Many small businesses claim to care about their communities. But not all consistently prove it.
Nick’s Pizza & Pub of Elgin and Crystal Lake, Illinois has a distinguished track record of community involvement. As a result, long-time patrons of the generous small business have begun singing the praises of owner Nick Sarillo’s popular establishment.
And it’s paid off.
Nick’s Pizza & Pub is the latest Love A Local Business winner and the worthy recipient of a $25,000 hiring grant from Intuit.
According to Sarillo, the grant will help his value-centric restaurants continue to hire while continuing to invest in the surrounding neighborhoods.
A Big Heart and a Hearty Menu
“We are a full service restaurant,” Sarillo says, “but I think what’s defining about us is that we are purpose and values focused. We really have a clear purpose and we use our values in our decisions and how we operate our business. And I believe those things are so clear in our culture that it has really become a competitive advantage for us.”
Nick’s Pizza & Pub regularly donates 15 percent of its sales back to a long list of non-profit groups focused on a variety of deserving causes. Consequently, in 2007, 2008, and 2011, Nick’s was chosen by the National Restaurant Association as the Illinois winner of the Restaurant Neighbor Award for its community contributions.
“Giving back is one of our core values,” Sarillo says, “and that’s what we’re going to do with the money. We’re going to continue to do what we do.”
Nicely complementing Nick’s heart of gold is a mouthwatering menu that’s well-known north of Chicago. The winning pub’s proprietor says the secret behind his restaurant’s beloved pizza is a recipe that’s been in the Sarillo family for more than a half-century.
And if Sarillo gets his way, Nick’s legendary pizza and beef sandwiches will soon be more widely available, as he hopes one day to operate at least five restaurants.
Feel The Love
Are you a small business owner looking to hire but lacking the funds to do so? Nominate your business for a Love a Local Business grant today.
