to be named Nick...

It's sounds like one of those "long stories" as to what is really up with the V&N family. If you look at the website for the Chicago restaurant they say they have nothing to do with the suburban locations. When the Hickory Hills location opened a few years ago I asked a worker at the Chicago place if they are expanding. Her response was a very short but polite "It's owned by close relative".

FWIW the Chicago restaurant is much better. Not that Hickory Hills is bad, just that everytime it tastes different. One good thing about Hickory Hills is that they sell frozen pizza's that are VERY good.

Another piece of info on the V&N Family. Rumor is another family member broke ranks years ago and opened up this Southside chain
http://barracos.com/. I had it many years ago. Looks like a V&N pizza but tastes like........... you know what.

Phil

The Lemont location mentioned at http://vitoandnick.com (no "s" after nick) also has a wall of photos and letters commemorating Nick. The Lemont location uses the same recipe(according to manager) and it tastes like I'm at the Pulaski location.

IMHO, it's important to stick with the basics at V&N. My fav is cheese and sausage only. Love their sausage....

I should also mention that my parents went to V&N/Pulaski as a double date joint. After marriage and the baby carriage, sister and I were lucky enough to grow up on the stuff. This is 35 years now and I swear by it as a South Side essential (as many agree). I wish they never removed the carpeted walls and put up modern multicolored chandeliers.

When you order a salad you get a wedge of iceberg and a slice of tomato. You also have to have thousand island with it. It still is nothing fancy at the Pulaski location and some of the waitresses have been there as long as I've been going. When you get something right, people keep going and going and going. I kept going regularly in high school and college with friends though I lived 30 minutes away. I'd drive an hour.

The Lemont locale also has cheap bowling for the time being. $2 dollar games, $1 shoes. The manager and I spoke once about the catering facilities. She had little info as the rooms were incomplete(they're finished now). People are really going for the pizza and are carrying out like crazy.

The alleys still need some work! It's a fun night out in my own temporary suburban nightmare. I miss my corner taqueria.

Mike G wrote:Although I am confused further by the fact that this grandson of Vito seems to be named Nick...

On the V&NII Web site, this Nick says the original Nick was his father and Vito's son.

On the V&N Original site, the history page says,
"Two (Three) Generations of Success" but the Three has a line through it.

Family feud?

LAZ wrote:

Mike G wrote:Although I am confused further by the fact that this grandson of Vito seems to be named Nick...

On the V&NII Web site, this Nick says the original Nick was his father and Vito's son.

Are you saying that Vito & Nick lived an alternate lifestyle and had a son? Now I'm confused.

Okay, I thought there were two families but if you read the two websites it seems clear what happened. Vito and son Nick I owned Vito and Nick's Pulaski. Eventually Nick's son Nick II opened Hickory Hills, the now-closed Orland Park location, and the new Mokena location.

At some point Nick I died, hence the shrine below. At some point there was a falling out between whoever now owns Pulaski and Lemont, and Nick II. Both try to claim a heritage going back to Pulaski and Vito and Nick I. What we don't know is, did Nick I get mad at Nick II before he died, or is this bad blood only between Nick II and the present owners of Pulaski, who may not be as directly descended as Nick II, but are nevertheless trying to claim a closer relationship to the founders than Nick II? (Since they don't really say who they are on the Pulaski/Lemont website, who knows if they're actually the direct progeny of Nick I?)

Shrine to Nick at Pulaski:



Nick's legacy at Pulaski:

The south suburbs are a kind of foreign country to us, but we were heading downstate Friday night and decided to stop somewhere for a bite on the way. Having rejected Oak Lawn because they were shooting people in restaurants there that evening, we headed the other way on 95th St., aimed for Schoop's Hamburgers. Unfortunately, that location has disappeared.

So we wound up at Vito & Nick's II. While this style of pizza isn't our favorite (we like stuffed pizza), V&NII does an excellent version of the cracker-crusted pizza. In honor of ordering what is to us a "foreign" style of pizza, we went so far as to get pepperoni on it -- in addition to Chicago's favorite, sausage -- and they use a very good one. I liked their tomato sauce, not too sweet, and the crust was thin, crispy perfection.

The decor is very old-fashioned, with red-checked tablecloths, and walls full of Sicilian souvenirs, pictures of Italian-American sports figures and "The Godfather" movie posters. Besides pizza, they also offer a full menu of Italian-style sandwiches, pastas and entrees.

Vito & Nick's II
9644 S. Roberts Road
Hickory Hills, IL 60457
(708) 430-2800
http://www.vitoandnicksii.com

If you've worked your way through the convoluted family history of Vito and Nick's, above, here's a new complication: Nick's surname is Barraco. There's also a chain of south suburban Italian restaurants and pizzerias called Barraco's. I've no idea what the relationship there is.

Afterwards, as we continued our way south, we spotted yet another Nicky's on Cicero at about 138th Street.

LAZ wrote:\If you've worked your way through the convoluted family history of Vito and Nick's, above, here's a new complication: Nick's surname is Barraco. There's also a chain of south suburban Italian restaurants and pizzerias called Barraco's. I've no idea what the relationship there is.

And how does our Senator, Barraco Bama fin in to all of this?

I haven't heard the phrase "double date" in 30 years.

And how does our Senator, Barraco Bama fin in to all of this?

Something's fishy about this post.

Chicago pizza joint coming to area

September 7, 2007
By Kristen Schorsch, Staff writer

A famous pizza joint known for its Chicago roots and thin crust pizza is coming to Tinley Park.

Vito & Nick's II, which has grown from a tavern to a coast-to-coast franchise, plans to open a restaurant at 183rd Street and Convention Center Drive by early 2008, said Nick Barraco, whose grandfather opened the business more than 70 years ago.

More@
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/business/ ... ks.article

Artie wrote:a coast-to-coast franchise

????

Check the last paragraph of the story.

Barraco said his family no longer is connected to the Original Vito & Nick's Pizza restaurants in Lemont and in Chicago's Scottsdale community.


IMO there's only ONE Vito & Nick. The original.

http://www.vitoandnick.com/

stevez wrote:

Artie wrote:a coast-to-coast franchise

????

According to the company's website, in addition to 4 Illinois locations, there is now a franchise in Peoria, AZ, with franchises "coming soon" in Fort Myers, FL and another in AZ (Gilbert). Pretty generous definition of coast to coast, but I'm guessing that's how the restaurant or the PR person put it to the reporter.

stevez wrote:

LAZ wrote:

Mike G wrote:Although I am confused further by the fact that this grandson of Vito seems to be named Nick...

On the V&NII Web site, this Nick says the original Nick was his father and Vito's son.

Are you saying that Vito & Nick lived an alternate lifestyle and had a son? Now I'm confused.

I think I have got it...

this Nick The Second says the original Nick The First was his father and Vito's son.

The original Nick The First is the father of Nick The Second
The original Nick The First is the son of Vito

Meanwhile on the main topic...

Is the Vito and Nick's in Lemont in the Lemont Lanes bowling alley? I have seen it but never been tempted to stop after having too many bad bowling alley pizza's.

I will have to give it a try!

(Who would of thunk it. Great pizza at a bowling alley! )