March 6th 2023: A longtime Costa Mesa fixture Nick’s Pizza Ristorante Italiano or as its known to many Nick’s Pizza has closed maybe for good. The family owned restaurant has been a Costa Mesa tradition since 1968 and, its current location is at Harbor & Wilson.
No official announcement has been made although it has remained closed when its normally open and an eviction notice recently placed on the door isn’t a good sign. Yes a deal could be worked out but for the moment it looks like a Costa Mesa longtime restaurant could be closed for good.
Nick’s Pizza was known for its thick really good pizza as well as classic Italian dishes on its extensive menu. Many of the employees as well as family members had been working there lots of years so we wish them luck in the future if the restaurant doesn’t reopen.
Right now with high inflation and, raising wages the razor thin margins restaurants operate on are even smaller. Also as prices have been raising consumers are more price sensitive which means they might pick fast casual restaurants instead of sit down restaurants more often.
Restaurants come and go all the time but its sad to see a possible long time fixture of Costa Mesa maybe no longer in business. If the family wants to reach out to me with more information for the customers they can sent an email to mail@costamesainsider.com.
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I have had several people that have wanted to set up Go Fund me pages for the family behind Nick’s Pizza. I haven’t heard from the family if i do i will provide an update here.
Thank you for your report and update on Nick’s Pizza. This restaurant has definitely been a family tradition for many years.
What an excellent idea to do a GoFundMe for the family as a thank you from all of us loyal customers so they can return to business. I drove by today and I noticed the eviction side has been removed. I am being hopeful.
I hope the family reaches out to you to work something out.
Hello.
Thank you for the update in article on Nick’s Pizza. This restaurant has definitely been a family tradition for many years.
What a great idea two offer agon baby for the family, as many of us loyal customers will be happy to help to bring them back in business.
I drove by today and noticed the eviction sign has been removed. Everything looks the same. I’m being hopeful.
I’m hoping the family will reach out to you as something can be worked out.
Thank you for your post.
Ps. Sorry if this reply went out twice, this is my first time reading the Costa Mesa insider.
Brenda thank you for your comment, i hope as well that something can be worked out so they could reopen. Also welcome to Costa Mesa Insider.
Thank you Paul! From now on I will follow your articles on the CM insider regularly.
Brenda thank you for your comment and welcome to Costa Mesa Insider
I am good friends with the family and I will get in touch with them and get back with you asap.
Thank you Lora, people are mainly missing the restaurant and an update on the family for the readers would be nice.
I remember Nick singing in Italian when he was in his first location at the Harbor Shopping Center. Our family has been getting pizza from Nick’s for over 50 years. Fingers crossed that the restaurant reopens.
Heartbroken ? been eating there since the 80s part of Costa Mesa forever i thought ? hope all goes well for the family whatever they do . They will be missed .
Donna thank you for the comment and your thoughts are shared by many.
Hey, comments are back! More bad news from that shopping center, evidently Ciao! Pizza and Deli is either closing or changing hands this week as well. Too bad, their pizza is pretty great as well.
What a shame. Du anyone start a go fund me?
Thank you Sandy for your comment, several people mentioned a go fund me page but i don’t believe one was set up
Hello, I’m heartbroken as many of you and please keep the updates. We need this place open.
EPiz thank you for your comment, any information i get i will post here on the website
We started going to Nick’s when they were a hole in the wall in back of shopping center while we were students @ UCI. THIS CAN’T BE. I know lots of ex students who will help if needed. My heart is broken
Elizabeth thank you for your comment, yes a lot of longtime customers are upset about the closure.
Please don’t let this be true! We started going to Nick’s in the early 70’s. It was in the back of the shopping center. We have gone every couple of weeks since then. Not a day goes by that we want to call in a pizza or pasta order from Nick’s. We check, hoping they’ll be there. A few comments ago someone who knows them was going to check with them. Any word ??? We drive by and it looks the same, just closed. ?
We would be happy to contribute to a Go Fund Me.
Kathy thank you for your comments, yes Nick’s will be missed by many. There has been no response from the family if there is i will post it here.
I’ve been driving by too, every week or two and looks the same. I’m here right now and they’re closed. Still have hopes they find a way to re open it
Brenda thank you for your comments, Nicks hasn’t been cleaned out and still has furniture etc in it so hopefully they can find a way to reopen it.
Drove by yesterday. Sign is off the building and some of their personal things, like pictures are gone. It is very sad………….I hope they set up shop somewhere else in CM. Plus, I hope we can find out what’s happened.
Was introduced to Nick’s by neighbors when I moved to Costa Mesa over 30 years ago; I loved bringing friends here for their first, but not last, time. The food was fabulous and the wait staff warm and welcoming. So sad, but it seems we are losing all the independent neighborhood/local entities.
Thank you Dolores Storme for your comment.
So sad to just hear about Nick’s closing. I’ve gone there since 1971 when it was just a simple, small pizzera selling nothing but sicilian style pizzas.
I do hope the family opens in a new location and let us know. If not, we’ll remember Nick’s through our fond memories which impacted several generations of families in Orange County, CA.
Here is a great video about Nick’s done a few years ago: https://youtu.be/iVTXEUC2q2w
It’s rally sad to hear that they closed. I worked for Nick back in 1978
So sad to find out they closed I was going there in the 70’s best anti pasta and fantastic calamari
Any update from the family? This is heartbreaking – my family went pretty much every weekend when I was growing up. Nick and the family were like family to us. This absolutely breaks my heart.
Brittany thank you for your comment and, i reached out to the family at the time and no response.
Reading some of the comments of about 2 mos ago, are the interested employees having any luck in putting a new restaurant together? We have been going Nick’s for years, took many guests, because the food and atmosphere were superbe. I would like information and hope they can put something together. Thank you.