Lucky Nick’s Pizza: How an Unlucky Series of Events Led Nick Camacho to Become a Pizzaiolo
From unemployed to in-demand mobile pizza caterer, this is the inspiring story of how Nick Camacho took his love for Neapolitan-style pizza and turned it into Lucky Nick’s Pizza.
To say that Nick Camacho’s culinary career was at an impasse would have been a gross understatement. The day-to-day grind of working in a demanding restaurant kitchen as an interim chef was finally getting to him. Camacho’s schedule was inconsistent as he did his part to come under already condensed corporate budgets while trying to make do with a hiring freeze that left his inadequately staffed kitchen stretched thin.
Working at the small Montclair, California fast casual restaurant for nearly a decade, Camacho, a sprightly 31, worked his way up from cashiering and dishwashing to cooking on the line, becoming the sous-chef, and then interim chef – a title he had held for several months.
Although he met and performed all the daily competencies of a chef, Camacho’s official promotion languished, and the position remained strangely vacant. He found himself questioning his commitment to the company and tried his hardest to meet unrealistic corporate expectations without compromising his obligation to quality. For the first time, Camacho found himself hating his job.
As 2020 progressed, so did the emerging COVID-19 virus when it reached pandemic status and made its way to woefully unprepared American shores. Camacho’s restaurant got the order from corporate to shutter its doors for the last two weeks of March to help mitigate the spread of the virus. Corporate then added one more week; then they furloughed all workers indefinitely.
Most of the country, especially California, enacted strict shelter-at-home lockdowns mandating all businesses deemed “non-essential” closed until further notice. Camacho passed the time at home with his wife, Brianna, a labor and delivery nurse, and their 4-month-old daughter, Marlow, indulging in indispensable family time.
Camacho rekindled his interest in music, came up with new tunes, and refamiliarized himself with songs he had long abandoned. But Camacho mostly focused on furthering his cooking know-how by experimenting with new culinary creations in the freedom of his home kitchen.
As the lockdowns persisted, Camacho couldn’t ignore the signs that pointed towards his restaurant’s permanent closure. And that’s exactly what happened when he got the news on that fateful morning in May.
After two months of uncertainty, Camacho was officially without a job. Most of the restaurant industry was met with the same fate, and Camacho’s hopes of securing another job fast were next to none. In normal times, what would otherwise be a blessing was met with anxiety when Camacho learned Brianna was pregnant with their second child.
Unemployed with a growing toddler and a pregnant wife and sheltered at home during the midst of a global pandemic with no cure, Nick Camacho found himself in an unlucky situation. That’s when he decided to turn his string of bad luck on itself.
Pizzaiolo in the Making
Camacho never had full control over his restaurant’s menu. All menu items were tightly regulated by regional managers and had to meet stringent companywide specifications; it was an annoyance Camacho learned to tolerate. But Camacho did have some leeway and showcased his culinary creativity by concocting monthly specials that allowed him to offer a variety of unique dishes beyond the restaurant’s usual American-style cuisine.
An assortment of dishes from Camacho’s former fast casual restaurant that specialized in American cuisine. Photos by Daniel Soto
When Camacho got word that Neapolitan-style pizza would be added to the menu, he became excited and looked forward to the addition. He knew that style of pizza could become a signature menu item and a favorite with patrons. After all, who doesn’t like pizza? The idea, however, was quickly scratched due to the kitchen being too small to accommodate an authentic pizza oven.
But the idea of making authentic Neapolitan-style pizza pies to order and serving them straight from a wood-fired oven to a customer’s plate in about five minutes flat was intriguing to Camacho, if not inspiring.
The concept languished until he finally revisited it during the early days after his restaurant’s closure. “Food was always a priority,” said Camacho. “Food was always something I wanted to do. I just needed to be inspired at the right time.” A growing family to take care of was all the inspiration Camacho needed. Motivated, he revisited that lingering Neapolitan pizza idea he had neglected and decided to do something with it.
Camacho took a deep dive into the world of Neapolitan-style pizza pies and absorbed as much knowledge as he could about its culinary uniqueness. “I’m the type of person that when I want to do something, I’m going to dive right into it. I want to kick ass at it.” Camacho read books, articles, and recipes, watched interviews, cooking shows, and YouTube tutorials, and familiarized his palate by ordering pizza from establishments that served Neapolitan-style pizza; his penchant for knowledge knew no bounds.
Camacho found inspiration from pizzaiolos like Anthony Mangieri. “He’s the godfather of bringing Neapolitan style [pizza] to the U.S.,” stated Camacho. Mangieri, the New York-based pizzaiolo and owner of Una Pizza Napoletana, makes all the pizza pies himself. Offering a menu of traditional and artisanal pizza pies, nothing is served unless it meets Mangieri’s thorough standards. “I really like his concept. I like the fact that he [serves] one hundred pizzas a day, everything mostly [made by him], and the fact that he was able to do that and make sure it was a viable thing where he could actually hire people. He was able to make that happen.”
