Exploring the Instagram-worthy world of pizza cones.
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Imagine an ice cream cone with pizza dough instead of a wafer shell. And instead of heaps of cold deliciousness, there’s a pool of hot, yummy cheese and marinara sauce. l don’t know about you, but #pizzacone sounds like lnstagram heaven to me.
In 2013 Kono Pizza, one of the official pizza cone franchises, set up shop in South Jersey, led by David Ragosa and Carlo Ruggiero. Their travels to Italy inspired them to bring “pizza da Passeggio” (walk away pizza) to the United States, and business has been steadily increasing ever since.
With its recent notoriety on the news and as an lnstagram hashtag, Kono Pizza opened a new store in the King of Prussia Mall in April.
Sara Williamson, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Erivan K. Haub School of Business (HSB) specializing in food consumption trends, said pizza cones are the “perfect storm.”
“They’re delicious, fun, novel, post-able, easy to walk with, and relatively low cost,” Williamson said.
My first impression of the kiosk was akin to any store getting on its feet – clean and well-meaning, but leaving a lot to be desired. The color scheme and advertisements were attractive, but the cones on display looked stale with the tops sunken in.
Skeptical, I ordered a traditional cone of tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil for $4, and a cannoli dessert cone for $3. My friend, Jamilyn Mooteb ’19, nabbed a meat-lover’s choice, which was also $4.
I feared the employees would grab a greasy cone from the display case, but they took great care in preparing each cone. While two women filled a cannoli shell to the brim, I asked Stefanie Alliha Kenion, one of Kono Pizza’s employees, what made this franchise so special.
“Not many places have pizza in a cone,” said Kenion. “The idea is so simple people don’t think about it. So when you explain it to people they’re like, ‘That’s a great idea! I wish I thought of that!’”
Keno boasts a wide range of options from traditional cheese and pepperoni, to chicken parm. That’s not even mentioning the dessert options, such as tiramisu and white chocolate raspberry cheesecake.
When my cone finally arrived, it was hot and golden in my hands, oozing with cheese and sauce that mingled perfectly. There wasn’t any basil as was advertised, but I spied a small basket brimming with parmesan, red pepper flakes and oregano for customers who wanted an extra kick.
Although these additional toppings looked tempting, Mooteb and I decided the original fillings would be enough. With the first bite we exchanged wide-toothed grins. We laughed as we ate the cones like ice cream, remarking how difficult it was to describe this eating experience.
I also wanted a picture of my cannoli dessert cone for Facebook, but only after a taste test. I’m bit of a cannoli snob. As such, I recognized that Kono’s cannoli filling was a little gritty, but thick and sweet. The other catch was that it had the same pizza dough as the savory options, which was a little odd, but didn’t stop me from gulfing down every bite.
So was the cone worth the trip? If you can spare a ride to the King of Prussia Mall, then this light snack is a real treat. We made plans to go again, but would reserve #pizzacone for a day when we could get another free ride with friends.
