Heroes in Business - Nikki West Interview

Episode Date: January 19, 2024

Nikki West of NYPD Pizza is interviewed by David Cogan of Eliances Heroes show amfm. Nikki talks about her love of the food industry and restaurants as her core passion. The experience is key for her, and she talks with David about how she came to be Chief Experience Officer (CEO) of the favorite local chain pizza place in AZ.

Welcome back to Alliances Heroes, where heroes in business align. To be part of our super community and find out more about Alliances, visit www.alliances.com. Now, back to our super host, David Kogan, founder of Alliances. That's right. Thank you so much, Money Radio. This is David Kogan withgan with alliances and it's all about heroes we started off the show with the star of the hit reality tv show storage wars with dan dotson we just had the finalist for the pillsbury contest who's also appeared on the

food network and creator of unique squared shaped cookies cookies, Tina Bennett with Vanilla Swirl. And our next, you are going to be so hungry by the time this interview is over, and I mean it. She is the CEO of NYPD Pizza, which is absolutely amazing. Tons of locations. She's doing so much. So you're the CEO, NYPD Pizza, and just absolutely amazing with what's going on. Nikki West, and she could be reached at aznypdpizza.com. Everyone in Arizona knows NYPD. What was, though, your first position ever in the food business? My first position was actually as a prep cook. My first position was with Hillstone Restaurants and I got to make all the recipes and I fell in love. But I really missed dealing one-to-one with people. But how did you know? When did you know

that you wanted to have a career in the restaurant business? I mean, you're the CEO, NYPD, huge responsibility, tons of locations and stuff. When did you know, though, hey, this is what I want to, when I grow up, be? I knew I wanted to be in charge since the age of three, according to my parents. And I knew that it had to do something with restaurants. When I finished my first day training in my first restaurant, I lied to get my first job. The statute of limitations is up on this. And I loved it. And

I'll never forget the answer I gave somebody when they asked me on the next interview, why do you want to wait tables or why do you want to work in a restaurant? I said, I love making magic every day and the nourishment of food and the caring for people. And that combination was great. And so leadership just followed because I'm bossy and that's what I do. So it worked out great. And so leadership just followed because I'm bossy and that's what I do. So it worked out great. But how do you take us through the path? Because people that may not know think, okay, here she is. She's placed there instantly. Next day, she's the CEO of NYPD, which is again, huge responsibility. You're responsible, I think for what, over 350 employees, 12 locations and that. How do you become that? What was the steps maybe?

Take us through some of the brief steps of that because people that don't know think that you went from three years old to CEO of NYPD. It feels like that some days, but not at all. No, no, no. I actually broke my family's heart. I got my undergrad in accounting and organizational psychology, got accepted to UT Law, turned that down, decided I was going to become a teacher. So I got my master's in education. And, uh, but I financed all that myself by waiting tables at Houston's and they kept trying to get me to go into management. And I said, I just don't see anybody that loves it. Um, cause I don't have enough passion, right. For teaching or for anything else. So I need to find

something that's really, you know, which is a joke because our teachers are great. But so we decided to sit down and talk one day and I got my first W-2 from teaching and I let the fine folks at Houston's convince me to go ahead and wait until later to teach and to dive into it. I worked every position in the restaurant they'd let me. Prep cook, I cleaned up, I did janitorial, I did waiting tables, I did accounting, I did construction design, anything that they would let me do, I learned. I eventually taught as adjunct professor at the Culinary Institute. I got to stomp grapes in vineyards because I would volunteer my days off. I wanted to be a student of the entire experience that people get, and I was willing to take any chance I could to learn.

You dove in. I did. You dove in, and literally, stomping grapes, you were in it. I was hands-on, and I worked 13 cities in 13 years because I was the fix-it girl, and I was willing. I said yes. I said yes to any opportunity. I met amazing people that to this day I could pick up the phone and call, and they'd be there, people that I would have never had the opportunity to meet from all different walks.

And I think that's one of the secrets, saying yes, taking the chance and doing it. And that's what you did because you know what? You could have said one no and your whole journey would have been another way. What is though, now let's get real down into it, all right? What is the secret that makes your food, the NYPD, again, you could reach her at aznypdpizza.com, Nikki West, the CEO of NYPD, what's the secret that makes it so delicious? I would tell you it's never compromising. Greg and Scott Ziegler would tell you that it's the New York water, and our team would tell you it's the both.

