Latest news with #NicoleKapnison
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Owner of Yanni's and Nick and Jimmy's dies at 93
Jun. 13—A restaurateur who owned more than a dozen eateries across Albuquerque — including Yanni's and Nick and Jimmy's — has died. Nick Kapnison, 93, died in his sleep on Tuesday, surrounded by family. He is survived by his two daughters, Nicole and Annamarie Kapnison. Born to a Greek immigrant father Paul Kapnison and Dorothy Kapnison in Muscatine, Iowa, in March 1932, Kapnison attended Wentworth Military Academy before moving to Albuquerque after his mother contracted tuberculosis. Kapnison was an entrepreneur by 26, when he opened his first Albuquerque restaurant — Coney Island. After that, Kapnison was hooked on the restaurant business, opening the original El Patron, Mykonos Cafe and Taverna and Milton's before expanding his business to Acapulco, Mexico. "He made such a mark on the restaurant industry in New Mexico," Nicole Kapnison said. "It wasn't a job for him, it was his whole life. That's just who he was, he was a restaurateur." Nicole Kapnison said it was her father who reinvigorated Nob Hill in 1994, at a time when restaurants were not thriving. "He eventually took over all the retail spaces in Nob Hill at a time when it was really suffering," she said. "It really needed more restaurants and more vibrant businesses, and he brought that to the area." Kapnison was focused on providing his employees with opportunities, going as far as offering tuition reimbursement to several employees and helping others receive their citizenship. Isabel Ozechowski was an employee at Nick and Jimmy's for nearly 10 years, splitting her shifts between bartending and serving. After she expressed how difficult it was to be a single mother going to school, Kapnison began a tuition reimbursement program to help his employees. "I really do attribute a lot of my success later in life to Nick," she said. "He was a big part of my life, and he was very supportive of me." Judy Hartmann-Ortiz was an employee at Yanni's for 27 years, and said that working for Kapnison was "a joy". "He was pretty strict, but that showed that he deeply cared about the place," she said. "He was there 24/7, which is unheard of for owners, and he knew all of the customers that came in, and he talked to everybody." Kapnison was known for being hands-on with his restaurants, cutting steaks, seating guests and prepping food, adding to the charm of his many eateries. Beyond his restaurant career, Kapnison also opened a number of nightclubs, an employment center and a payroll company. He was a member of the Greek Orthodox Church, receiving the honor of archon — a respected leader or servant of the community who is honored for their outstanding service to the church. Funeral services will be held June 24 at the Greek Orthodox Church in Albuquerque, and the Kapnison family welcomes the community to celebrate Kapnison's life.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Owner of Yanni's and Nick and Jimmy's dies at 93
Jun. 13—A restaurateur who owned more than a dozen eateries across Albuquerque — including Yanni's and Nick and Jimmy's — has died. Nick Kapnison, 93, died in his sleep on Tuesday, surrounded by family. He is survived by his two daughters, Nicole and Annamarie Kapnison. Born to a Greek immigrant father Paul Kapnison and Dorothy Kapnison in Muscatine, Iowa, in March 1932, Kapnison attended Wentworth Military Academy before moving to Albuquerque after his mother contracted tuberculosis. Kapnison was an entrepreneur by 26, when he opened his first Albuquerque restaurant — Coney Island. After that, Kapnison was hooked on the restaurant business, opening the original El Patron, Mykonos Cafe and Taverna and Milton's before expanding his business to Acapulco, Mexico. "He made such a mark on the restaurant industry in New Mexico," Nicole Kapnison said. "It wasn't a job for him, it was his whole life. That's just who he was, he was a restaurateur." Nicole Kapnison said it was her father who reinvigorated Nob Hill in 1994, at a time when restaurants were not thriving. "He eventually took over all the retail spaces in Nob Hill at a time when it was really suffering," she said. "It really needed more restaurants and more vibrant businesses, and he brought that to the area." Kapnison was focused on providing his employees with opportunities, going as far as offering tuition reimbursement to several employees and helping others receive their citizenship. Isabel Ozechowski was an employee at Nick and Jimmy's for nearly 10 years, splitting her shifts between bartending and serving. After she expressed how difficult it was to be a single mother going to school, Kapnison began a tuition reimbursement program to help his employees. "I really do attribute a lot of my success later in life to Nick," she said. "He was a big part of my life, and he was very supportive of me." Judy Hartmann-Ortiz was an employee at Yanni's for 27 years, and said that working for Kapnison was "a joy". "He was pretty strict, but that showed that he deeply cared about the place," she said. "He was there 24/7, which is unheard of for owners, and he knew all of the customers that came in, and he talked to everybody." Kapnison was known for being hands-on with his restaurants, cutting steaks, seating guests and prepping food, adding to the charm of his many eateries. Beyond his restaurant career, Kapnison also opened a number of nightclubs, an employment center and a payroll company. He was a member of the Greek Orthodox Church, receiving the honor of archon — a respected leader or servant of the community who is honored for their outstanding service to the church. Funeral services will be held June 24 at the Greek Orthodox Church in Albuquerque, and the Kapnison family welcomes the community to celebrate Kapnison's life.
