Pizza, Pasta and Passion! Figlio Wood Fired Pizza was founded in 1991 by Peter and Laurie Danis. Peter and Laurie first met at Ohio State University’s College of Law. Their courtship centered around cooking meals at Peter’s apartment before hitt... Read More

Pizza, Pasta and Passion!

Figlio Wood Fired Pizza was founded in 1991 by Peter and Laurie Danis. Peter and Laurie first met at Ohio State University’s College of Law. Their courtship centered around cooking meals at Peter’s apartment before hitting the law books each night. Little did they know that they would eventually trade their law books for cookbooks and find happiness in the kitchen rather than the courtroom.

Peter and Laurie graduated from law school and practiced law for a number of years. On the evening of the birth of their first child, they decided to leave their successful legal careers to open a gourmet pizza/pasta restaurant in Columbus. Their decision was driven by a desire to experience the same passion and excitement on a daily basis as they felt that evening.

For the next two years, they traveled throughout North America pursuing the art of gourmet pizza making. Their research included course work at the Natural Foods Cookery School in New York City. In November of 1991, they opened the first Figlio Wood Fired Pizza in Columbus and it was an overnight success.

In 1996 Peter and Laurie opened their second location of Figlio Wood Fired Pizza in the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington, which has been used as a prototype for additional restaurant development. Their newest Figlio location opened in Dayton in the fall of 2003.

Figlio has consistently been named as one of the top ten restaurants by the Columbus Dispatch. Additionally, the Zagat Survey publication named Figlio Wood Fired Pizza as the top gourmet pizza in Columbus. Peter, Laurie and their staff have been featured as the cover story in the August 1992 and September 1999 editions of the international trade publication Pizza Today.

Peter and Laurie define success with three words: Pizza, Pasta and Passion!