Nick's Pizza & Pub
Nick's Pizza & Pub is a privately-held, family-owned full-service restaurant operating two Chicago-suburban locations in Crystal Lake and Elgin, Illinois, serving award-winning thin-crust Chicago pizza alongside a full Italian-American menu, plus catering, banquet events, and a community fundraising program for local families, event hosts, and non-profits.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersCrystal Lake, IL, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Nick's Pizza & Pub does
Nick's Pizza & Pub is a privately-held, family-owned full-service restaurant business operating two locations in the Chicago suburbs of Crystal Lake (856 Pyott Road) and Elgin (990 S. Randall Road), Illinois. Founded in 1995, the company serves award-winning thin-crust Chicago-style pizza made from 50-year-old family recipes for dough and sauce prepared fresh daily, with a proprietary secret-recipe sausage blend made exclusively for Nick's, 100% skim-milk mozzarella, and fresh never-frozen ingredients. The menu extends well past pizza to Italian beef, burgers, wraps, sandwiches, salads, soups, appetizers (including Moose Wings and Fried Cheese Ravioli), English pub-style fish-n-chips, gluten-free and cauliflower crust options, desserts, and a full bar with Happy Hour specials.
The business operates a direct-to-consumer model with four primary revenue streams: dine-in restaurant service, carry-out and delivery (powered by Aloha Order Online), off-premise catering (with a $100 minimum for delivery and 24-hour advance notice), and in-house banquet and event venue rental for groups up to 100 guests, with whole-restaurant buyouts available during off-hours. Pricing is publicly listed menu-based unit pricing, with individual 9-inch pizzas ranging from approximately $10.15 (cheese) to $18.11 (Nick's Special), medium 12-inch pizzas $15.45–$25.41, and large 14-inch pizzas $19.49–$31.41. Customer segments span local families, individual event hosts, corporate gathering planners, and non-profit/community organizations participating in the company's fundraising program, which donates 25% of net sales from flyer-based fundraiser events and targets 5% of annual net proceeds to community giving. Daily dine-in specials (e.g., $8 burger/Italian beef/wrap combos Tue–Thu), BOGO Tuesday carry-out pizza, and a proprietary Nick's Rewards loyalty app integrated with the Thanx platform drive repeat engagement.
The company employs 51–100 staff and has been recognized among the Top 10 independent pizza restaurants by sales in the United States and on Forbes' Top 25 Small Businesses in America list (2017). Its operating technology stack is entirely composed of third-party SaaS integrations — Aloha Order Online for ordering, Tripleseat for event booking, and a proprietary rewards app layered on Thanx — with no proprietary AI/ML, data platform, or external funding. The business emphasizes an employee-centric culture with profit sharing, graduate-level leadership training, health and dental benefits, open-books fiscal training, and mentorship, which the company cites as driving extremely low team turnover. The trademarked brand promise is "Pizza On Purpose!" (Registered), with the company's stated mission of providing "The Nick's Experience" — an unforgettable community place to connect with family and friends.
Nick's Pizza & Pub firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nick's Pizza & Pub
- Legal name
- Nick's Pizza & Pub
- Website
- https://nickspizzapub.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Nick's Pizza & Pub is a privately-held, family-owned full-service restaurant operating two Chicago-suburban locations in Crystal Lake and Elgin, Illinois, serving award-winning thin-crust Chicago pizza alongside a full Italian-American menu, plus catering, banquet events, and a community fundraising program for local families, event hosts, and non-profits.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nick's Pizza & Pub industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Dining Restaurant
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Caterers (722320)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Casual Dining Restaurants (THAFACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK)
Keywords
Where Nick's Pizza & Pub is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Crystal Lake, IL
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Nick's Pizza & Pub business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Dine-In Restaurant Sales: Full-service restaurant with dine-in service at two locations, serving pizza, burgers, sandwiches, wings, salads, and desserts during operating hours
- Carry-Out and Delivery: Customers order for pickup or delivery through online ordering system, generating additional revenue without dine-in overhead
- Catering Services: Full catering service delivering pizza, Italian beef, pasta, and other foods for events. Minimum order of $100 for delivery with delivery fee. 24-hour advance notice required.
- Banquet and Event Venue Rental: Private and semi-private event hosting for groups up to 100 guests. Whole restaurant available during off-hours. Includes corporate gatherings, birthdays, anniversaries, rehearsal dinners, graduations, and team parties.
- Rewards Program: Thanx-based loyalty program where customers earn points with purchases, redeemable for food, drinks, and merchandise. App-only deals and birthday rewards drive repeat business.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual 9-inch pizza - serves 1 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Medium 12-inch pizza - serves 2-3 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Large 14-inch pizza - serves 3-4 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Double Decker pizza - 2 layers of thin crust |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gluten-Free and Cauliflower Crust - 10 inch |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Daily Specials - Dine In Only |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Happy Hour Bar Specials - Tue-Fri 4pm-6pm |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Catering Packages |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Appetizers and Entrees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Nick's Pizza & Pub product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nick's Pizza & Pub operates two family-friendly full-service restaurants in Crystal Lake and Elgin, Illinois, serving award-winning thin-crust Chicago-style pizza made from 50-year-old family recipes. The restaurants offer dine-in, carry-out, and delivery service alongside a full menu of appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, salads, Italian beef, pasta, and desserts. The company also provides off-site catering and hosts private banquets/events for groups up to 100 guests.
