300 Pizza Huts, mostly dine-in locations, to close

Up to 300 Pizza Hut restaurants will be closed, most of them dine-in locations not well suited for carryout and delivery at a time when millions of people are sheltering and eating at home.

Pizza sales have exploded during the pandemic. Domino’s last month reported a 30% spike in quarterly profits. On Monday it said that it was hiring more than 20,000 people to handle surging orders.

Franchisee NPC International said Monday in documents filed in bankruptcy court that it had come to an agreement with Pizza Hut to close hundreds of locations. The Leawood, Kansas, company filed for bankruptcy protection last month.

NPC owns 1,225 Pizza Huts and 385 Wendy’s restaurants in 27 states. There are 6,700 Pizza Hut restaurants in the U.S.

In its filing, NPC said that closing stores not designed for pick-up or delivery will allow it to invest in smaller stores that can better handle online orders.

In May, Pizza Hut’s U.S. carryout and delivery sales reached an eight-year high, according to Yum Brands Inc., the Louisville, Kentucky, company that also owns KFC and Taco Bell.

But Pizza Hut’s U.S. sales grew just 1% in the April-June period; rival Domino’s Pizza, which has smaller, carryout-focused stores, posted a 20% jump in U.S. sales.

Yum Brands in a prepared statement said the stores being closed had underperformed others owned by NPC, and that shedding them would strengthen NPC’s remaining portfolio.

Associated Press

Palawan eats: Italian food meets beach culture at this Coron pizzeria

CORON, Palawan – If you’re in Coron town, Palawan looking for a fancy dinner but wish to keep the beach vibe alive, here is a food destination to consider. 

At Al Trove Trattoria, you get to have fresh Italian food complete with wine and dim lights. But you are more than welcome to dine in super casual attire, even in your bikini. In fact, shoes are strictly not allowed.

And while chairs and tables are available, you can also opt to use the low tables and sit on the floor for extra comfort. 

Al Trove is situated along a small street beside a sari-sari store and across a barbecue stand. For newcomers, the first thing you’ll notice is the pizzeria theater on the ground floor. 

There, crowds who are waiting to be called to their table, get to have an intimate look at how food is being prepared. Pizza dough are rolled and tossed in the air, and then set with toppings before they are baked in a brick oven. 

Upstairs, where the restaurant is, you are to leave your footwear by the lockers. 

The barefoot only dress code, I find, is a relaxing feature that blends well with the chill ocean vibe -- a great complement to the beautiful wooden floors and airy high ceiling interiors. I can imagine foreigners who are not used to this idea very much enjoying this as part of the dining experience. 

But it’s not an empty novelty. Al Trove is a proper Italian Trattoria with impressively memorable food. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

US pizza firm hopes to score with NBA star Shaquille O'Neal

NEW YORK - American pizza chain Papa John's, struggling since its chairman resigned over a comment maligning black people, on Friday named former basketball star Shaquille O'Neal to its board in hopes of boosting the firm's fortunes.

"Shaq" will be an ambassador for the brand, Papa John's CEO Steve Ritchie said on the CNBC business channel. 

The NBA Hall of Famer will also take a stake of about 30 percent in 9 Atlanta outlets of the company, which says it is the world's third-largest pizza deliverer.

Ritchie expressed hope that the arrival of Shaq -- who won 3 NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and 1 with the Miami Heat -- would help revitalize the chain whose sales have fallen since last summer.

In July, Papa John's founder John Schnatter resigned as chairman after a Forbes report that he used the N-word during a conference call. The word is a highly offensive slur referring to blacks.

"They want me to become the first African American on the board and I thought it was great," O'Neal confirmed on CNBC.

"We want to create a culture there now where people are loved, welcome and accepted."

Schnatter's resignation came months after an earlier controversy led him to step down as chief executive.

Echoing a stance of US President Donald Trump, he had criticized National Football League players for national anthem protests over racial injustice by police.

Schnatter blamed the NFL protests for declining viewership, which he said hurt pizza sales.

He remains the biggest shareholder of the pizza company, which has about 5,000 restaurants in 45 countries.

The investment fund Starboard Value took control of Papa John's in early February. Starboard's chairman Jeffrey Smith took on the same position at the pizza company, and several new people joined the board of directors.

Since retiring from professional basketball in 2011, Shaq has made a name as a TV commentator and businessman who has invested in other restaurants, including burger and hot dog chain Five Guys, as well as "Shaquille's," which opened this year in Los Angeles.

Asked if the pizza firm could be renamed "Papa Shaq" in his name, he laughed and said there would be a new item on the menu: "Shaqaroni."

