Handmade pizza: Plus a secret sauce

By Kristine Thomas

Dina Collins has always had the entrepreneurial spirit.

Along with the energy and enthusiasm to tackle any project and make it successful.

Looking for a new business venture, Dina and her husband, David, are the owners of Mt. Angel Pizza Co., 210 E. Charles St.

“I was thinking of looking at a business to sell concession items and then I saw this place advertised for sale on craigslist,” Dina said. “Everything just seemed to fall into place and we took a big leap of faith and bought it.”

Faith has always been the center of their relationship, Dina said.

“We pray each morning together before we go out the door,” she added. “It’s the number one thing in our life.”

The Collins are grateful for how welcoming people have been and are excited to share their love of great food with the community.

“Our goal is to make Mt. Angel Pizza a place where people can come watch a game on the television or come after a game at the high school,” Dina said. “We want people to come for dinner and birthday parties.”

And there’s one secret Dina’s willing to share about the food.

There’s a green notebook with her husband’s recipes for sauces, spices and more that she will not touch.

“David is a really good cook and he makes all the sauces for the pizza, the hot wings and other items,” she said. “His recipes are in code and we know not to mess with his book. He takes great pride in his cooking and puts a lot of love and detail into his food.”

The Collins take pride in the fact everything is made in the shop, from the sauces to the pizza dough.

Dina’s content with the fact that her husband manages food preparation while she manages the business end.

“He’s a great cook and we work well together,” she said.

Wanting the restaurant to have a bit of an Italian feel, the Collins’ friends and family members helped paint the interior. They have plans to make some other changes, such as new flooring.

While the business is still growing, both Dina and David have kept other jobs – he works for a school district and she has her own taxi company, D & D Taxi and Delivery, transporting medical clients.

Working in Mount Angel feels like home for David and Dina Collins.

“I have a vision for the restaurant,” she said. “I want to serve good Italian food in a friendly atmosphere where people fill welcomed and want to come back.”