Flyer Enterprises History

The University of Dayton’s first student-run business was introduced to campus on January 3, 1990. Rudy’s Fly-Buy, a full-service grocery store, began as an incorporated business developed by Students of Dayton Inc., a small group of undergraduate students. Dr. William Schuerman, the dean of students at the time, learned about other universities with similar programs and was determined to bring the model of experiential learning to the University of Dayton.

New Beginnings
     In April of 1994, the University purchased Rudy’s and its corporate status was dissolved. The University’s ownership provided necessary oversight while allowing the store to remain student-run. Undergraduates held managerial positions and were responsible for the daily operations of the store, as well as strategic decision-making. Rudy’s was profitable in the grocery business, which included a selection of fresh produce.
     As competition both on and off campus increased, Rudy’s faced declining revenues and was forced to consider alternative business models. The management team decided to take advantage of the prime location by positioning Rudy’s as a one-stop convenience shop, rather than a grocery store. Students on campus recognized Rudy’s as the heart of the student neighborhood for many years.
     In 1998, four students founded Dayton Student Agencies (DSA) as a club to develop business plans for possible new ventures. Their goal was to extend the learning experience offered by Rudy’s to other students. DSA created comprehensive business plans for three new businesses: a UD clothing outlet, a bagel shop café and a gourmet coffee shop. All three proposals eventually took root and formed the foundations for some of today’s Flyer Enterprises’ divisions.
     The second student-run business to open on campus was the Blend, a coffee shop located in Roesch Library. After seeing DSA’s business plan, Dr. Deb Bickford, Associate Provost, requested that the coffee shop in the library’s new Ryan C. Harris Learning Teaching Center (LTC) be student-run. The Blend financed equipment for loans and opened for business on January 21, 2000 with a staff of eleven students. The Blend continues to be a highly successful business with high profit margins and relatively simple operations.     
     At this point, Rudy’s and the Blend were two separate student-run businesses. Each had a student in the President position, but the two did not interact. The two divisions realized that they had similar needs for a formal advising structure and better University control. The students worked with faculty members to explore new ways to restructure the advising body and grow the student-run business program.

Uniting Forces
     Through this restructuring, the organization of Flyer Enterprises was born. The corporate model called for a Board of Directors, made up of University administrators, to provide oversight to the student Executive Team, made up of division presidents. Rudy’s and the Blend also had divisional management teams responsible for daily operations. The structure provided limited advisement from the University while ensuring that the ventures remained student-run, not just student-worked.
     In 2002, the Blend Express was opened in Miriam Hall to serve the School of Business Administration. Flyer Enterprises’ start-up expenses for the Express were funded by a grant from the SBA.
     Flyer Enterprises also began in important partnership with UD’s Dining Services. Management contracts were arranged for joint ventures between the two entities. Rudy’s on the Hill, later renamed Stuart’s Landing (nicknamed Stu’s), was one such venture. Stu’s is a popular convenience store for residents of Stuart Hall, a first-year dorm located up the trek of Stuart Hill.
     Dining Services also asked for Flyer Enterprises to manage the Galley, an ice cream shop that opened in the University’s student union August of 2004. FE’s student managers are responsible for daily operations and all staffing decisions. Flyer Enterprises receives a percentage of the business’s earnings based on the net income each fiscal year.
     ArtStreet Café, a wholly owned division of Flyer Enterprises, opened in November of 2004. A great deal of planning went into the development to of the Café, including the creation of a menu featuring a variety of panini sandwiches and salads. After four months of financial losses, the team focused their attention on standardizing processes and was able to turn the Café into a successful venture with a positive net cash flow.
     January of 2006 brought yet another new division. Another joint venture with Dining Services, The CHILL opened as a part of UD’s new state of the art RecPlex. In its first semester of operation, the CHILL offered only fat-free frozen yogurt and bottled drinks. Flyer Enterprises managers led the development of a full product line made up of popular smoothies and healthy snacks.

Exponential Growth
     In the five years between 2001 and 2006, Flyer Enterprises successfully opened five new ventures, providing unparalleled experiential education to countless students. Hard lessons were learned and difficult decisions could not be avoided. The most difficult, for the Executive Team and many on campus, was the decision to close the doors of Rudy’s Fly-Buy for good in May of 2007. Rudy’s had struggled financially for several years and could not continue to operate as an unprofitable business. Flyer Enterprises will never forget the remarkable group of dedicated individuals who worked to make Rudy’s a reality or the valuable learning that took place.
     In true entrepreneurial spirit, as Rudy’s doors closed, others were opened. On August 17, 2007, Flyer Spirit became Flyer Enterprises’ first off-campus division. The retail store, featuring Dayton Flyers merchandise, is a joint venture with the UD Bookstore.
     In August 2009, Flyer Enterprises opened its eighth division, FE Catering, which combines the catering services of The Blend Express and ArtStreet Cafe.  This offers the UD community competitive pricing, convenient online ordering, and exceptional customer service.
      Flyer Enterprises is now comprised of eight operating ventures, an accounting team overseen by the Chief Financial Officer and an information technology group overseen by the Chief Information Officer. Flyer Enterprises is one of the University’s largest employers, with more than 190 undergraduate student, revenues of more than $1.4 million a year and five consecutive years of increasing profits. Flyer Enterprises remains one of the largest student-run businesses in the nation, compared competitively with similar businesses at Harvard, Stanford and Georgetown.

The students of Flyer Enterprises are proud of the incredible strides that have been made over the past two decades. We feel indebted to the FE Alumni who have laid the foundation, and grateful for the support of the faculty and administration of the University of Dayton. We look forward to influencing the future of Flyer Enterprises so that opportunities for experiential learning may remain strong for decades to come.