“The Flyers Story”

In February of 1976  the founder, Wayne Ulrey, purchased a small, existing pizza shop in West Jefferson, Ohio called “Tonni’s Pizza for $19,000. With no previous experience in the pizza industry, Wayne and his family were supposed to fail! The plan was, by the former owner and broker who sold the business to the Ulrey’s, to buy it back at a drastically reduced cost within a year. Sales were $173.22 on their first day of ownership and they have never looked back since!

In 1987, the West side of Columbus was rapidly expanding. The family saw a need and opened their second location at the corner of Hall & Norton Roads. In 2002, they moved the location into a new 2200 square foot facility nearby.

In 1992, their third store opened in Hilliard at Hilliard Rome & Roberts Road.  It was at this point that the name was changed to Flyer’s because of marketing concerns. This location will be expanded and refurbished in 2011.

Since the story began, the original location in West Jefferson has been moved twice. In 1997, a new 3400 square foot building with 84 seats was built which today has become that community’s gathering place. A major remodel occurred in 2009 adding a new buffet and a pick up window.

In July of 2002, the fourth store opened on Hoover Road to allow Flyers Pizza & Subs to service the Grove City area.  Opportunities then opened up in the Powell area in 2006, in Blacklick in 2007, and then in Groveport in April of 2009. Our eighth store opened in 2018 on State Route 665 near US Highway I-71 in Southern Grove City. Then, this year in April, we were excited to open in the Hayden Crossings Plaza on Hayden Run Road in the North Hilliard/Southern Dublin area.

People have often asked about the keys to their success. From the very beginning, there was a commitment to give their customers the best products and service at a fair price. The foundation is their family recipe pizza sauce, dough, pepperoni and italian sausage. Building on this base, the finest meat toppings, provolone cheese, and blanched mushrooms are purchased to ensure uncompromising quality. In addition, the Ulreys, their management team and staff strive to deliver unmatched service to their market area. But the story doesn’t end there…

Community involvement has always been at the forefront of the Flyer’s experience. Hundreds of pizzas are discounted each year to support their local schools through booster and lunch programs. They also sponsor youth sports teams, award academic scholarships, and are involved in other worthy causes including Autism Speaks (we created a heart shaped pizza a while ago that we give back a portion of the sale of those pizzas during the three weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day), organizations, churches and events.