Feeling confident, Camacho put his newfound pizza-making comprehension to the test and purchased a Gozney Roccbox portable pizza oven. As summer approached, Camacho’s home kitchen doubled as a pizza laboratory as he made pizza pies daily.
Camacho experimented with traditional pizzas like Margherita, pepperoni, and cheese. Mastering the basics, he moved onto more adventurous pizza of his own and experimented with an assortment of ingredients like bleu cheese crumbles, figs, peaches, crushed pistachios, and mint.
Each ingredient was scrutinized by Camacho and curated from local vendors. “There are so many different variables into making a good pizza. Being in the Inland Empire, there’s good produce around, good cheesemakers, good butchers,” Camacho boasted about the cornucopia of quality ingredients to choose from.
After weeks of experimentation, Camacho eventually settled on a prototype menu of pizzas. Each pizza was named after a song or musical act he was fond of. Camacho was slowly formulating his identity as a pizzaiolo.
Making Lucky Nick’s Pizza a Mobile Reality
In an effort to gauge interest, Camacho started showcasing his work by posting mouthwatering pictures of his pizzas on his personal Instagram page. The response was encouraging, and many asked if his pizzas were for sale. Without hesitation, Camacho capitalized on the opportunity.
Limiting his orders to roughly 20 pizzas a week, Camacho offered a rotating menu of pizzas for customers to order from. Reservations for pizza were made via direct message, and customers paid for their pizzas when they would pick them up at a specified date later in the week.
Social distancing, masking, and safe handling procedures in this new pandemic era were strictly enforced by Camacho when customers showed up at his Rancho Cucamonga home to pick up their orders. Camacho continued this endeavor for several weeks and measured interest by seeing what sold and what didn’t.
As word spread online, Camacho realized he couldn’t keep up with the growing demand for orders. He needed to scale up. But this was no time to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant. With indoor dining banned in California indefinitely due to the intensifying pandemic, a loophole existed: outdoor dining. Camacho needed something that could accommodate this – he needed a mobile pizza oven.
“Help Lucky Nick’s Pizza Become A Mobile Reality” greeted visitors on his GoFundMe page for a customized Forza Forni mobile pizza oven. Thanks to generous donations from friends and family, Camacho swiftly raised half of the $15,000 he needed in a matter of days. As donations slowed in the coming weeks, Camacho took whatever funds he had raised – along with a chunk of his savings – and bought the mobile pizza oven.
When the oven arrived, it was exactly what he hoped for: the size of a small sedan, the sleek wood-fired brick oven sports a heavy-duty aluminum frame that houses an authentic Pavesi oven capable of reaching temperatures up to 1,000°F.
Camacho’s father-in-law – who owns a wall covering business – offered his warehouse as a storage space for the massive oven. He even threw in the keys to a company truck so Camacho could hitch the oven wherever he wanted. A confluence of people and events made Camacho’s dream of owning a mobile pizza oven into a reality. Now it was time for him to put it to use.
Lucky Nick’s Pizza
When talking to Camacho, one can’t help but notice the massive ring on his finger. No, not his wedding ring, but the brass lucky horseshoe ring that dominates his right hand. Camacho has worn the ring throughout the years. If anything, the symbol of a lucky horseshoe was prescient.
A graphic designer friend of Camacho’s came up with the logo for his business. Sporting a very Italian color scheme, “Lucky Nick’s Pizza” is written in cursive green font and scrolled across a red outline of a lucky horseshoe against a white background. With a name and a logo for his new enterprise, Nick Camacho had officially become a pizzaiolo, and Lucky Nick’s Pizza was born.
With no marketing plan, Camacho relied solely on word-of-mouth generated by followers of his new Lucky Nick’s Pizza Instagram page. Launched in late July, the page served as a bulletin board for fans eagerly awaiting his first mobile pop-up. Camacho was able to get in contact with a few local bars and breweries interested in having him cater outdoor dining at their establishments.
The opportunity finally came in early September when Camacho partnered with a local bar to host an outdoor restaurant. Working with his friend and now part-time co-worker, Jarad, Camacho sold out of 100 pizzas within a three-hour span. The event was a rousing success.
Seeing his mistakes and what he could have done better, Camacho used his first pop-up experience to fine-tune his fledgling business. He didn’t have the luxury of a staffed kitchen complete with amenities anymore; all he had was himself and Jarad to prep and make everything to order.
Camacho knew he needed to have a cashier at the next pop-up to take orders and process payments so that he could focus his undivided attention on making pizzas. Working the oven was still new to Camacho, and he wanted to make sure that he could deliver a quality product to hungry patrons.
The next pop-up was a turning point for Camacho. He partnered with a local brewery to cater pizzas to lively patrons on a packed outdoor patio on a balmy Saturday night in October. In one hour, Lucky Nick’s Pizza sold out of all 100 pizzas. Some patrons waited for 45-minutes to get their pizza due to the limitations of the pizza oven. “I think we needed two ovens,” Camacho joked. But patrons didn’t mind the wait, and the pizza was met with widespread acclaim.
