It’s football season, which means Friday night lights at local high schools and pizza. A couple weeks back we asked our Facebook fans to name their favorite pizza pie shop from the area. Two Cousins Pizza Company was a clear winner.
A number of Richland Source staff, including myself, visit Two Cousins on a semi-regular basis. Nearly everyone agrees that the service and overall feel of the restaurant in downtown Mansfield is what they look forward to.
The smell of freshly baked dough and bubbling tomato sauce welcome guests as they walk in the doors. Guests are also greeted by classic hits from decades gone by. Photos of the community, local news clippings, and a soap box derby car comprise a vintage décor complemented by tile flooring and wooden panels for the walls. It’s a building full of character and that’s something Editor David Yoder is reflected by the people who work there.
“I frequent Two Cousins and I have found the quality of customer service and friendliness is something I can count on,” said Yoder.
“The Konves do a really good job of engaging their audience on social media. They extend their customer service and keep in contact with customers via an active Facebook page,” continued Yoder. “They communicate with a lot of personality and personal touch through that page and it has shown results.”
To speak to Yoder’s appreciation of the company’s social media interaction, I ordered ‘The Facebook Deluxe,’ the personal pan size. Two Cousins built a pizza around the community’s favorite toppings, which they polled from their Facebook page. The pizza had a hearty, seven toppings: pepperoni, sausage, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, black olives and banana peppers.
I found the pizza to be a little heavier than I would prefer but it certainly put to rest my midday hunger pains.
Manager Andy McIntyre said the Muffaletta Stromboli is unique to the area and popular. However, the most prevalent aspect of Two Cousins is catering to the community.
“We do Feed The Forces every year. We love helping out the community and giving back in that way. I mean, that’s huge. We made one hundred or so pizzas last year. Downtown [Mansfield] is great to us,” said McIntyre.
Editor Rhonda Bletner ordered the popular dish, which is wrapped in baked dough and packed with salami, pepperoni, mozzarella, provolone and muffaletta spices. She also commented on the pizza shop’s community generosity.
“The crust was thin, so it was a little crisp, which was nice, and not overly bready. So it was good, but I think one thing that Two Cousins excels at is ‘community.’ Last year my son, who is in the National Guard, was really impressed when Two Cousins delivered pizza to all branches of safety personnel in the city for Christmas. That was nice,” said Bletner.
Jill Waite, of Mansfield, agrees that Two Cousin’s community service is an aspect of the restaurant worth supporting.
“As a law enforcement chaplain, I love that they provide pizzas for all the county’s police departments, fire departments, sheriff dept, RC jail, and military personnel who work on Christmas Eve/Christmas. I gladly support any place that gives so freely of themselves for the community,” said Waite in a written comment.
Ray Shock Chitwood, of Mansfield, loves the restaurant’s pizza – and so do her children.
“My family loves Two Cousins! My kids love their garlic bread and deep dish pizza. The quality is that of a family owned pizzeria (which of course it is!); excellent sauce, great texture of crust …” noted Chitwood in a written comment. Having a gluten allergy, Chitwood also said that the gluten-free crust allows her to enjoy a pizza night with the family.
Steph Slick Tharp and her husband agree that Two Cousin’s have some of the best sub sandwiches in town.
“They make one of the best veggie subs in town. They can put anything on it that you want. My husband likes the Italian sub, in general we like the subs more than the pizzas. It’s not average. It’s like better quality for a better price. We should be paying top dollar for it. It definitely fits in the upper class,” said Tharp.
For information on Two Cousins Pizza Company, or to order online, visit their website. In the meantime, stay tuned for the next Foodie Friday.
