And they’re still coming, even two months after the restaurant across from the Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek opened.
Now, buoyed by the successful openings of restaurants in both the Columbus and Dayton areas, Chicago-based deep-dish pizza specialist Giordano’s is eyeing expansion, its local manager told this news outlet.
>> Dayton area's first Jason's Deli opens new Beavercreek restaurant next to Giordano's Pizza
Kristin Artkamp, a Kettering native who grew up in Dayton and New Carlisle, joined Giordano’s in December 2018 and trained for five weeks in Chicago before opening the new Beavercreek location as its manager.
RELATED: Staffing is a challenge for area nursing homes. Here's what we know.
“We had such a strong response in Columbus and Dayton, it’s been remarkable,” Artkamp said. “So we’re open to the idea of growing in the state of Ohio.”
Although Giordano’s serves “extra thin-” and “thin-crust” pizzas as well as their signature pies, it’s the signature stuffed deep-dish pies that have drawn the most interest, Artkamp said. Those pies require a 10-step process to create even before cooking, including a second layer of dough above the “toppings” that is then adorned with sauce. The menu cautions it could take 45 minutes or so for a stuffed deep-dish pizza to be served.
>> PHOTOS: Haunting images of Middletown's Studio Theater before its demolition
That has not been a deterrent, Artkamp said. And local customers have shown an extra layer of creativity in their choices of ingredients.
“In Ohio, we know our pizza,” Artkamp said. “And we’re not afraid of different toppings. We love our banana peppers in Ohio.”
>> ALSO NEW TODAY: Arcade project may get final OK this week
The restaurant is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. For more information, call (937) 986-1180.
*** PREVIOUS UPDATE (March 28, 2019)***
One of the hottest tickets in town at the moment isn’t for a sporting event or a theater performance — it’s an order ticket for a Giordano’s deep-dish pizza.
>> NEW TODAY: Another Dayton-area Steak ‘n Shake closes temporarily; no word on when it will reopen
The Chicago-based pizza chain isn’t known for turning tables quickly: diners are advised that the restaurant’s signature deep-dish pizza takes about 45 minutes to prepare. But more than five weeks after Giordano’s opened its first Dayton-area location near I-675 and North Fairfield Road, the restaurant is still packing customers in as if it’s opening night.
>> PHOTOS: INSIDE LOOK: Peek inside Giordano's deep-dish pizza restaurant
The company has noticed.
“The Dayton-area community has been tremendously welcoming to us, and the very strong demand for Giordano’s is exceeding all our expectations,” Jessica Harris, marketing manager for Giordano’s, told this news outlet this week. “We are experiencing an extremely high volume of orders — both in the restaurant and for carry-out and delivery — and we appreciate the community’s patience throughout our opening weeks.”
>> NOW OPEN: 'The Wright Cafe' is now serving customers in the former 'ghost' IHOP in Vandalia
“A great tip is to visit us during the lunch hours where we have less of a wait time than during traditional dinner hours. We are open for lunch at 11 a.m. daily, and we offer weekday lunch combos, including personal deep-dish pizzas, for under $10,” Harris said.
>> ALSO NEW TODAY: Biggby Coffee sets opening date for its 1st Dayton-area shop
“Along with dining-in, we currently offer carry-out and delivery and will launch our catering offerings in a few months.”
***PREVIOUS UPDATE (Feb. 21, 2019)***
The Chicago-based deep-dish pizza specialist Giordano's opened its first Dayton-area location at 2819 Centre Drive near the Mall at Fairfield Commons and Wright State University's Nutter Center on Feb. 19.
>> Catching up with Corner Kitchen: 6 questions with the owners of Dayton restaurant
The new restaurant is on land that previously housed a Logan’s Roadhouse steakhouse, Giordano’s officials said. Hours will be: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
>> JUST IN: Here's ANOTHER new restaurant that will open at the Mall at Fairfield Commons on the same day as Giordano's!
***ORIGINAL STORY (Nov. 2, 2018)***
Deep-dish pizza specialist Giordano's elaborated on plans for its first Dayton-area restaurant, which will soon become the Chicago-based chain's second location in Ohio.
»Logan’s Roadhouse shuts down its Beavercreek restaurant
Giordano’s Beavercreek, to be located at the site of a former Logan’s Roadhouse restaurant near the Mall at Fairfield Commons and Wright State University, is tentatively scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2019, a Giordano’s spokeswoman told this news outlet . The 5,000-square-foot, full-service restaurant will offer dine-in, carry-out, and delivery for lunch and dinner, as well as catering options.
» FIRST REPORT: Giordano's Pizza, Jason's Deli to open first Dayton-area locations (April 27, 2018)
Giordano's currently operates a location in Columbus on Polaris Parkway. Its new Beavercreek location will be located at 2819 Centre Drive, where it will share a building with the Dayton area's first Jason's Deli.
>> PHOTOS: Take a look inside the area's newest pizza place in Huber Heights
Giordano’s has been serving its large-scale pies since 1974, when founders and immigrant brothers Efren and Joseph Boglio introduced their mother’s Deep Dish pizza recipe to Chicago. Today, Giordano’s has more than 65 restaurants nationwide, mostly in the Midwest along with locations in Florida, Las Vegas, and Arizona. It operates three locations in the Indianapolis area.
The chain’s Stuffed Deep Dish Pizza contains a second layer of dough, below the sauce, that Giordano’s officials say seals in the flavors of the pizza, making it a soufflé-like pizza pie.
The Beavercreek restaurant applied for its liquor license in July, but had been quiet about its plans in the early months of the new restaurant’s development.
» EARLIER COVERAGE: Chicago-based pizzeria Giordano’s opens first Ohio location
David Sheehy, a commercial real-estate broker with Anchor Associates, told this news outlet in March that Giordano’s officials were impressed by the former Logan’s Roadhouse site’s proximity to Wright State University, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Beavercreek residential areas
» GUIDE: Where to find the best pizza in Dayton
Logan’s Roadhouse shut down its restaurant in September 2016. Employees were told high rent and the upcoming renegotiation of a lease were factors in the decision to close the Beavercreek location.
»Logan’s Roadhouse shuts down its Beavercreek restaurant
Giordano’s future neighbor, Jason's Deli, is a fast-casual restaurant chain headquartered in Beaumont, Texas. The chain already has locations in Columbus and Cincinnati. Jason’s serves up deli sandwiches, vegetarian items and it also has a gluten-sensitive menu. Customers can also purchase catering orders for delivery.
»PHOTOS: Construction for Giordano's Pizza, Jason's Deli is underway at the former Logan's Roadhouse
About the Author
