Knoxville pizza shop owners lose Florida home, second pizzeria location
The couple evacuated to a friend’s home along the east coast and planned to return to Florida Saturday.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Whether it’s sacrificing their profit to feed kids during a pandemic or offering free meals to anyone short on change through their “Pay It Forward” initiative, Little Nicky’s New York Pizza owners Dina and Nick Haddad always rise to the occasion when East Tennesseans are in need.
Their Fort Myers home and two-month-old second pizzeria location were all destroyed from Hurricane Ian. It’s left them without Nick’s insulin, clothes and a piece of their livelihood.
“It doesn’t matter to me that, you know, we’re sleeping on a couch or we’re doing the best we can and we’re living out of a bag right now,” said Dina. “The bottom line is, we’re here; we’re alive and we’re okay.”
Dina told WVLT News that even in the midst of it all the destruction and chaos, her husband was eager to get back to his community.
“He says maybe the flour is still okay and we can figure out a way to open the pizzeria. People still need to eat,” Dina said.
The couple evacuated to a friend’s home along the east coast and planned to return to Florida Saturday.
The family doesn’t have hurricane insurance and fears FEMA won’t step in because their primary residence is technically in Knoxville. There’s now a GoFundMe account set up for them.
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