Nicholas A. Tokles

TOKLES Nicholas A. “Nick” Nicholas A.”Nick” Tokles passed away unexpectedly, Friday, September 4, 2015. He was born July 31, 1951, in Toledo and was the son of Alex and Mary Joyce Tokles. Nick Tokles admitted he is not a typical businessman. The 64 year old owner of Nick & Jimmy’s Bar & Grill restaurant possessed neither the gregarious flattery nor the polished manners one usually associates with a successful entrepreneur. He was a quiet person, not shy or withdrawn, just a man who spoke slowly, directly, and sparsely, a solitary kind of person and, perhaps, a little restless, a little impatient. He liked the creative end of his business more than the day to day operation and had a strong need to cut through the bull and get the job done, an attitude, he confesses, that caused problems during his high school years. “I was a hellion,” he states flatly. “I went to Start, St. Francis, and Sylvania. They’d asked me to leave the school. Tokles takes a long drag on his cigarette and pauses as he reflects on his teenage years. He’s a good-looking guy-thick dark hair curled slightly around his face, dark intense eyes, trim body. Coiled around a chair, he wears a red T-shirt under a dark flannel shirt, work jeans, tennis shoes and white socks. He sports a handsome Rolex on his wrist and a diamond earring in his left lobe. Lowering his cigarette, thoughts composed, he continues. “School was boring. I didn’t pay attention and I wouldn’t do my homework because I knew I had a job. We had a family business that I worked in since the 5th grade E & T Tokles Restaurant Equipment and that’s what I was going to do.” After graduating from Sylvania High School in 1969, Tokles attended UT for two years before leaving in disgust after being closed out of classes four different times. He took off to Florida for a year, then returned to Toledo, rejoining the family business. “I worked full time for the family, and in a family business you do a little bit of everything. Inventory, unloaded trucks, installed equipment, designed.” Tokles worked for the family until 1979 when he struck out on his own to form, with his brother-in-law, Nick & Jimmy’s Bar & Grill at 4956 Monroe Street. “It was to be an up-scale neighborhood establishment,” Tokles said, “and when it first opened it was crazy. It was Toledo’s hot spot. There was a line in front of the place in the middle of winter. It was so busy the waiters couldn’t wait on anybody.” But for Tokles, business was too good and he was relieved when things calmed down. “We developed a business out of it. It wasn’t just a place to go and be seen. It isn’t faddish anymore. Now it expands the boundaries. The longer we’re here, the more diversified the age group.” Recalling the atmosphere of the French Quarter, Nick & Jimmy’s is bright and bouncy: music, ceiling fans, globe lights, lattice work, plants, white walls, and forest green wainscotting and trim work. Nick & Jimmy’s was Tokles production from start to finish. “I enjoy designing, building, creating. It’s rewarding to have an idea and create it. After you get them open, they’re not as much fun.” This drive and creative energy has led Tokles into several other projects: Basin St. Grille, Cocoa House, Nick & Jimmy’s Temperance, and Village Inn. Nick used to always say that “Nick & Jimmy’s is a joint. It is a fun place for everybody to enjoy.” He had a passion for the community, the business, his family, but most of all his employees. He has been a staple in Toledo for 36 years, he will be greatly missed. Survivors include his wife, Sarah (Garlough) Tokles; parents, Alex and Mary Tokles; sister, Maryann (Tokles) Condon and her husband, Michael; niece and nephews, Sarah, Marc, Matt and Michael. He is also survived by his aunt, Irene Foussianes; cousins, Dean, George and Nicholas Foussianes, Christine Lenz, Mary Therese, Timothy Tokles, Ellen Fuller and Annette Purcel and father-in-law, Richard Garlough. Friends are invited to visit from 2-8 p.m. Tuesday, in the Ansberg-West Funeral Home, 3000 Sylvania Avenue, (between Secor and Douglas Roads), where Trisagion Prayers and a service will be held at 7 p.m., with Fr. Larry Legakis and Fr. Chris Hadgigeorge officiating. A celebration of Nick’s life will be announced at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Toledo Children’s Hospital, Toledo Humane Society or the American Heart Association. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.ansberg-west.com

Nicholas A. Tokles

July 31, 1951 - September 4, 2015