Yingling Aviation has been known as an outstanding place to go for aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul, fuel service, modifications and parts for well over half a century. It also boasts one of the country’s best pilot’s and passenger shops, the Aviator’s Attic, which sells everything from the latest in crew apparel to audio and navigational equipment to collectibles. Over the past couple of years, it has even earned a reputation as a good place to get a sandwich at Wichita’s Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport with it’s “in-house” Subway Café. But, made-to-order pizza may be the biggest surprise yet!
Yingling’s Subway Café has added Mama DeLuca’s Fast, Delicious Pizza in personal 9 inch, or larger12 inch and 14 inch sizes, made to order in one of 7 specialty versions or as a build your own pie made from a choice of 16 toppings and 7 different sauces. The pizzas can be prepared for dining on site, “take and bake,” or in quantity for catered events according to Yingling’s Subway Café General Manager Zach Theademan.
“We’ve had an excellent response to our Subway Café since we opened it in 2014,” he said, “and we’ve developed a loyal customer base, especially among people here at the airport. When I attended the Subway convention in Las Vegas last year, I sat in on a presentation on some of their co-brands and specialty items and this caught my attention. The founder of Subway was Fred DeLuca and he named this pizza concept in honor of his mother. It really fits nicely within our current situation. It doesn’t utilize too much space for the additional equipment, the initial investment was reasonable and when I researched it, it turned out Mama DeLuca’s did very well with both other franchise owners and among customers. We think it’s a terrific plus for us; it’s the only pizza alternative on the airport and it’s a great alternative if you want to feed a large number of people quickly and economically. For example, if one of our neighbors decides to host an event for a few dozen people in one of their hangars, it’s really easy to order several pizzas. We can make them to order in a matter of minutes, too,” he added.
Theademan explained that the pizza dough is rolled out each morning and partially baked (“par-baked”). Fresh vegetables are cut up and sauces are prepared. Pre-cooked and seasoned meats and cheese toppings are properly portioned so that pizzas can be quickly constructed to meet specific needs. “We believe our customers will spend no more time in line for their pizzas than our sandwich customers do for their orders since it only takes abut 2 minutes to complete the baking process once we put the pizza into the oven,” he noted. “It’s a well defined process that utilizes fresh, high quality ingredients and efficient technology to produce a superior product. It works well enough to allow us to produce calzones, bread and pretzel sticks, too,” he said.
Yingling’s Subway Café is one of a limited number of concept stores that offer upscale dining and an expanded selection of menu products. The interior décor is warmer, and along with Subway’s national standard menu of sandwiches and breakfast items, the Café also offers a larger selection of bakery items, pastries and beverages. The Yingling Subway Café was the first one of its type in the state of Kansas. The Café is literally located within one of Yingling’s hangar and is constructed with glass walls, providing customers an exceptional view of airport activity and operations on the east runway.
Yingling’s Subway Café accommodates walk-in customers, and there’s plenty of parking for cars… and airplanes. It provides fresh, on-demand breakfast items, Subway’s wide array of traditional sandwiches and now offers pizzas as the latest new additions to the menu. It’s an outstanding source for catering for transient air customers, as well as companies and businesses located on or near the airport. Whether they’re ordering food for a large meeting, looking for a quick meal to take out or a place to have breakfast or lunch in an exciting, real-life aviation atmosphere, it’s the answer. Now, that answer even includes breakfast pizzas! Mama DeLuca would be proud.
About Yingling
Yingling Aviation was approved by Cessna Aircraft Company as its first official service and parts facility during its initial year in business, 1946. Its approximately 100 Wichita-based employees are dedicated to serving customers. At its growing location on Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) in Wichita, Kansas, Yingling is also operates as a McCauley Propeller Authorized Service Center. For nearly seven decades it has also maintained a position as the dominant Cessna parts supplier. In addition to the newly-announced services for the Beechcraft propeller products, Yingling also offers comprehensive support to the full range of new and legacy Cessna aircraft, offering the experience and professionalism of top-notch FlightSafety trained technicians, aided by quick access to additional expertise and resources of nearby factory personnel, and familiarity with local vendors. Providing a full range of airframe, engine, propeller, avionics, parts, interiors and aircraft acquisition and sales, and management services, Yingling Aviation can be reached by calling (316) 943-3246 or on the web at www.yinglingaviation.com.