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Date: 1/11/2022
HOLYOKE- One popular Holyoke staple has recently celebrated their centennial.
This past year, Nick’s Nest celebrated their 100th anniversary. The business has been a staple in Holyoke known widely for their specialty hot dogs as well as serving daily soup specials, homemade potato and macaroni salad, French fries, onion rings, chicken tenders and mac and cheese.
Nick’s Nest started in 1921 by Nick Malfas as a popcorn cart on the side of the road. By 1922, he introduced hot dogs to the cart. The restaurant has stayed in the Malfas family for three generations until Jenn Chateauneuf and her husband Kevin purchased the business from Malfas’ grandson in 2005.
“We have always worked in the restaurant industry,” Chateauneuf shared with Reminder Publishing. “That’s how we met - Kevin was a bartender and I was a waitress. He’s from South Hadley and I’m from Holyoke, so we knew about Nick’s Nest because it’s been around for so long. We’ve always wanted to own either our own bar or restaurant, and when we saw that it was up for sale, we jumped at the opportunity.”
Chateauneuf told Reminder Publishing when they bought the establishment, the main items were hot dogs, baked beans and popcorn. The second year they owned Nick’s Nest, the couple added a soft serve window to the back of the building where customers can have ice cream during the spring and summer. Little by little, she said they keep adding more items to the menu that would complement the hot dogs. Nick’s Nest set up is mostly take-out, but the business does have 14 stools inside and picnic tables outside.
As part of their 100th celebration, Nick’s Nest started hot dogs of the month and due to popular demand, they decided to keep it around featuring one hot dog of the month each month of the year. Kicking off the new year, this January features their BBQ mac and cheese dog.
Over the course of the year, Nick’s Nest raised money for local establishments, including the Children’s Museum and Jericho. They also did a complete remodel of the outside of their building, had an employee appreciation month with some contests and prizes for their staff to show their appreciation for them and did a $1 cone day on opening day of the soft serve season in April.
Chateauneuf shared, “With COVID going on, we really couldn’t do a huge 100th celebration. We thought it would be cool to do some quirky things every month to acknowledge the 100th year and try to bring in new toppings to see if they stick. The most popular one is ‘The Works’ with mustard, relish and onions.”
She continued, “These days, it’s just nice that a mom-and-pop place still exists. A lot of places are chains. People come in and they see the owners there. We’ve had some of the same staff since the day we bought it. It’s nice to have familiar faces. We know the regulars and we know what they eat. Overall, it’s a comfortable place to come to.”
Though COVID-19 impacted their business at the beginning, Chateauneuf said they were fortunate to adjust with every change throughout the past two years. By this spring, she hopes things will settle down from COVID-19 and they’re able to do a big 100th celebration.
“We’re proud to be a part of this legacy in Holyoke,” Chateauneuf concluded. “The community does a lot for us and we do a lot for the community. We feel pretty privileged that we’re going on 17 years and the business is able to see 100. Nick’s Nest was a place I was going to as a kid and when my husband and I started dating we were going there. It’s fun, interesting and humbling that we own the Nick’s Nest and we enjoy it very much.”
Nick’s Nest is located on 1597 Northampton St. Right now, their hours are Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. -7 p.m. Come spring when the ice cream window opens until the fall (April through October), they’re open 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. every day. For more information, visit their website at nicksnestholyoke.com.