Pandemic doesn't deter first-time pizza maker

Being creative with food, and providing meals for people, is a passion for Nic Martin.

It came from his mother, he said, and further developed during this time on fishing boats. As a kid, his mother would have the family pull together all the leftovers and whatever was left in the pantry once a week and make a meal out of it. As a fisherman, he learned to be creative turning limited ingredients into meals.

He is now bringing this passion and creativity to Wrangell's newest pizzeria: Nic's Place.

"I've been fishing my entire life and I love to cook," Martin said. "Always the cook on every boat I was on, and I enjoy cooking for groups of people and everything like that. It's always been a passion, I got that from my mom."

Martin said he decided to stop fishing and give the restaurant business a try to spend more time with his loved ones. "I met a girl (Victoria Smith), and she's got two kids, and wanted to be a part of their lives as the kids grow up and see them do different things."

After finishing up some obligations with the fishing business, and purchasing pizza-making equipment from Chris and Dixie Booker (formerly of NotSoFamous Pizza), Martin renovated the former Cabin Cafe on Front Street and prepared for business last fall.

The timing was a bit odd to start a business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Martin said they decided to get a jump on it, however. The opportunity was there, he said, so there was no reason to wait.

Martin had never made a homemade pizza before opening his restaurant, he said. There was a lot of trial and error while getting ready, and a lot of bad pizzas. It has been a fun learning process, he said.

"The coolest part is the community," he said. "All the support from everybody has been phenomenal. All our friends and family helping out, and even different businesses. I feel pretty dang blessed. I think if we had opened up anywhere else during a pandemic we wouldn't have gained as much traction as doing it here in our little hometown."

Nic's Place opened in early November. However, a series of unfortunate events forced the restaurant to close down for a few months. They took some time off for the holidays, Martin said, and when they returned they found the restaurant's water heater had sprung a leak and caused a flood in the building. On top of that, the entire family got sick shortly thereafter, so they all stayed home.

Then there was a second flood, Martin said, so he tore out and redid the floors.

Despite this string of bad luck, he said they are tentatively planning to reopen this week.