Lucky Nick’s Pizza gained more followers on Instagram that night, and Camacho’s pizzas trended on everyone’s Instagram stories and posts. What could have been a massive failure for Camacho turned out to be yet another lesson in learning the ins and outs of being a mobile pizza caterer.
Camacho realized Lucky Nick’s Pizza needed more employees to streamline the process even further. He hired another friend of his to expedite the pizzas and hand them out to customers. He also hired another cashier as well. Camacho and his Lucky Nick’s Pizza team developed a fluid familiarity with each other with each pop-up. Both structured and frantic, they got the hang of things as they went along. Starting with just one employee, Lucky Nick’s Pizza blossomed to five part-time employees by November.
The pop-ups continued well into winter. The events kept piling up for Lucky Nick’s Pizza from bars, breweries, weddings, and private parties. Camacho formed lasting friendships with his clients, and he solidified future partnerships. The business was booming, and Lucky Nick’s Pizza was growing rapidly – so was the pandemic.
In December, new limitations were put in place by the state to restrict outdoor dining altogether and forced restaurants to offer to-go orders only. The situation mirrored the beginning of the pandemic, and Camacho was on his own once again.
With no breweries to partner with, Camacho announced via Instagram the time and place his mobile oven would be parked. His faithful patrons showed up religiously, grabbing pizzas to-go while also purchasing newly minted merchandise ranging from baseball caps, shirts, and stickers adorned with the Lucky Nick’s Pizza logo.
The big break for Lucky Nick’s Pizza came in mid-December when Rancho Cucamonga Eats, a local Instagram page devoted to local foodie hotspots, featured Lucky Nick’s Pizza to their more than 12,000 followers. The exposure nearly doubled Lucky Nick’s Pizza’s Instagram followers overnight and brought a bevy of new customers looking to try authentic Neapolitan-style pizza in their own backyard. Reflecting on the notoriety and success of Lucky Nick’s Pizza, Camacho simply stated, “Who doesn’t like pizza? It’s a win-win.”
As Christmas approached, COVID-19 cases rose in Southern California at a far more alarming rate than the onset of the pandemic. Gatherings of any kind – both indoor and outdoor – became non-existent. Camacho did his part to help flatten the curve of rising cases and shuttered Lucky Nick’s Pizza for the time being. As a new set of stay-at-home orders were implemented by the governor, Camacho took the rest of the year off for a much-needed break and hoped to return to work after his baby’s birth in mid-January.
Rising Fast
As Lucky Nick’s Pizza was taking off, Camacho got word his former employer wanted to hire him back and give him a new location to manage as a full-time chef. Camacho did admit to giving it some thought out of sheer formality, but he quickly declined the offer.
Answerable to only himself, Camacho is now his own boss, a concept he still has trouble familiarizing himself with. With no business systems in place, Lucky Nick’s Pizza is strictly a one-man enterprise hinging solely on Camacho’s willingness to scale his business.
Even as the popularity of Lucky Nick’s Pizza grows, Camacho is in no hurry to expand. Working at his convenience, he’s aware he’s still a novice at the pizza-making game. Camacho prefers to pace himself by learning and perfecting his craft, hoping to naturally ease himself into the next phase of his venture. “I’m not trying to commercialize it and make as many doughs as I can. I just want to make the best thing with what I got and still have time for myself.”
These days, Camacho is focused on building his reputation as a pizzaiolo and forming the right partnerships with like-minded culinarians. Camacho brings his scrutinizing senses to every pop-up he does, whether it’s solo or working in a partnership. Camacho wants to make sure that he and his partners can provide a unique culinary experience that gives patrons something they can genuinely appreciate. Satisfaction is what Lucky Nick’s Pizza is trying to guarantee. And judging from Lucky Nick’s Pizza’s meteoric rise, it looks like they’re meeting that expectation.
Despite a pandemic that has yet to be wrangled, and a year wrought with unprecedented circumstances the likes of which are still hard to fathom, 2020 offered Nick Camacho a unique silver lining.
The pandemic, and the exceptional circumstances that followed, led to Lucky Nick’s Pizza becoming a mobile reality. Forever grateful for all the people that helped bring his vision to fruition, Nick Camacho is going into 2021 with an undying hopefulness to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, hoping to one day open a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
But for the time being, Camacho is happy setting up mobile pop-ups and sharing the culinary delectableness of Neapolitan-style pizza with those wanting to give it a try. Nick Camacho is finally at a point in his life where he feels both personally and professionally content, if not a little bit lucky.
Wood fired pizza oven is a type of pizza oven that uses wood in its construction. Although they use wood as the heating element, a lot of the construction of these types of ovens is made from steel and other high- alloy steel materials.