Longtime Columbus restaurant owner passes away

Columbus has lost a long-standing member of its restaurant community.

Yesterday evening, Mr. T’s Pizza announced that former owner Jim Armstrong–who operated the eatery for decades–has passed away.

Armstrong owned Mr. T’s pizza at its former Gahanna location for decades, until 2000 when it closed. His son, Jeff Armstrong, revitalized the brand in 2018 at a new location, while keeping it Gahanna.

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“Dad bought the first Mr. T’s from a guy named Tom Schneider. He decided to keep the name Mr. T as it had already become a neighborhood favorite. Dad ultimately owned 3 locations, each of us sons running them,” Jeff Armstrong said. 

And according to Jeff, the longtime Columbus pizzeria owner was beloved by his customers, regular and otherwise. “He loved his customers and became a big part of the Mifflin and Gahanna communities,” Jeff said. “His customers were his favorite part of the pizza business, building many many life long friendships. He also believed he had the best customers in the industry.”

The younger Armstrong added that many of his father’s practices are carried on today in the newer iteration of Mr. T’s as well. “He also had everyone have the money facing heads up and to the right. These are practices that current Mr T’s carries on today,” Jeff said.

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