Papa John's gained 4 percent to $48.85 on the New York Stock Exchange following the news.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Here's one way of celebrating National Pizza Day

MANILA -- California Pizza Kitchen is celebrating National Pizza Day this year by offering a unique buy one-take one promo.

For every pizza bought on August 15 or 16, customers get a limited edition pizza for free. The free pizzas are all-new creations and are not on the regular menu.

One of CPK’s most popular appetizers, Nachos with Spinach and Artichoke Dip, was the inspiration behind the Grilled Chicken and Asparagus on Spinach and Artichoke Sauce Pizza.

Continuing CPK’s fondness for wholesome pizza variants are the duo of the Ham, Mango and Cucumber Pizza, and the vegetarian-friendly Primavera Delight with healthy toppings such as zucchini, broccoli, button mushrooms, carrots and roasted squash puree.

The Pizza Italian, meanwhile, is topped with ham, rustic pepperoni and CPK's flavorful pomodoro sauce.

The last offering, the Cheese Triplets Pizza, is a delight for cheese lovers as it is generously topped with Mozzarella, Queso Quesadilla, and Velveeta.

The winner of the 2017 CPK Pizza Wars, the Garlic Cream Cheese, and Sausage Pizza, will also make its debut appearance in the CPK menu during National Pizza Day. When guests order this pizza, they will also be eligible to receive one of the pizzas listed above.

This year’s National Pizza Day also marks the beginning of the year-round celebrations of CPK’s 20th anniversary in the Philippines, which will be marked with more surprises, and promos from the pizza chain.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

East meets West in baozza, China's latest food fad

BEIJING -- What do you get when you combine two popular foods from China and Italy? The answer is a "baozza".

The idea to take a Chinese steamed bun -- known as a baozi -- and stuff it with cheese, tomato and other pizza toppings, came to American consultant Alex Cree during a trip with clients in southern China.

"We were talking about the idea of maybe combining bao with more traditional American flavors like burger and different things and somebody said 'pizza baozi,'" Cree said.

"I said 'bao-zza!' and the more I thought about it, the more I thought there might be something to this," he told Reuters Television.

Cree experimented with recipes when he returned to the United States. He later quit his job and moved to China in 2016 to set up shop in the basement of a Beijing shopping mall.

Baozza come in four flavors -- Margherita, Meat Lover, BBQ Chicken, and Hawaiian Jalapeno. The price for two buns is 20 yuan ($2.90).

Owen Zheng, who sampled a baozza during a recent publicity event in the Chinese capital, said he liked the combination of spices and chewy cheese.

"It's the first time I've ever had a baozi like this and I think it's not bad," he said.

Vendors of traditional steamed buns -- filled with pork and onions, fried liver or vegetables -- were not convinced.

"I don't think it's going to become very popular in China," said baozi shop owner Zhan Mimi.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

It's World Pizza Day! Check out these promos

MANILA – Pizza chains in the country are joining in the celebration of World Pizza Day on Thursday, February 9.

Take a pick from these offerings. These are not endorsed by ABS-CBN News.

1. Yellow Cab Pizza

This homegrown pizza chain is letting customers enjoy unlimited pizza and soda at P299 per person on February 9. The promo is available on selected branches and covers two pizza variants: Smoked Bacon and Apples and New York’s Finest.

Customers can stay for a maximum of two hours upon receipt of payment.

On top of this, Yellow Cab is also offering two pizzas for P999.


2. Domino’s Pizza

Aside from World Pizza Day, Domino’s Pizza is also marking Throwback Thursday with a discounted deal.

For P199, customers can order a 10-inch Classic pizza with cinnamon sticks.


3. Pizza Hut

This well-known pizza chain wants customers to have a triple celebration on World Pizza Day with its Triple Treat Box for P499.


4. Papa John’s Pizza

This World Pizza Day, Papa John’s Pizza is offering two 12-inch family pizzas for only P495.

The restaurant recommends its Tuna Pesto and Cheesy Chicken Spinach variants.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Pizza chain Shakey's files for IPO

MANILA - Restaurant chain Shakey's Pizza Ventures Incorporated (SPAVI) hopes to raise P5.5 billion via an initial public offering (IPO) this year.

SPAVI has filed a prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to sell around 352 million primary and secondary shares, including 46 million shares to cater for extra demand, at a maximum price of P15.58 each.

The offer price is expected to be finalized in November before its projected listing in December 2016.

“We intend to use the offer proceeds for the expansion of our in-house commissary, working capital requirements, potential acquisitions, and repayment of debt,” the company said Monday.

SPAVI's in-house commissary supplies the bulk of its pizza dough and crust, which is used to create its trademark Thin Crust pizza.

Shakey's was first established in the United States in 1954. It then opened its first restaurant in 1975. Since then, it has been famous for its Thin Crust pizzas, its chicken and mojos.

SPAVI owns the rights to the Shakey's trademark in the Philippines, where it has 177 stores all over the country. Seven more stores are expected to open before the end of the year, with 20 more stores in the works for 2017.

The company also owns the rights to the Shakey's brand for the Middle East, Asia, China, Australia and Oceania markets.

Majority of SPAVI is owned by Century Pacific Group Incorporated (CPGI), parent company of Century Pacific Food Incorporated (CNPF).

Earlier this year, CPGI and GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, partnered to acquire majority of the pizza business from the Prieto family, which still holds a minority stake in SPAVI.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Anchovies and goat cheese pizza tops 2016 Pizza Wars

MANILA -- An anchovies and goat cheese pizza created by Rodel Pico from California Pizza Kitchen's Bonifacio Global City branch won this year's Pizza Wars, an annual competition of the pizza chain to showcase new recipes from its in-house chefs.

The competition, which had several stages, beginning with in-store elimination rounds, held its finals last June 14 at the Shangri-La Plaza branch of California Pizza Kitchen.

On hand to judge the finalists were Global Restaurant Concepts, Inc. president and CEO Archie Rodriguez and CFO Griffith Go, who were joined by celebrity chefs Sau del Rosario and Sandy Daza.

Pico's winning creation surprised the judges and the audience with its unusual combination. Using the sweetness of golden apples and caramelized onions to temper the salty and savory combination of the anchovies and goat cheese was truly inspired.

Asked how he came up with the recipe, Pico said that CPK used to have an anchovy pizza in the menu. Since many customers were asking for it, he came up with "something better."

CPK Alabang’s Jeeric Venezuela took second place with his Dynamite Shrimp Pizza, which features chili popcorn shrimp and fresh cabbage, while the dressing for the shrimp was used for the sauce base of the pizza. This is for pizza lovers who love spice and Asian heat.

Third place went to CPK veteran Noel Araneta from the Greenbelt 5 branch with his Cod with Mango Cucumber Salsa Pizza.

A bit on the heavy side, a slice of this pizza is meal in itself, leveraging on familiar flavors of dried fish and mango ensalada. The cod was breaded, reminding one of the crispiness of sweet and sour pork on a base of mayo sweet chili sauce.

Aside from receiving a cash prize, this winning pizza will be featured as one of the free pizzas during the fifth anniversary of National Pizza Day on August 15-16. By simply ordering a regular or thin crust pizza, guests will get to have another pizza for free from the special pizza menu.

All of the pizzas will be considered for inclusion in CPK’s new menu, which will debut during the latter part of the year.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Yellow Cab to open 5 stores in Singapore

Max's Group Inc. said Wednesday it would open at least five stores of its Yellow Cab pizza chain in Singapore, as it pursues an aggressive overseas expansion.

Max's told the stock exchange that it signed a development agreement with Singapore's Pagh Pte. Ltd. for the venture. It did not say when the Yellow Cab restaurants would open.

"Max's is very confident that their brand is strong enough to be exported outside the Philippines," BPI Trade analyst Richie Lim told ANC's Market Edge with Cathy Yang.

Unlike rival Jollibee, which targets Filipino communities abroad, Max's is aiming for the mainstream market with its Yellow Cab brand, Lim said.

Yellow Cab serves huge slices of New York-style pizzas in its American diner-style restaurants with black and white tiles and metal furnishings.

Last week, Max's announced that Yellow Cab would open at least 10 stores in China's Hunan province in the next five years.

Max's said it has signed four overseas expansion deals this year, which would translate to 116 international stores "over the next few years." The group targets 200 overseas outlets by 2020.

Aside from Max's fried chicken restaurant, the group also operates casual dining chains Dencio's and Pancake House. It also holds the local franchise for Krispy Kreme donuts.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

New restaurant alert: Pizza place overloads on cheese

MANILA -- A new pizza restaurant in Quezon City’s Banawe area had just raised the bar as far as cheese pizzas are concerned.

While the “quattro formaggi” or four-cheese pizza has become a menu staple in pizza parlors here, The Big Cheese Pizza on D. Tuazon St. upped the ante with its 10-Cheese Overload, which features – count ‘em -- mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan, Monterey Jack, provolone, blue cheese, gruyere, ricotta, feta and cream cheese.

Surprisingly, the pizza isn’t overwhelmingly rich – no “umay” factor with this one – although it tastes better when still fresh-from-the-oven hot. (There is also a simpler cheese pizza using only mozzarella and cheddar.) The pizzas here come in two sizes – 12-inch and 16-inch – so order the right size to best enjoy the subtle nuances of the various cheeses. The pizza dough is thin and crispy in the edges but with a chewy base.

If you’re not a cheese guy, then go for the no-fail All-In Supreme topped with practically everything you want in a pizza – from meats like pepperoni, bacon, Italian sausage, ham and beef to onions, bell peppers, olives and mushrooms -- perfect from group or family dining.

Other flavors include classics like Margherita, Pepperoni, Meatball and Hawaiian, as well as a vegetarian option.

Although The Big Cheese Pizza offers delivery within the area, dine-in customers still make up the bulk of its business. The restaurant itself is small and simply decorated, with the open pizza kitchen dominating the space.

Apart from the pizzas, the restaurant also serves other dishes like the Garlic Parmesan Fries, which you can munch on while waiting for the pizzas. This can be addicting – and ultimately filling – so try to control yourself. (Think of mojos but with just the right level of salt.)

There are also three pasta dishes, which are quite standard in terms of choices (carbonara, meatball and puttanesca), portion size and well-priced at less than P200.

The owners, however, have obviously gained confidence, judging from the two new dishes that were introduced just recently. They went beyond the tried and tested pasta-and-pizza combo with the Herbed Chicken Tenders, which actually go very well with the other offerings. The moist boneless chicken filet comes with crispy breading using various herbs and spices, which explains the dark color and flavor. This is best enjoyed with the barbecue sauce, which is a real winner.

The barbecue sauce also gave the big flavor boost to the new Barbecue Chicken Bacon Pizza. It’s on the sweet side but the overall smoky flavor of the meats plus the red onions put this pizza on an entirely new playful level that stands out among the more classic toppings.

The Big Cheese Pizza is a nice surprise in this neighborhood known more for its Chinese food.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

It's National Pizza Day! 7 ways to enjoy this Italian favorite

MANILA – August 14 is National Pizza Day, at least according to an American pizza chain.

Now on its fourth year, the National Pizza Day of California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) coincides with the anniversary of the restaurant chain here in the Philippines.

From August 14 to 15, guests at CPK get to enjoy a free pizza with every order of regular or thin-crust pizza.

Craving for pizza already? Here are seven ways that you could enjoy this Italian favorite here in the Philippines.

Mobile users can view the desktop version of the slideshow here.

1. California-style

Let’s thank CPK for giving Filipinos a reason to show their love for pizza. This restaurant specializes in single-serve pizzas with thin crusts. Toppings tend to lean toward comfort food favorites such as barbecue chicken.

CPK has branches in different parts of the country.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Italy offers Neapolitan pizza for UNESCO heritage menu

ROME - Italy has chosen Neapolitan pizza as its candidate for protection under UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, Italian media reported late Thursday.

The Italian National Commission for UNESCO decided to recognise "the art of Neapolitan pizza makers" in tribute to their culinary skills.

The list "is composed of intangible heritage elements that concerned communities and states parties consider require urgent measures to keep them alive", according to the UNESCO website.

Naples has long been determined to maintain its reputation as the spiritual home of one of the world's favourite foods.

Neapolitan pizza is characterised by its raised crust rendered golden by oven cooking, by the crispy yet tender consistency of its pastry, and by its acid tomato taste, along with aromas of oregano, garlic, basil and mozzarella.

http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons">

The role of the pizza maker, or pizzaiolo, and the wood-fire oven are also determining characteristics of the Neapolitan pizza.

The base should be no more than 3 millimetres (about an eighth of an inch) thick and cooked for between 60 and 90 seconds in a stone oven with an oak-wood fire.

The Neapolitan pizza was invented in the southern Italian city between 1715 and 1725, with the world-famous Margherita variant first cooked up in 1889.

Tradition has it that Queen Margherita of Savoy asked one of Naples' famed pizzaiole to come up with a dish for the people.

The result, which provides the basis for most pizzas enjoyed around the world, represented the colours of recently unified Italy: green basil, white mozzarella and red tomatoes.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bitter? Try this ampalaya pizza for Valentine's Day

MANILA – Feeling bitter and loveless this February 14? A restaurant here has just the thing for you – an ampalaya pizza.

Project Pie, known for its do-it-yourself pizza creations, has created the Ampalaya Supreme Pizza as part of its Valentine offerings.

