Find Your Recipe for Success on the Palouse

Robert Hubner

The Palouse lies in some of the country’s most fertile land, where multicolored agricultural fields sweep the landscape like impressionist paintings and small farms raise heirloom vegetables, make sausage and bottle honey. It’s an ideal place to have a restaurant. Two successful chefs share their advice on doing business in Pullman and Moscow. 

Nick Pitsilionis 

Chef and Owner, The Black Cypress 

Born in Greece and raised in Alaska, Nick Pitsilionis owns and operates The Black Cypress in Pullman, Washington, one of the most popular and highly decorated restaurants in the Palouse region. In 2023, it was nominated for a James Beard Award, considered the Academy Awards of the food world. Featuring New American and Mediterranean cuisine, specialties include lamb chops, roasted chicken, Cypriot cheese sandwiches, pork souvlaki and carbonara. 

How would you assess Pullman as a place to live and run a business?
Pullman is a well-kept secret. People don’t appreciate what’s in play here. It has all the virtues of a small town, all that great friendliness, cooperation, looking out for one another, community feel, and yet, it has all these amenities you associate with a worldly, big city. Washington State University is very supportive of small businesses and the downtown. 

Why is the Palouse a smart place to start a business? 
There’s a steadiness here year after year that will weather the storms of any economic cycle. 

What are the joys and challenges of running a business in Pullman, which is a college town?
They draw from the same well. I see my restaurant as a learning institution where when it’s working well, young people come through at a formative stage in their lives and leave better equipped for the world when they inevitably move on. That turnover must be shepherded along by a strong, seasoned team at the management level, and that’s not always easy when they, too, are comprised of young people who often are not looking to stay forever.

When you started your restaurant, what kinds of business support did you use? 
When I opened, I didn’t use any small-business support. I wish I would have. I’ve learned a lot. Definitely look into Small Business Development Centers, which are partly funded by the Small Business Administration. There’s an SBDC office in Pullman. The SBA realizes that small businesses are highly critical to the economy, and so the local SBDC helps you with resources, financing, business plans, market analysis, etc. Their services are free. 

How has your business grown since you started? 
When I opened The Black Cypress in 2009, it only occupied half the current space. In 2010, I added a cocktail program. In 2011, I took on the additional space next door, which doubled the restaurant’s footprint. Then, in 2012, I purchased the building. Keep that in mind from the very start: own versus rent. The most critical thing you can do is own your building. Don’t miss the opportunity. It’s life changing. The SBA’S 504 loan program has long-term, fixed-rate financing. It’s the best loan program. I’ve heard it referred to as the least known and most consequential tool for a small-business owner. 

George Skandalos 

Chef & Owner, Maialina Pizzeria Napoletana, Sangria Grille, Moscow Hotel & Garden Lounge 

Born to a Peruvian Japanese mother and Greek father and raised in Peru and Greece, George Skandalos has lived in Moscow, Idaho, since 2003, where he owns a portfolio of businesses with longtime friend, Carly Lilly. Their original restaurant, Sangria Grille, is currently closed but will reopen once the new location is completed downtown. Their second restaurant, Maialina Pizzeria Napoletana, specializes in wood-fired Naples-style pizza and handmade pasta. 

How did you end up with a business in Moscow? 
We chose to open Sangria Grille in Moscow because Carly is from here. She came home to visit her parents and saw there was a restaurant location available in a great spot. Initially, I was skeptical about moving to Moscow. I thought it was way too small. But it’s just a really great town. Because there are two major universities (University of Idaho and Washington State University in nearby Pullman, Washington), it’s a different kind of clientele. People are well-traveled, so Peruvian food wasn’t that much of a stretch. When we opened, we just went gangbusters. 

Apart from borrowing money, what resources did you use to get started? 
We didn’t use help. We came into this being a little more sophisticated because we had run restaurants before. We just figured out business plans, leases and financing on our own. 

Why is the Palouse the right place to open a business? 
We have economic stability with the universities, health care, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, and Lightcast. There’s an educated workforce. Our airport is expanding. Our quality of life is great. We have amazing schools. Moscow has an incredible downtown with so many events going on, and yet, it’s still a reasonably priced place to live. 

What guidance do you have for running a successful business?
My advice is just be dogged. Information is out there. Ask questions of other business owners. Ultimately, you’ll have to make decisions based on what you learn. You’ve got to go in and give it your all. We didn’t have a choice to fail. We worked our butts off. In the beginning, we did everything: cleaned bathrooms, mopped the floors, all the dirtiest, hardest jobs. That in turn let us know what it takes to do those jobs, so our knowledge of the business is very thorough. We don’t ask anyone to do anything we couldn’t do ourselves.