Deorio’s – The Good Times Ain’t Over After All
The savory smell of pizza wafts across Columbus as a local favorite returns.
By Natalie Downey
Deorio’s restaurant has been Columbus’ family-friendly pizza joint for decades, a welcoming spot which, for many, became a regular part of their lives. When its doors closed in 2017, the community was dismayed to lose not only one of its favorite pizza places, but also the smiling faces of Deorio’s owners and staff who were, many say, like family.
Former chef Willy Patterson, was the face of Deorio’s for decades; after he passed away, the restaurant and community felt his loss deeply. His sister Mary, who helped run the restaurant for part of the 39 years when Willy was the chef there, is excited about the restaurant’s return. When she heard it would be reopening, she says she knew she had to be a part of it all. “It was absolutely a no-brainer,” Mary recalls. “I left a job I loved to come back home here to Deorio’s.”
For Mary, seeing Deorio’s reopen isn’t just nostalgic, it’s like watching her brother’s dream come true, and having the chance to help make it happen. “It was Willy’s dream to reopen Deorio’s, and I was going to be a part of it,” Mary says, “It’s an honor to see it happening. I’m honored to be here.”
“Willy was the best brother and boss I could have asked for,” Mary says. In a large sense, the care and personable energy he brought to Deorio’s is what made people want to return again and again. We found a great quote from local legend Bear O’Brian where he says “Everyone from all walks of life that frequented that great establishment knew Willy. He always had a smile and a joke and a laugh that said ‘welcome back home friends,’ and when you left, you couldn’t wait to see him again.”
Mary worked with Deorio’s as a waitress and cook, where she learned and stuck to the recipes, which the team tweaked over the years to make them into the mouth-watering dishes their customers came to love.
We got to taste test several menu items and we can attest to the hype. The ranch dressing is absolutely magical. The pizza crust is perfect and our supreme was stacked with toppings, just enough for the perfect bite in every bite. The pizza sauce itself will bring you back to the old world. It’s truly a delight.
“Everybody loves Deorio’s,” Mary says. “We make sure that when someone walks in the door, they get what they want. It’s what makes Deorio’s what it was and what it is. Everything we make, we put a little magic in.”
Mary is now working with the new Deorio’s owners and staff to keep the original vibe intact and to keep the original recipes going strong. She knows it’s important that people can return to the taste they’ve come to expect. While they know they can’t completely replicate the original, the new staff hope that when people enter the reopened spot, they’ll recognize the tastes, smells, and sights that made them feel at home.
One of Deorio’s original waitresses, Sue, has also returned. “We were dedicated to the family,” Sue remembers of the original restaurant. “We treated everyone special, and so we had generations of families that kept coming back.” She credits the team’s devotion to quality, taste, generous portions, and good service to the restaurant’s success. “The good times ain’t over after all,” Sue says, adding that at Deorio’s, “We’re family.”
From the taste to the atmosphere to the familiar faces of some of the original staff members, new owners Lori and Parker Daniels have strived to stay true to the familiarity of Deorio’s. For Lori, the goal is to offer the community the same quality and service they’ve come to expect and to honor the legacy of the original restaurant. “We want to keep the same vibe and atmosphere,” Lori explains. “We want the feeling to be the same for people as when they came twenty years ago.”
Deorio’s has kept the same house-made ranch and Italian dressings, pizza sauce, lasagna, and chicken tetrazzini, and has mixed some new elements in as well. Their new items include several different style pizzas such as the taco pizza, the Krystal’s pizza and the buffalo chicken pizza, and they also serve desserts such as cheesecake and tiramisu cake.
The connection with Deorio’s is personal for Lori, who grew up eating there when her parents ran an ice cream shop in Cross Country Plaza. For her, the restaurant was a big part of her childhood, and to be its new owner is an exciting venture.
Lori and Parker are committed to keeping the nostalgia of Deorio’s alive. “We know it will never be the same as the original – everyone who frequented it knows what a special place Willy and the former owners made it, but we hope to carry on his legacy and make him proud,” Lori says.
For Mary, it’s all about keeping the community connection alive. And while she knows that Willy isn’t physically present, he is there. “He’s a part of this, and that’s what it’s all about,” Mary says, “It’s about bringing the legacy of such a hometown favorite back.”
Family, food, community, and connection can be found at Deorio’s located at 1931 Auburn Ave, in the old CICI’s pizza location. Their hours are Monday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
