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N aomi Boutz! Owner of Vine & Olive and Vicino Pizza
idea for a pizzeria during the stay at home order in April of 2020 once he realized there was an empty restaurant space with a wood fire pizza oven. My first response was “I am not opening another f’kn restaurant.”
I got my start in hospitality in 2006 at the iconic Wine Cellar in downtown Coeur d’Alene after going back to work part time while I finished my business degree. As a single mom raising two boys , I always assumed once I graduated, I would move on to a different career. But everytime I considered an opportunity outside of hospitality, it felt like the oxygen left my lungs. I knew when my boys were close to being out of high school, I would open my own place. I love everything about the restaurant industry. The energy in the room. Meeting new people everyday. The sounds of a bustling kitchen. I even enjoy the business side. Food and wine have a unique way of connecting us and creating memories unlike anything else. In 2016, I started brainstorming ideas for my own restaurant and wine bar. Those ideas became Vine & Olive. I was naive enough to believe there was a huge need for a thoughtful restaurant and wine bar in Coeur d’Alene, more specifically in Riverstone. I wanted to provide an elevated space that was like Cheers except for a wine bar. Thankfully, the community’s response exceeded my expectations and we will celebrate our five year anniversary in November of 2022. Vicino Neapolitan Style Pizza opened in October of 2020. Vicino means near or close by in Italian, which is fitting given it is just around the corner from Vine & Olive. My Executive Chef, Josh Peebles, is the one who pitched the 36 may • june 2022
Ultimately, the opportunity to diversify wasn’t one I could turn down. Vicino is very casual but still thoughtful with an all - Italian wine list. Chef did an awesome job with the menu including creating the best gluten free pizza crust you will ever taste (a non negotiable for me). Owning a business is definitely a lifestyle and it’s not a Monday through Friday operation. There are ebbs and flows and several periods throughout the year when I feel like my life is dominated by work. But because this is my passion, I walk into these spaces with gratitude and hope. I think balance looks different to everyone and I do make it a priority to protect my mental and physical health. You can’t fill from an empty cup. I’ve found that giving myself quiet moments does wonders for resetting my spirit. While it wasn’t tougher opening the restaurant being a woman, I was treated differently as a female entrepreneur. I hate talking about it because it’s uncomfortable calling out sexism but there were plenty of comments and questions the first few years, I know my male counterparts didn’t have to deal with it. I got so sick of the surprise of finding out I was the owner and being asked where I got the money to open. When I opened Vicino, these comments were minimal so we’re making progress. The team I have surrounded myself with is the biggest factor in my success and have stuck with me through arguably some of the toughest years for restaurant
