Feasterville restaurant’s Pay It Forward initiative turns everyday kindness into community support

At Nina’s II Pizza in Feasterville, a simple but meaningful idea is helping neighbors support one another during challenging times. Since launching its Pay It Forward initiative in November 2025, the longtime family restaurant has created an easy, dignified way for community members to help those who may be struggling financially or going through a difficult period.

The program allows customers to purchase an extra meal, or donate money toward one, for someone else in the community. The prepaid meals are written on sticky notes and posted on a board near the restaurant’s entrance. Anyone in need can take a note and redeem it for a meal, no questions asked.

For the Cottone family, who own and operate the restaurant, the initiative reflects both their values and their longstanding ties to the Feasterville community.

Daniela and her husband Joe Cottone are the owners of Nina’s II Pizza. Their children, Doriana, Antonio and Jelsia, all grew up around the business and continue to play a significant role in its management and daily operations.

“It’s truly a family establishment,” said co-owner Daniela Cottone. She  added that the restaurant has long been part of the family’s life and the community’s history.

“All my kids went to Neshaminy High School,” she said. “The business has been here for over 40 years, and my husband and I took over about 30 years ago. We celebrated our 30th anniversary of ownership this past August.”

While Nina’s II Pizza is known locally for its homemade Italian dishes, pizza, sandwiches and welcoming atmosphere, the Pay It Forward initiative represents something beyond food. It reflects the restaurant’s role as a gathering place and support system for the community.

According to co-manager Jelsia Cottone, the initiative was truly a family effort. “We are all overseeing this Pay it Forward initiative. It was a family decision to do this,” she said. “We had talked about what we could do to help the community, especially with the cold months ahead, because we started this in November of 2025,” Daniela said. “When we started this program, each of our family members contributed donations for a few sticky notes on the board to get the program started.”

Jelsia added that the approaching holiday season also played a role in the decision. “We knew with the holidays coming up, food insecurity can be stressful, especially during colder months, but we do plan to continue this program past the winter,” she said.

The family worked alongside community members to shape the program, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

“We came together with community members in order to create this Pay it Forward initiative and we see how beneficial it has been to the community, so it’s something we want to continue and get the word out,” Jelsia said. “We’re hoping we can help more community members along the way.”

Customers can participate in several ways. When ordering, they can pay for an extra meal, donate toward a future meal, or contribute any amount to the initiative. The restaurant then writes the donation on a sticky note and places it on the community board.

“When someone comes in to get a meal, we have a board right next to our door with a bunch of sticky notes,” Jelsia said. “Each sticky note is a donated meal or drink, like a slice of pizza and a drink, a large pizza, or a cheesesteak.”

Community members can take one sticky note and present it to the cashier. “It’s one sticky note per person, no questions asked,” she said. “They can eat the meal there or take it to go.”

The board typically features a variety of options, from individual items to meals that can feed multiple people, making it accessible for different needs.

The initiative has already created meaningful moments for both donors and recipients.

“We had one of our loyal customers who paid for a meal for an entire family, which included family-style ravioli, back in January,” Daniela said. “Someone came in and picked it up for a neighbor who had lost his job. She thought this would really help this whole family.”

The restaurant has also seen people use the program during temporary hardships. “We had someone come in who is a familiar face to us, who came in with their child and picked up a sticky note, got a meal, and sat down and ate,” Daniela said. “Everybody can have a rough day. It doesn’t mean they need it all the time, but they could be having an especially hard time.”

For the Cottone family, the program is about more than providing meals; it’s about strengthening relationships across Feasterville and surrounding townships.

“This Pay it Forward initiative reflects our values as business owners,” Jelsia said. “We believe that supporting community members during difficult times really strengthens our bond with the community. It reminds us that we are in this together.”

The initiative also gives the family a way to serve beyond the restaurant. “My parents are always very busy working here, so they don’t have the time they would like to be out in the community helping,” Jelsia said. “This is a way of being involved with the community while still working here.”

The program has grown through social media, word of mouth and in-store promotion. “We’ve been promoting it on Facebook and Instagram, and also just by telling customers when they come in,” Jelsia said. “There’s also a giant neon green sign when you walk in; you really can’t miss it.”

Community members have responded with generosity. Some add donations to their orders, while others stop in specifically to contribute. “A customer recently came in for a slice and a cheesesteak and then added a donation for the Pay it Forward program,” Jelsia said.

Daniela noted that even people who cannot visit in person have found ways to help. “Someone right before the holidays called and asked if we could add an extra amount on their credit card for the Pay it Forward program,” she said. “So you can pay it forward in person or just by picking up your phone.”

Looking ahead, the family hopes to expand the program’s reach throughout Feasterville and neighboring communities. “Feasterville is on the borderline of lots of different townships, so we’d like to expand it to as many people as possible who need help within that area,” Daniela said.

Jelsia said the long-term goal is simple. “Right now it’s still a slow-growing small program,” she said. “But eventually in the future it would be great to help even more people and get the word out.”

For Daniela, the initiative ultimately belongs to the community itself. “It’s all about the community members who are trying to pay it forward,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if we are helping familiar faces or unfamiliar faces; it’s a matter of helping who needs help.”

You too can pay if forward by stopping by Nina’s II Pizza, located at 1748 Bridgetown Pike in Feasterville or by calling 215-357-2701. Also visit them on Facebook @Nina's II Pizza and on Instagram @ninasiipizza.