Sponsored by: Ben Mynatt Nissan | Archive Search
Business

Mamma Mia's celebrates a year of feeding folks, raising funds

E-mail to a friend



Seth Leonard

sleonard@salisburypost.com

Rowan County boasts a large number of churches, one of the highest concentrations in the state, and at least one of them also is making an impact on the economy.

Cornerstone Church recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of an ambitious venture, Mamma Mia's Pizza-n-More.

The restaurant on Webb Road began when the church decided to build a new kitchen for the congregation. The price for the new facility was well over $100,000, and leaders wondered how they could get the most out of it. Facilities at many churches are relatively unused during weekdays and nights.

The idea for a pizzeria seemed logical, and it would only cost a few thousand more to make it a reality.

Today, Mamma Mia's does a substantial business, both delivering and offering pizzas for pickup. The key is that instead of lining the pockets of advertisers or franchise owners, this restaurant donates profits to charity.

In the last 12 months, Cornerstone's restaurant has raised about $25,000 for local nonprofit organizations. Only the food prices and wages are deducted from the company's total donations. Wages don't cut too much from the total because Mamma Mia's is usually only staffed by two people.

The operation is professional. Pizzas are delivered in heat-insulated bags, like any other pizza joint. To help get off on the right foot, the store's first manager was a trouble shooter, a 10-year veteran of Domino's.

There are no advertisements for the the place, but there is a new sign in front of the church. The LED display is the first of its kind in the county and can show everything from phone numbers to videos.

Pastor Bill Godair is the pizzeria's spokesman. He is excited about the good that pizza is doing for the community.

"We're not so naive to think we're gonna compete with Domino's and Papa Johns," he said. "We know better than that. But we are sparking some growth in the county."

It's not all about giving money away, either. The restaurant employs several people, young and old, as delivery people and pizza chefs.

Cornerstone also operates four daycare centers. According to Godair, they began with one, but as local centers faced bankruptcy, they asked Cornerstone to buy them out and maintain the services. All told, the church now employs more than 70 people through all the different ventures.

"What if every church tried to create 10 jobs?" asked Godair. "Creativity is on the inside of every one of us. How many millionaires will be created during this economic downturn?"

Cornerstone's congregation is diverse. Of the 600 weekly members, 40 percent are white, 40 percent are black, and the rest are everything from Pacific Islanders to Eastern Europeans.





What do you think? Post your comment below.

Comments

SalisburyPost.com is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse.

SalisburyPost.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not SalisburyPost.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please send us an email to webmaster@salisburypost.com with the article title and offensive post's contents and we will review it for possible removal.

Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.



 

Other Headlines
Murdock shifts focus; Cannon Village shops struggle
Posted on Saturday, November 07, 2009 11:14 AM

Big Lots to move into Kannapolis location
Posted on Friday, November 06, 2009 9:04 PM

North Carolina has Top Business Climate
Posted on Tuesday, November 03, 2009 12:05 PM

Business roundup: Leadership the theme at Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting
Posted on Sunday, November 01, 2009 1:49 AM

Sloan honored as caregiver of the year for Home Instead
Posted on Sunday, November 01, 2009 1:46 AM

MI Windows idling Salisbury plant
Posted on Saturday, October 31, 2009 1:05 AM

Updated: MI Windows plans to layoff 110 in Salisbury
Posted on Friday, October 30, 2009 7:59 PM

Linn-Honeycutt to get new owner
Posted on Friday, October 23, 2009 8:18 AM

BofA to select emergency CEO this week: report
Posted on Monday, October 05, 2009 3:51 PM

Sales tax rate means adjusting for NC businesses
Posted on Monday, October 05, 2009 3:35 PM

 




Today's Newspaper Ads

Announcements
Automotive & Vehicles
Community
Home Improvement & Gardening
Real Estate & Rentals
Services
Apparel & Jewelry
Business & Finance
Dining & Entertainment
Medical
Recreation
Shopping

Website Forms

Birth Announcement
Birthdays
Business News
Celebrations Forms
Employee News
Feedback
Graduations
Hold your paper delivery
Letter to the Editor
Mailing List
Sponsorship
Subscribe
Worship directory submission

Special Sections

A Day In The Life
Autos Only Baby of the Year
Biotech 101
Bridal Page
Celebrations
Explorer
Faith 4th
Living Here
NC Statewide Classified Line Ad Network
Pops at the Post
Prime Time
Shop Local
Spring Home Improvement
Summer Fun
Taste of Home
Worship Directory

View All