When Nick Arnoni saw it was Doug DeBlasio calling, Nick was ready to talk about anything. Well, almost anything.
The two met a few years prior when Nick worked as a sales rep for an alcohol distributor in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area. Doug, who owns DeBlaze at 131, was his customer. When Nick started working as a Hospitality Specialist for SpotOn, Nick converted DeBlaze from another point-of-sale company to SpotOn’s restaurant POS, significantly streamlining operations.
They have lots in common – sports fandom and Italian heritage, among other things – and their relationship quickly evolved beyond a friendly, transactional business nature. They talk on the phone frequently about all sorts of things, and nine times out of 10, the topic isn’t business.
“I picked up, and he asked me if I was ready… I was like, ‘Ready for what? What are you talking about?’” Nick recalls.
“To be a godfather,” Doug happily answered. His wife Kelsie was pregnant with their third child, Lincoln, and from their shared experiences at DeBlaze, they knew they’d be able to rely on Nick for anything, no matter what.
Nick was honored and said yes. He was a little stunned, but ask those who know him, and maybe he shouldn’t have been caught off guard.
“Nick’s a genuinely good guy who cares for his people,” Doug says. “I was just a customer he was trying to sell a point-of-sale to, and it’s grown into a once-in-a-lifetime relationship.”
Doug was first struck by Nick’s willingness to go above and beyond when they were opening their newest DeBlaze location. They were on the phone, and Doug made an off-hand comment about the time crunch they were in to open on time.
“Dude, I’ll be there tomorrow,” Nick told Doug.
And he was. He showed up every day for two weeks, finding time to help Doug in between other appointments.
“I don’t know anyone who would do that,” Doug says. “Well, aside from Nick.”
Nick and Doug have become family, but ask any business owner in the Pittsburgh area who knows Nick, and they’ll all say the same thing: Nick is a fantastic human and an invaluable asset to their business.
“Nick is like a brother to me - he always comes by to check in on us and responds incredibly quick whenever we need anything,” says Sophia Milinkovic, Co-owner and Operator of Pittsburgh’s Monterey Pub. “To have a support system that treats us like family is something we really appreciate.”
That’s just who Nick is: an outgoing, caring guy living by the golden rule.
“I just work as hard for my people as I would want someone to work for me if the roles were reversed,” Nick says.
Lincoln DeBlasio is now two, and just last month, he became a big brother as Doug and his wife, Kelsie, welcomed a baby daughter, Gianna. There was no debate as to who would be her godfather.
If Doug, Kelsie, or Gianna ever need anything, Nick will be right there.
