Nikki’s 2026 Message

Signs & Wonders

2026. A year of great expectation.

Once upon a time, as I tried to gaze up the chimney, I wondered how Santa was getting himself and the huge bag of presents I was expecting down that hole! He surely needed my help! As we pulled our sleds up the hillside, we saw deer tracks in the snow. Thinking with delight the reindeer had landed, we started searching for the sleigh, certain it was parked behind each tree with a trail of glittering boxes. I don’t remember for sure when my “reality” changed, but I do remember how it changed.

Instead of believing in the impossible, I started believing in the factual and practical. Clothes came in wrapped boxes instead of magical toys. Eventually, starting a business, I analyzed everything. Numbers, road maps, charts, KPIs! Wasn’t this the course to my future success? Be prepared and anticipate everything, especially the unexpected…

As we head into 2026, and 2025 drifts behind the last snowbank, the predictions are already flooding the airwaves. 2026 will be a hard year full of “stagflation,” Nostradamus even foretold. A plague of bees and death by lightning! Were these the same people that told me that St. Nick wasn’t real and fairies don’t fly?

Back in 2007, when we opened Bistro To Go on Pittsburgh’s East Ohio Street, in the heart of a very difficult neighborhood, at a time the world was experiencing one of the worst economic downturns, the same people said, do not open a business, nothing will prosper, you will end in financial ruin. We just turned the page on 18 years.

This year, Bistro To Go will be filled with new beginnings. 𝗔 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 to ensure we are affordable so everyone can have a Bistro grand display at their most significant occasions. By October 2026, we hope to launch 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺-𝘁𝗼-𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗺, where all will be welcome to enjoy delicious and sustainable meals.

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗛𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗿𝗼𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲 is presently underway, already creating a second restaurant and a banquet facility like no other! 2026 will be full of imagination and growth, including work on 𝗕𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗼’𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁, 𝗦𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗿 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗯 𝗕𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘆. There is so much more to convey over the coming months!

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲!

𝗜 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸?

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲!