'An insult to his culture': Italian chef reportedly fired after refusing to put pineapple on pizza

'An insult to his culture': Italian chef reportedly fired after refusing to put pineapple on pizza Advertisement Updated: 8:57 AM CST Nov 6, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Douglas McGlynn Senior Copy Editor 'An insult to his culture': Italian chef reportedly fired after refusing to put pineapple on pizza Updated: 8:57 AM CST Nov 6, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Douglas McGlynn Senior Copy Editor Friendships have ended over the age-old discussion: Does pineapple belong on pizza? And now, one Italian chef is alleging he lost his job for emphatically saying "no." Related video above: New York may ban flour used in thousands of pizzerias and bagel shops Advertisement According to a complaint filed on Nov. 3 with Australia's Fair Work Commission, Italian Chef Davide Tamburella was allegedly fired from the La Costa restaurant in Queensland, Australia, on May 20, two weeks after being disciplined by his boss "to address performance concerns." One of those concerns: refusing to put pineapple on pizza because it was "an insult to his culture." Beloved pizza brand discontinued after 89-year run Putting pineapple on pizza has become increasingly popular in recent years. In a 2017 poll published by pizza delivery app Slice, 46% of the 34,000 people polled said pineapple belongs on pizza — a narrow margin compared to other prompts in the poll, including Chicago-style vs. New York-style and whether anchovies are an acceptable topping. Pineapple is fairly popular in Queensland, so much so that a large statue of the fruit recently reopened in Sunshine Plantation — a pineapple farm — after being abandoned in 2010. The "Big Pineapple" hosted more than a million visitors per year in the 1970s and '80s, making it Australia's No. 1 tourist attraction. Cameron Spencer For Tamburella's boss, Elliot Ingram, the chef's refusal was particularly costly. "We had a large function come in, and they were spending in excess of $15,000, and the guy paying for the whole thing says: 'Look, I need to get some ham and pineapple pizza,'" Ingram said. Tamburella acknowledged that this was the third time he had refused this direction, instead requesting Ingram "check how important it is for Italians not to put pineapple on a pizza." "Do I go and buy a ham and pineapple pizza? It's probably not my absolute favorite," Ingram said. "But I'm not going to turn my nose up at it, that's for sure. And, look, we have had ham and pineapple pizza on the kids' menu previously." La Costa described itself as an elegant slice of Italy serving "classic Italian dishes." The restaurant closed in July after its lease expired, with Ingram attributing the closure to high operating costs. Popular children’s snack recalled nationwide over choking risk, FDA warns According to The Guardian , Tamburella was more than three years into an 186 visa process — an employer-sponsored pathway to permanent residency. Ingram said he waited as long as he legally could to notify authorities that he was no longer hiring Tamburella in the hope that the Italian's visa application would be approved before the restaurateur was legally obliged to withdraw his sponsorship. It did not, meaning he would have to start the process again. Tamburella is now employed at another Italian restaurant that does not feature pineapple anywhere on its menu. Make WISN a preferred source on Google Add Preferred Source Share Infinite Scroll Enabled Top Picks 19-year-old to become of Massachusetts' youngest representatives in state history Dramatic video: Mother rescues man drowning 'We brought him home': A WWII soldier killed 82 years ago has finally been laid to rest New video shows NTSB investigators recovering Learjet wreckage pieces from Florida crash crater