A Brisbane restaurant owner has defended the sacking of an Italian chef who refused to put pineapple on a pizza.
Davide Tamburella was fired from La Costa Restaurant and Bar on May 20 after refusing for the third time to add pineapple to a pizza.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Italian chef fired over pineapple pizza refusal
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He subsequently lodged an unfair dismissal claim with Australia’s Fair Work Commission.
The restaurant’s general manager, Elliot Ingram, said the latest dispute arose when a customer celebrating their birthday requested pineapple on a pizza, but Tamburella refused.
Tamburella acknowledged he had been directed to add the topping but argued that, as an Italian, he considered putting pineapple on pizza an insult to his culture.
He said that he should not have to follow a direction when it is offensive to his culture.
Tamburella, who had worked at the restaurant since January 2023, said it was the third time he had refused such a request and urged his manager to understand how strongly Italians felt about pineapple on pizza.
But Ingram told 7NEWS he considered it a reasonable customer request.
“Look, I’m more of a pepperoni guy myself, to be honest,” he said.
“At the end of the day, we’re not in Italy, we’re in Australia, and we have to go with what the customer’s reasonable requests are.
“Being in Australia having pineapple on pizza is very common especially in Australian Italian restaurants.”
Ingram said he had not expected the dispute over pizza toppings to attract worldwide attention.
“There’s more to this story than just pizza toppings,” he said.
He also raised concerns about Tamburella’s foul language, his communication style and “escalation of frustration in the workplace”.
It included an incident where he fractured his hand, striking a metal rail.
The Fair Work Commission ultimately dismissed Tamburella’s unfair dismissal application because it had been lodged outside the required time limit.
