New pizzeria opening on Nucleus
A pizzeria is coming to Columbia Falls at the beginning of next year. Russ and Kim Sikorsky, previous owners of Jersey Boys Pizzeria in Whitefish, are opening North Fork Pizza at 605 Nucleus Avenue, next to A New Attitude hair salon. The kitchen and pizza oven will be at the front of the building where large windows look out onto the street.
“People should be able to see us tossing dough,” Kim said.
North Fork Pizza will serve appetizers, salads and pizza with gluten free and vegan options available. It will be open Tuesday through Sunday starting at about 3 p.m. for dinner. Customers will be able to choose from six to 10 sliced pizzas every day. Individual calzones and strombolis will be made fresh daily that people can eat in the restaurant or cook at home. It’ll also offer take-and-bake pizzas. The restaurant will seat about 25 customers at tables and chairs as well as some bar seating.
It may offer catering for large events or company parties for lunch, but the store won’t be open for lunch. Kim said that Columbia Falls already has good lunch options.
Before completing the restaurant’s menu, the Sikorskys want to test some recipes once the oven is installed. Since the restaurant is on the way to North Fork Road, they already know that the pizzas will be named after lakes and streams in the North Fork drainage, such as Bowman or Quartz lakes.
The building started as an empty, white rectangle room, when they bought the property July 29.
“It’s been a learning process,” Kim said. “We’ve never actually owned a building where we’ve had to do remodel or construction in it, so we’ve got a whole new file of skills now.”
They took their past restaurant experience to Montana Creative, an architect in Whitefish, who put their ideas onto paper. Then they were able to get help from Chris Condiss of Trumble Creek Builders to make those ideas reality. Their goal is to open North Fork Pizza in January or February. It will be their second time opening a pizzeria in Montana.
In 2004, Russ and his brother, Craig Sikorsky, opened Jersey Boys Pizza and Deli in Dillon, Colorado. Four years later he married Kim and moved to Whitefish to get a “fresh start” in a similar landscape to Colorado, Kim said. They opened Jersey Boys Pizzeria in Whitefish in 2010 then sold it last winter.
“We had no intention—or plan of any sort—to do this. We sold Jersey Boys to get out of the business. We were trying to do something else. We thought we wanted a change.” Kim said.
Kim started looking for a job. Russ began a knife sharpening business. But it didn’t offer the same type of excitement that they enjoyed while owning a restaurant.
“Our plan just didn’t quite materialize the way we envisioned,” Kim said. They started to joke about opening a restaurant again. Then they got serious and began looking at property in Columbia Falls.
“We like Columbia Falls. It’s a little slower paced over here,” Kim said. The prices were good, then they were approved for a loan.
“And all of a sudden, here we are,” Kim said. But, she thinks it is more than serendipitous that they are back in the business.
“I think the restaurant industry has a hold on certain people, sometimes it’s hard to actually get out of it,” she said.
The Sikorskys said they’re excited to open a more manageable business compared to the last two restaurants they’ve owned. They plan to have a simpler, smaller menu and less staff. The flavor will be different also.
They’re changing the dough and sauce recipes and using a different cheese brand but it will continue to be East Coast style pizza. Russ grew up in New Jersey and Kim grew up in South Carolina. Russ recalled seeing a pizza shop on every corner, but they all tasted unique.
“We think Columbia Falls is getting ready to boom. We’re really excited about Mr. Ruis coming in — putting some money into the area,” Kim said. “Hopefully we can have a good symbiotic relationship to be able to bring people into town.”