Product overview
Nick's Pizza & Pub is a family-friendly restaurant chain operating two locations in the Chicago suburbs (Crystal Lake and Elgin, Illinois), serving award-winning thin-crust Chicago-style pizza alongside a full menu of Italian-American fare. The core product portfolio centers on thin crust and double decker pizzas made from 50-year-old family recipes, complemented by Italian beef, pasta, appetizers, salads, burgers, wraps, sandwiches, and desserts. The company differentiates through its signature Nick's Special pizza, extensive dietary accommodations including gluten-free and cauliflower crust options, and its commitment to fresh, never-frozen ingredients. Beyond food service, Nick's offers comprehensive event solutions including catering for off-site delivery, and private banquet venues accommodating up to 100 guests. The business maintains a customer loyalty program (Nick's Rewards) accessible via a proprietary mobile app, and engages in community outreach through a fundraising program donating 25% of event net sales to local non-profits. Online ordering is facilitated through Aloha Order Online platform, with event management powered by Tripleseat software.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 30 years in business with consistent quality
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Nick's Pizza & Pub
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Nick's Pizza & Pub technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature4 records
Nick's Pizza & Pub partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Thanx (Thanx Rewards)coreThanx provides the loyalty rewards platform for Nick's Pizza & Pub, powering the Nick's Rewards program. The rewards system moved from Thanx to a proprietary Nick's Pizza & Pub App while maintaining integration with Thanx for backend loyalty management. Customers earn points, receive app-only deals, and redeem rewards through this platform.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Nick's Pizza & Pub competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Papa John's Pizza: Major national pizza chain with dine-in, carry-out, and delivery. Comparable as a scaled pizza-category competitor with broad menu and digital ordering capabilities relevant to Nick's customer overlap.
- California Pizza Kitchen: Casual dining restaurant chain known for innovative pizza varieties alongside salads, pastas, and appetizers. Comparable as a casual-dining concept with a pizza-led menu targeting families and group occasions.
- Domino's Pizza: Largest pizza chain in the world by retail sales, focused on delivery and carry-out. Comparable as a pizza-category competitor and benchmark for delivery economics, technology adoption, and brand scale.
Emerging players
- Blaze Pizza: Fast-casual build-your-own pizza chain with multiple locations. Comparable as a multi-location pizza concept competing for casual dining occasions and occasion-based family meals.
Regional players
- Burt's Place: Single-location Chicago thin-crust pizza institution in Morton Grove founded by the original Pizzeria Uno deep-dish creator. Comparable as a Chicago thin-crust pizza specialist, though materially smaller and single-unit.
Direct peers
- Giordano's: Iconic Chicago stuffed deep-dish pizza chain with multiple Illinois and out-of-state locations, full-service dining, and catering. Comparable as a Chicago-style pizza operator with dine-in, carry-out, delivery, and event services.
- Home Run Inn: Chicago-area family-owned pizza brand with restaurants plus retail frozen pizza distribution. Directly comparable as a multi-generational independent Chicago pizza operator with strong brand equity.
- Rosati's Pizza: Chicago-area pizza franchise concept with multiple company and franchise locations, full menu, catering, and dine-in service. Comparable as a Chicago-style pizza operator with a similar suburban, family-oriented model.
- Pequod's Pizza: Chicago-area independent pizza chain known for its caramelized-crust pan pizza, with locations in multiple suburbs. Comparable as a Chicago-area independent pizza operator with dine-in, carry-out, and delivery.
- Lou Malnati's Pizzeria: Chicago-based independent pizza chain famous for its buttercrust thin-crust deep-dish pizza with multiple suburban and city locations. Highly comparable as a multi-location Chicago-area independent pizza operator with catering and full-service dining.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Nick's Pizza & Pub social profiles
Digital presenceNick's Pizza & Pub financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nick's Pizza & Pub leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Nick's Pizza & Pub funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nick's Pizza & Pub M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nick's Pizza & Pub
What does Nick's Pizza & Pub do?
Nick's Pizza & Pub operates two family-friendly full-service restaurants in Crystal Lake and Elgin, Illinois, serving award-winning thin-crust Chicago-style pizza made from 50-year-old family recipes. The restaurants offer dine-in, carry-out, and delivery service alongside a full menu of appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, salads, Italian beef, pasta, and desserts. The company also provides off-site catering and hosts private banquets/events for groups up to 100 guests.
Is Nick's Pizza & Pub a public or private company?
Nick's Pizza & Pub is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Nick's Pizza & Pub founded?
Nick's Pizza & Pub was founded in 1995. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Nick's Pizza & Pub based?
Nick's Pizza & Pub is headquartered in Crystal Lake, IL, United States, in the North America region.
How does Nick's Pizza & Pub make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Dine-In Restaurant Sales are the primary driver. The others are carry-Out and Delivery, catering Services, banquet and Event Venue Rental and rewards Program.
Who are Nick's Pizza & Pub's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Papa John's Pizza, California Pizza Kitchen and Domino's Pizza. Blaze Pizza is listed as an emerging player. Burt's Place is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Giordano's, Home Run Inn, Rosati's Pizza, Pequod's Pizza and Lou Malnati's Pizzeria.
Does Nick's Pizza & Pub have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nick's Pizza & Pub.
What industry is Nick's Pizza & Pub in?
Nick's Pizza & Pub's product category is Casual Dining Restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAB, Casual Dining Restaurants, with a secondary code of THAFACAK, Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.