MANSFIELD, Ohio – Longtime Mansfield resident Andy McIntyre has been one of the most popular faces of downtown Mansfield’s Two Cousins Pizza Co. since it opened its doors in 2012.
Now at 31 years old, he’s not only the main face, but he’s also the body and the brain, purchasing the local pizza shop from Brad and Bill Konves a few months ago.
His journey to ownership, however, started many years ago.
“I always planned to go to college, and college just really wasn’t for me,” McIntyre said. “I had three different majors at six different colleges.”
It wasn’t until after he returned from college that McIntyre found himself in the pizza business, working for cross-town rival Leaning Tower Pizza, where he started as a crew member and worked his way up to management.
“I needed a job, and all my friends were working at the Tower, so they got me a job there, and I was there long enough to move up,” McIntyre said.
After a stint as manager, about three years, according to McIntyre, he heard about a need at Two Cousins’ Mansfield location before it opened its doors. The company, which originated in Lexington, was looking for someone to run the second shop.
With the right connection and ready to make a move, McIntyre made the switch. As luck would have it, the location happened to be familiar to him.
“Funny thing is that this restaurant used to be call Brunches, probably about 10 to 12 years ago, and my mom worked next door,” McIntyre said. “They needed a dishwasher here, and they hired me, so I worked up to being head cook and was here for about a year or two and then went off to college.”
Two Cousins expanded to a third location before the original Lexington shop was turned over. It was sold to a former manager, who changed the name to Uncle Chip’s Village Pizza.
The third location, which was located in Ontario, “didn’t work out,” McIntyre said. When the original owners decided not to re-sign the lease for the Mansfield shop, McIntyre stepped in and purchased the shop, recognizing the potential and value of a business seated in the growing downtown district.
“We try and talk to everybody, we always try and develop a relationship, especially with customers who come in all the time and people who work in the area,” McIntyre said. “We love the community, and right now it’s changing, and it’s changing for the good – it’s awesome to be a part of it.”
Going forward, McIntyre said he plans to expand the menu, offering more delivery-like options to the downtown area, and, of course, continuing the Feeding the Forces tradition.
“We open up on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day,” McIntyre said. “We make roughly about 100 pizzas and feed all of the first responders who have to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.”
McIntyre said the shop’s most popular items are the Hawaiian pizza or the Muffaletta Stromboli or sub, as well its other subs. His favorite item is the pulled-pork and slaw sub, which is of his own creation.
As for his day-to-day activities, McIntyre said, “they are pretty much the same.”
“I just have the title ‘owner’ in front of my name now,” he added.
Two Cousins currently has four employees, including McIntyre.
For information about Two Cousins Pizza Co., visit www.twocousinspizzaco.com or like its Facebook page.
