New Owner For Niko's Pizzeria Will Keep Restaurant's Name, Menu

JOLIET, IL — In May, Joliet Patch broke the news that Nikos Lippas was opening Niko's Catering on Joliet's west side at 113 Republic Avenue. Now, Patch has confirmed that he has sold his long-time downtown Joliet takeout and delivery restaurant, Niko's Pizzeria, at 20 Ohio Street.

Gabriel Jaramillo said he took ownership of Niko's on Aug. 21. His new management team includes Jose Verdin. During Tuesday's interview, both men stressed they retained the Niko's Pizzeria name, and they have added several new employees who speak Spanish for delivery drivers and to take orders from customers at the front counter.

And speaking of the entrance, it's brand new.

"We redid the entrance, but everything is going to be the same," Jaramillo said of the menu. "It's a big menu. We are still keeping the restaurant name because Niko has such a good reputation."

Niko's Pizzeria has one of the largest menus in Joliet for a takeout restaurant.

In addition to keeping the menu the same, the new owner and manager said they brought back a couple of old favorites: The Bypass Burger and the Sloppy Joes sandwich are back on the menu.

"Those are it for now," Verdin explained of the menu additions.

The hours of operation for Niko's Pizzeria are: 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

"Everything is going OK," Jaramillo said of owning Niko's Pizzeria.

Jaramillo described himself as "a longtime friend" of Nikos Lippas.

"We speak with him about two years. He still comes into Niko's, but the menu, nothing's changed. All the same employees for Niko's Pizzeria," Jaramillo said.

As for the facelift to his restaurant's entrance, "we hope everyone likes it," Jaramillo said Tuesday. "And we're here for the community."

Joliet Patch has written a lot of articles about Niko's Pizzeria since the pandemic.

Here's sampling of them:

Niko's Catering Opening On Republic Ave. 'We're Proud To Serve You'

New Joliet Restaurant Column: Niko's Makes Headlines Again

Niko's Overcomes Oven Woes: 1,010 Greek Chickens Sold

1,300 Greek Chicken Meals: Niko's Vows To Set 1-Day Record