VALDOSTA — Being an entrepreneur isn’t always easy and everyone does it a little differently. Some open online stores, while others open brick-and-mortar storefronts.

Some go all in and invest their lives into a new venture, while others start a new business as something to do on the side. Regardless of the type, entrepreneurs help drive the local economy.

Nicholas “Big Nick” Harden, owner of Big Nick’s, opened his restaurant after serving plates to the community.

“My mother, myself and my cousin, we were delivering plates out of our house, and we would deliver plates to different places in the city,” Harden said. “We would deliver to beauty shops, barber shops, we would have schools. We would send them a menu on Wednesday, and we would deliver their food by Friday.”

The business eventually grew to the a point where Harden’s side job became fairly regular.

“It became a thing where people wanted it every week,” he said. “I ran Creekside Tavern for the last year of its existence, but at the same time we were delivering food.”

After Creekside, Harden wanted to open a new restaurant, but wasn’t sure where.

“I said we have to go back to doing what we do,” he said. “Everybody loves our food.”

After driving up and down Baytree Road, Harden saw his current location. Harden didn’t immediately stop at the former Las Banderas Mexican Restaurant, but he did drive past it several times.

Eventually, Harden said, “That is our spot.”

Since he had been selling plates with family, Harden decided to open his new restaurant, Big Nick’s, as a family-owned and operated business.

Before Big Nick’s and before Creekside, Harden ran the Rhythm and Blues restaurant downtown.

The downtown building was sold but Harden admitted he failed with the business in other ways. That failure was why he wasn’t able to buy the building before it was sold.

“We had no clue what we were doing,” he said. “It was our first-ever restaurant. We were some guys that could cook and get some people in a restaurant. But, even with us mismanaging the business side, we still made it. Just not enough to buy the building.”

Harden learned to cook from a long line of moms and aunties, he said.

“My Dad was a cook. My Dad was from Mississippi, so he had a lot of those down-home creole recipes, and my Mom is from Hogansville, Ga., so my family, we just a long line of good cooking.”

But Harden learned a little something about cooking on his own.

“Some of it’s self taught,” he said. “I haven’t gone to school for it. But I’ve got a Ph.D. in eating, and I know what’s good.”

Before opening his restaurant, Harden had a clientele base he knew he could pull from for the restaurant.

His advice to new business owners is to do research, find your market and market yourself.

“If people don’t know you’re there, then you cannot, will not stay open,” he said. “Get out there. It might be uncomfortable, but you have to. You have to market yourself. Go to functions. Go to events.

“A lot of people think folks are going to walk in your doors, but that does not happen. At all. You are blessed if it does, but for most, that does not happen.”

Big Nick’s also observed its three-year anniversary in May. 

Big Nick’s, 904 Baytree Road, is open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday, and noon-6 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call (229) 469-6905. 

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1257.