Nick Schaunaman
Owner of Nick’s Pizza
Nick Schaunaman with his deliver car
Nick Schaunaman graduated from high school without a five-year plan laid out. He went into construction and carpentry, eventually starting at Northern before transferring to SDSU. At 19, when he picked up golf, he realized he had a calling for the service industry. To pursue that passion, he and his wife headed to Colorado Springs, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business with a focus in Golf Management. Soon, they had their first child and moved back home to Aberdeen to be closer to family.
Once they settled back in Aberdeen, Nick was on a quest to find a job. During this time, his brother, also an entrepreneur in the area, asked if he would be willing to run the Jimmy’s Pizza franchise in town if he purchased it. Nick said yes. Within three weeks of his brother proposing the idea, they accepted the offer and signed the contracts. Quickly, Nick realized that this venture was much more challenging than he had first thought.
Nick preparing pizza dough
He soon learned from scratch how to make pizzas and how to run a business. He shares that it was a learning process for the first couple of years. It truly was a project he had to build from the ground up because the business, when he bought it, was missing some essential pieces needed to run a successful pizzeria. Up until this venture, he had not even served in a managerial position. Soon, he developed principles of operation modeled after the restaurants he had worked at in serving roles. He shares that in the restaurant business, you have to maintain high standards. You cannot let one slip-up slide because it creates a domino effect and builds on itself. Once something slips, it starts to deteriorate the overall standard.
Even though Jimmy’s was a chain, Nick truly was in the driver’s seat when it came to running the business. He curated the menu the way he wanted and experimented with different flavors and offerings. It was a labor of love that he and his wife built through their shared passion for trying different foods.
His background in service, especially in the golf industry, taught him early on that good service is an integral part of the experience. People choose your restaurant for the food, but the service complements it. Even if you serve exceptional food, poor service can deter people from returning. He shares that having a growth mindset is key. You cannot take for granted the customer base you have built. You always have to strive to be better.
COVID was a breakthrough for them. Due to the nature of the business being carryout and delivery only, sales doubled. He shares that Aberdeen tends to be a bit conservative in what people try in the food scene, but COVID provided a perfect opportunity to expand and build on the unique flavor offerings he had been wanting to share. During that time, people were craving variety, and Nick delivered. He started beer and pizza pairing nights where guests could try a four-course experience featuring different types of pizza. Eleven of these events were held.
Nick preparing pizza dough
As for the transition from corporate to independent, it was both challenging and rewarding. Nick shares that it had always felt like their own place. From the beginning, it was something he had to build from the ground up. He had a vision and capitalized on it. As the contract ended, he knew it was time to switch gears. It had been a long time coming. Once they made the switch, they were able to find food distributors who were excited to work with them on this new venture.
The community support during that transition was unmatched. The reputation of the restaurant had been built on how it was run. Nick partnered with local groups and hosted charity days that raised money for important community projects. So when Jimmy’s Pizza, the franchise, brought in a trailer a month after Nick’s Pizza launched, the community showed up in support of Nick’s business, just as they had for the past nine and a half years. The Saturday after the trailer arrived in town, Nick’s Pizza had its busiest day of sales since they started operating.
As for what’s next for Nick’s pizza, it is centered around that theme of quality and consistency. Nick says that while that doesn’t sound glamorous maintaining those two key factors is what makes restaurants successful. He wants Nick’s Pizza to be synonymous with great service and great pizza. And lucky for us, Nick is always in quest of that unique new flavor offering.