It has everything to do with the fact, and I know you had some Chicago folks in here a couple weeks ago, and I love them too. But at the end of the day, the Food Network will tell you, everybody from New York will tell you, hopefully. Tina will back this up. If it's not New York water, it is not heaven when it's baked. And whether it's pizza or bagels or anything else,

it's got to be New York water. And we go to an extensive process to make sure that we are as close as you can get to Yonkers every single day. So when you produce, you're saying that you're mimicking pretty much the water in which it's being made coming from New York. Down to the lime scale, the pH balance, the mineral content, and everything else. And we check it every six months. Oh, my God. Who's in charge of that? Yours truly. Wow. The, my God. Who's in charge of that? Yours truly. Wow.

The recovering control freak. And you're listening to Alliance's Heroes on Money Radio, AM 1510 and FM 99.3. Are you a hero in business? Go to alliances.com. That's E-L-I-A-N-C-E-S.com. That is the place where entrepreneurs align. Now, let's get back to this. You've got 12 locations.

You're responsible for overseeing all aspect of every experience for NYPD. Guess, you have over 350 team members. What do you see, though, as the most important skill to get ahead in business and climb the ladder which you have been so successful at? Because you've got a coach. I mean, this is a big responsibility what you know how what what do you see as the the the most important skill that one needs to have when you're they're working for you listen when they're working for me integrity and the willingness

to stand up for what they believe in even if it's not what i'm saying interesting i do not want a room full of yes people i want you to fight for what's right because if you'll fight for what's right and it's best for the guest and it's best for the business, we're all going to win every time. Now, not only are you the CEO, but you also have a family. Yep. And you're also the CEO of NYPD's 501C3, where every kid serves. Share with us exactly what that is. It's hashtag every kid deserves. And what we do is we took an opportunity.

We got a phone call one night where, unfortunately, there were foster children in the Valley that would not be receiving Christmas gifts. The funds had been taken, and it was two weeks before Christmas, and we stepped up and we provided gifts for over a thousand foster kids and that's how it all started and it was just the team members saying we can do this we started the 501c3 we now do an annual school supply drive and we do an annual holiday drive and we give away free pizza to anybody who brings in the what we ask for the kids and we're up to 1500 kids and this year our goal is 2,500.

That's huge. Yeah. And you do so much. You're a builder in the community. You talked about that you're being teacher and stuff. If you had to teach someone one thing, one thing, what would you teach that person one thing? How to listen.

How to wholly listen and intently listen. I think we could solve a lot of problems if we would close our mouths and listen more to each other. I love it. It's perfect. All right. Here we go. We're going to have a challenge here. All right.

Let's do it. Sauce. Cheese. Crust. What's the most important ingredient? It's all about the dough. It's all about the dough. We have six ingredients, seven if you count love. It's all about the dough. It's all about the dough. We have six ingredients, seven if you count love.

It's very simple. It's flour, sugar, yeast, oil, New York water, folks. New York water is most important and love. And those are the ingredients. It's very simple. And if you get that right and it's made in-house several times a day, we inspect it several times a day. We won't hesitate to throw it out if it's not right, and you just can't compromise it.

And we have the CEO, Nikki West, aznypdpizza.com. Now, Nikki, you also live by many values and stuff like that. Share with us what those values are. It's not just my values. It's actually also some of these are our organizational values. We want to serve others. Obviously, that's throughout. My title is a chief experience officer, not a chief executive officer,

because I want to create experiences. We do that by serving others, by practicing grace, by living intentionally. We always take every opportunity to learn. We tell each other what we mean to each other. We treat each other with respect and dignity. We say yes when possible. We treat each other with respect and dignity. We say yes when possible. We try and say and no when needed to set the boundaries and be kind to all. Kindness is what we're all about. That's huge.

Now, we've got a little less than a minute left, but I've got so many questions to ask you. You know, pizza is a staple food of America, and I don't think it's possible for someone, correct me if I'm wrong, to be upset and eat pizza at the same time. They just don't go hand in hand. Now, my daughter's favorite pizza at your same time. They just don't go hand in hand. Now, my daughter's favorite pizza at your place is the Soho salad pizza. Now, this is very important. Does what topping someone have or orders determine the type of person they are or personality they have? David, we love all toppings equally. Unbelievable. Great answer. You could reach Nikki West at aznypdpizza.com. Someone who strives to provide opportunity and growth for all of their employees and community.

Lives by their values each day and produces top quality pizza. Is a builder. And with that, Nikki West is our hero. The CEO of NYPD Pizza certainly is. And when we return, we're going to have Texanista graduated with her master's degree at the age of 21. Thank you so much, David, with the alliances.