It all began with a simple gift — an Ooni backyard oven. Cody Walker, already an accomplished bread baker, decided to explore pizza-making. Joined by his brother Wade, they started sharing their delicious creations with friends and neighbors, who were instantly hooked. Inspired by the enthusiastic response, they leveled up with two Roccbox portable backyard pizza ovens and offered free pizzas on Instagram. The response was encouraging, with twenty-four pizzas claimed in a single day. They kept doing it, and the hype kept growing.
Cody came up with the name "Ghost Runner Pizza" as a throwback to their childhood backyard baseball games, where they often had to invoke the "ghost runner" rule. Their longtime friend, Russell Robinson, designed their logo, a ghost with a baseball at his feet, wearing socks and tennis shoes and holding a pizza box. Russell also designed the iconic pizza slice on their building.
The brothers began hosting pop-ups with Macon Bagels and The Perfect Pear in Perry, taking pre-orders on Google, and participating in special events, where their pizzas consistently sold out. Wade recalls, "After a couple of years, we decided if this is what it's going to look like, let's do a restaurant. Let's do it all the way and make it our own."
They were drawn to a vacant building downtown because of its unique facade and slightly off-central location. Transforming the site into a restaurant took months, with Cody, Wade, and their family doing much of the work themselves. They installed a Neapolitan stone pizza oven capable of cooking three to four pizzas at around 800 degrees, requiring constant attention to prevent burning. The open kitchen design lets diners watch their pizza journey from order to the final slice.
The pizzas at Ghost Runner are Neapolitan-style, meaning they are crafted with simple, fresh ingredients. They're incredibly delicious because of their unique sourdough crust. The regular menu features five pizzas, with a weekly rotating special like the BLT or the Summer Squash. You can add extra flavor with in-house additions like herby ranch, spicy cane syrup, and Calabrian chile cream. The menu also includes a kale Caesar salad and ice cream sammies for dessert.
Ghost Runner Pizza offers something you won't find anywhere else in Perry. It's a counter-service dinner spot where the owners are present every night, hands-on at their stations. They mix the dough fresh daily and keep the atmosphere casual. With seating for sixty split between indoor tables and a covered back patio, they currently operate Thursday to Sunday, 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm, with no plans to add lunch service. Ghost Runner does not have a telephone. Orders are walk-in only, and customers can choose to dine in or take their pizzas to go. The small, hand-picked team of eight works tirelessly to ensure the best possible experience for their customers.
Ghost Runner Pizza is all about great pizza and positivity. Wade shares their philosophy, "It's always the pizza first, and always a positive place to be. I once heard Hannah Welton of Welton's Tiny Bakeshop in Charleston, SC, say that if you work hard at your craft and spill positivity, then success and respect will follow. For us, the pizza is the thing, not the business. We're still figuring that part out." Cody and Wade's love for making pizza and their desire to spread that good vibe is what sets Ghost Runner Pizza apart.
The pizza here isn't just good; it's fantastic, the best in all of middle Georgia. Every night, they do everything they can to crank out as many quality pizzas as possible. The team preps for days before opening, but they can only make so much dough. Grab your friends for a casual, fun night together, but get there early.
