A new era was beginning for the celebrated hot dog stand. Upon Nicholas Malfas's passing, Constantine, hereafter Charlie, Malfas Sr. continued the business's operations. He had been a partner with his father since 1948.
The business continued as a family duo, as Costantine Charles Malfas Sr. and Jr. were the proprietors of Nick's Nest. Little had changed at the eatery, and Constantine's gift shop was operated by Charles Sr.'s wife, Genevieve, at 9 Dillon Avenue, with its entrance on the side of the building.
Charles Malfas Sr. had worked closely with his father to learn all aspects of the business. He had worked at the Fisk Tire Company in Chicopee for three days; however, the constant rubber aroma was too much to handle. He moved on to the American Bosch plant in Springfield and, after six months, left the job to rejoin his father at Nick's Nest.
The hot dog recipe did not change. It was the same special beef-and-pork mixture that Nicholas Malfas created and Swift & Company produced. Every morning, the rolls would be prepared by trimming off the crusty ends.
It was a challenge for Charles Sr. to get his father to take time away from the business. That was until the eatery's 50th anniversary in 1971, when throngs of people lined up at the door, as prices were rolled back to 1921. Nicholas was uncomfortable with the mass of waiting customers and left to return home upstairs.
In 1980, Nick's Nest added pre-packaged hot dogs to its service. Hot dogs were sold in packs of eight for home preparation. Everything from weighing, packaging, and labeling was done in-house. The total investment was about $1,200. About a dozen packages would be available for sale daily. About 100 packages were sold in the first week after the product was advertised for sale.
It was about 1981 that Constantine's gift shop closed after more than 10 years in business.
Mayor Martin "Marty" Dunn's inaugural ball on January 9, 1988, was quite a spectacle. The Darby O'Brien ad agency, in conjunction with the incoming mayor, agreed to hold a sock-hop ball. Local band Joe Canata and the Memories, along with New Jersey's Impalas, provided the music.
The food was supplied by Nick's Nest. Charles Malfas was initially reluctant to this undertaking, as he set a high standard for the quality of his menu and didn't know if it could be done. It took several days for the eatery to prepare for the event. Over 4,000 hot dogs and 50 gallons of baked beans were available for the 1,000 guests, each paying $25 to attend. The leftover food was donated to Providence Ministries to feed those in need at Kate's Kitchen, Loreto House, and Broderick House. Providence Ministries was located at 264 Elm Street at the time.
There's more to share as we approach the end of the Malfas family's long connection with Nick's Nest.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
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