Two iconic Boise restaurants to open new ‘hit’ Meridian place with ‘crazy-good food’

Nick West is not a typical restaurateur.

The man prefers a duct tape wallet. When his checkbook gets old, he patches that up with duct tape, too.

“I’m a saver,” he explains with a chuckle.

So when the longtime owner of the Capri Restaurant and Delsa’s Ice Cream Parlour launches a new space in Meridian featuring both menus — in the middle of a business-crushing pandemic — sure, it will be “a big risk,” he admits.

But the two-brand concept does have a few notable things going for it.

First? “Both of them are really iconic,” he says.

Second? “Delsa’s has crazy-good food, because it has the Capri menu.”

And third? Remember that roll of duct tape? “This new restaurant’s going to be paid for the day we open it,” West says proudly. “The best thing is I haven’t been frivolous, because that’s how I’m going to survive this, and that’s how I’m going to keep all my employees working.”

Sold yet, west Ada County?

Located at 1407 W. McMillan — McMillan and Linder roads — West’s new 3,700-square-foot restaurant should be open by late August or early September. It will operate as a Capri from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, serving affordable, large-plate breakfast and lunch. From 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., it will put on its Delsa’s outfit, scooping a dizzying array of ice cream flavors — all powered by Idaho history.

The diner-style Capri has been serving customers at 2520 W. Fairview Ave. since the early 1950s. West took it over in 1998. In 2016, he made it even more classic by placing Rudy the Rooster from now-defunct Jim’s Coffee Shop on its roof.

Delsa’s, which opened at 7923 W. Ustick Road in 1961, became a West venture after he revived it after a short closure just over a decade ago. West took time to learn the recipes from its retired previous owner, who had run it for 30 years.

“I like old places. I just love ‘em,” West explains, pausing during an ice-cream-making session behind Delsa’s to take this phone call.

“Delsa’s has never been about a dollar to me. It’s more the history.”

The new Capri and Delsa’s might be filled with memories, but the restaurant itself won’t feel old. A newly constructed building, it will even have a 2,500-square-foot outdoor patio. “That’ll be really cool,” West says.

During the coronavirus, business at the Capri has been hit harder than at Delsa’s, West says. Part of the reason might be the Capri emphasizes sit-down breakfast, and the clientele skews older.

But Delsa’s in Boise also has the advantage of serving the Capri’s entire lunch and dinner menu — and that advantage will continue at the new two-in-one family restaurant in Meridian.

“Our burgers are really good, and our Philly cheese steaks are to die for,” West says. “Our Philly is like you get in Philadelphia. Our rolls come from Philadelphia. We Cheez Whiz ‘em like they do.”

Combine that with fresh, hand-crafted ice cream — Delsa’s does about 300 flavors of “really cool stuff,” West says — and he’s feeling pretty good about luring customers to his expansion.

“When they go out to Linder and McMillan, they get the breakfast place, they get the ice cream shop with the meals at night,” West says. “I think it will be a hit.”

This story was originally published July 10, 2020 at 4:00 AM.