Sam & Louie’s is a casual, New York style pizzeria that is dedicated to providing a dining experience based on tradition, good service, family and fun. Dough Pac, the franchising company of Sam & Louie’s, started franchising in the Midwest in 2002. Now, there are over twenty pizza places operating in four states. Greg Nolan is the President and CEO of Dough Pac, Inc.
Tell us a little about your business. – Sam & Louie’s are casual, usually family-run, neighborhood pizzerias and restaurants. We specialize in hand-tossed, New York style pizza and also offer a wide variety of Italian favorites and American classics.
How did you get started in the business? – I opened a pizza place back in 1994 at 117th and Blondo. People were just interested and would ask me how they could do the same thing.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve face professionally? – The biggest challenge for me, and really for everyone on our team, is dealing with people’s outside perception of things. Watching a restaurant operate from the customer perspective and running a restaurant, being the owner, they are two very different things. There are the people that think they know the business or think they want to be in the business and there are the people who are made for it. What we do, what our good owners do, it really requires passion and a lot of energy.
What has been your most important achievement professionally? – Developing my team from restaurant employees into the franchise leaders. Our franchisees have a team of people working for them that have literally grown up in this business; they know it at every level.
Tell me a little about your family. – My family has lived in Elkhorn since 1986. My wife, Nancy, and I have been married for 44 years. My two children, Melissa and Michael, operate the franchise with me and we have 4 granddaughters.
What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life? – December 15, 1976. I was laid off and as a result I took a job in direct sales. From then on I’ve truly had to make my own paycheck every day.
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – Work in my yard.
What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know. – If I told you…I’d have to kill you!
What are you the most proud of? – My family
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – Don’t worry about the problem, work on the solution.
If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be? – Determined
If you had a theme song what would it be? – Rawhide
If you could have a super power, what would it be? – Mind-reading! Or maybe flying, that would be fun.
If you could have dinner with one famous person who would it be? – Winston Churchill
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – You can contact me by phone at (402) 651-1117, by email at GNolan@samandlouiespizza.com, or visit our website at www.samandlouiepizza.com.