EDITOR’S NOTE: Happy National Pizza Month! This October, we are celebrating America’s favorite food and the people who make it by featuring pizzerias that give back to their communities.
America’s Incredible Pizza Co.
Springfield, Missouri
incrediblepizza.com
Founded on the belief that families should have a safe, fun and wholesome place to make memories, America’s Incredible Pizza Co. engages with schools, nonprofits and local causes. The company specifically seeks to make a positive impact for education and families, “since those two themes are at the heart of our mission,” says Ryan Tiffin, vice president of brand strategy and guest experience at America’s Incredible Pizza Co.
Approaching its 25th anniversary, the pizzeria aligns itself with four causes:
Folds of Honor: Provides college or trade school scholarships, educational assistance and career support to the children of servicemembers who died serving their country.
Make-A-Wish: Makes dreams come true for children battling critical illness.
Convoy of Hope: Humanitarian disaster-relief organization.
Special Olympics: Inclusive global sports movement.
“In addition to these national partnerships, we place a strong emphasis on local connections,” such as literacy programs, neighborhood organizations and providing support during times of crisis, Tiffin says. “In between these larger initiatives, we are committed to consistently helping schools, youth groups and family-centered nonprofits through fundraisers, school nights and in-kind donations.”
Tiffin recalls a child whose Make-A-Wish dreams to visit Disney and Incredible Pizza were not possible because he was too ill to leave the hospital. Founder Rick Barsness personally removed that child’s favorite game from the game floor of Incredible Pizza, deep-cleaned and sanitized it, unlocked the game card for unlimited play and delivered the machine to the child’s hospital room.
“It wasn’t about the food or the attractions that day, it was about creating a moment of joy, comfort and escape for a child and his family during an incredibly difficult time,” Tiffin says. “It is the small, meaningful moments like this that make the biggest impact and remind us why we are here: to provide families with joy, connection and a little bit of magic.”
