Flyboy’s will be closed most Sundays, unless a special event happening downtown warrants extra hours that week.
Located at 219 N. Patterson Boulevard, on the ground floor of the CareSource building, Flyboy’s is situated directly next to the downtown Winans Chocolates & Coffee shop that opened at the start of 2020— a situation Flyboy’s owner Steve Crandall said will compliment both businesses.
Husband-and-wife owners of Flyboy’s Deli, Crandall and Eunice Kim, operate a deli on Far Hills Avenue in Oakwood, and they shut down their second location at the Mall at Fairfield Commons at the start of 2020. The new location is setup in a similar way, with much of the same art and memorabilia, as the now-closed restaurant.
Credit: Staff
Credit: Staff
“That (location) was so special to me,” Crandall said. “I’m part of the Base community.”
Crandall, a retired Air Force colonel, and Eunice, who worked in and managed deli-style restaurants on the East Coast for 15 years, decided shortly after they moved to Dayton to combine their passions and bring Dayton a unique deli experience. Thus, “Flyboy’s Deli” was born in Oakwood in 2013, with a design and décor that celebrate Dayton’s aviation heritage and its history as a cradle of invention.
About 15 to 25 employees will be hired for the new Flyboy’s some of which will come from the Oakwood restaurant and some who are former employees from the Fairfield Mall location.
Though breakfast was recently discontinued at the Oakwood restaurant, the downtown shop will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner. Crandall expects breakfast service to be more popular at the new location, as the CareSource building alone is occupied by about 800 employees, according to a CareSource spokesperson in March 2020.
Downtown Flyboy’s capacity is 160 inside, about half of the max capacity at the Fairfield Mall. The outdoor patio, located directly across from Day Air Ballpark, can comfortably seat about 15 guests.
The 160-person capacity includes the side “party rooms” past the bar area that are available for reservations. Hosting parties, events like wedding rehearsal dinners and more is going to be a large focus of the new Flyboy’s location.
Though Crandall said he doesn’t think the downtown location will be able to secure as many parties and events as the Fairfield Mall location, he “would love to be proved wrong.”
People familiar with the Fairfield Flyboy’s location will also be pleased to find the Free Flight Simulator is back, in addition to Wednesday night trivia, the “Aces Club,” Korean menu items, gluten free and vegan options and more returning favorites.
Anyone interested in applying to the new Flyboy’s restaurant should send their info and resume to flyboysdeli@gmail.com.
Credit: Staff
Credit: Staff
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