Designed by “Tales from the Friend Zone” director RA Rivera, the pizza contains bitter gourd, mozzarella, ricotta, gorgonzola, bacon, butter-roasted corn kernels, caramelized onions and rosemary.

“Matamis sa simula at super cheesy, pero mapait sa huli. Just like love,” Rivera said of his creation.

“The cheesier, the better,” he added. “Yung pagkagat mo and you can see all the mozzarella strings attached. Parang love, ang hirap mag-let go.”

The Ampalaya Supreme Pizza is available at Project Pie branches in Eastwood, Fairview Terraces and Valero on February 13 only.

Other Valentine offerings at Project Pie include the Chocolate S’mores Pie with Strawberries Dipped in Hazelnut Fondue, and a “his and hers” two-in-one pizza. The Chocolate S’mores Pie will only be available from February 13 to 15, while the two-in-one pizza will be sold until the end of the month.

Both pizzas will be offered at all of Project Pie’s branches.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

California Pizza Kitchen does a 'throwback'

MANILA – Customers of California Pizza Kitchen in the country can now get a taste of its original menu in the United States 26 years ago.

Taking a cue from the popular “throwback” trend on social media, CPK Philippines recently unveiled five pizza flavors, four of which were served in the country when it opened here 16 years ago.

Called “vintage” pizzas, the items were created with the same ingredients and CPK’s original “hand-stretched” crust, which the restaurant chain scrapped several years back as part of its global expansion.

Of course, some twists were added. The vegetarian choice in the set, Goat Cheese Pizza, for instance, now has grilled eggplant on top of the other ingredients – mozzarella, sautéed onion, red and yellow peppers, tomato sauce and parsley.

The Peking Duck Pizza, on the other hand, offers Chinese flavors with roasted duck, shiitake mushrooms, fried wontons, scallions and a hoisin ginger sauce.

Southwestern influences are very much present in the Tostada Chicken Pizza, which has black beans, Monterey Jack cheese, grilled chicken breast and tortilla strips topped with tomato salsa and ranch dressing.

There is also the Santa Fe Chicken Pizza, a Tex-Mex-inspired creation which has caramelized onions as base instead of tomato sauce. It uses grilled chicken breast just like the Tostada Chicken Pizza, but it is topped not only with salsa, but also with cilantro, sour cream and guacamole.

Only the Teriyaki Chicken Pizza was not launched in CPK Philippines 16 years ago. The pizza, as the name suggests, includes teriyaki chicken strips and a teriyaki-ginger sauce.

Luisa del Rosario Lomotan, senior operations director of CPK in the country, said the vintage pizzas will be available in its nine stores in the Philippines starting July 1.

“We had focus group testing and we also asked CPK International and asked if our choice of vintage pizzas were appropriate. Because they don’t do that, we’re the only ones doing this. It’s only here in the Philippines,” Lomotan told ABS-CBNnews.com. “And we felt that these are the right pizzas to bring back.”

Return to roots
CPK was initially known for breaking out of the mold by offering pizzas in different flavors, the most popular being Barbecue Chicken. Its menu changes every so often, luring customers who are always on the lookout for something new.

This time, however, the company would rather “return to its roots.”

“Why not [bring them back]?” Lomotan said when asked why they decided to introduce the vintage pizzas. “There’s nothing like bringing back our treasured loved ones. Why not bring back some of the pizzas we started with? We want to go back to our roots.”

“When we started CPK many years ago, our dough was hand-stretched. And then we moved from that and started pressing with the machines. And now, we feel like going back to our roots. Let’s bring back what we became famous for,” she added.

'The California pizza'

Although the flavors continue to change – whether by introducing new toppings or bringing back old ones – the small size of CPK’s pizzas will never change, stressed Lomotan, saying that this is one of the defining characteristics of the California pizza.

“There’s the New York style with the thick crust and the huge size. The Chicago pizza is a deep dish pizza. The California pizza, meanwhile, is supposed to be a single-serve pizza. It’s smaller because it’s meant to be eaten by one person,” she said. "But because here in the Philippines, we don’t eat that much compared to the Americans, it’s for sharing.”

Following the launch of their vintage pizzas, Lomotan said they are planning to bring back more items from CPK’s earlier menus to let customers in the Philippines know more about how the restaurant chain started.

“We always want to have something new to share. We want to keep it interesting, so why not time-travel? Because that’s what California is all about – being adventurous, ever-changing and innovative. The experience will always be special,” she said.


California Pizza Kitchen has branches at Greenbelt 5, Power Plant Mall, Alabang Town Center, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, TriNoma, Promenade Mall, Lucky Chinatown, W Global Center and Harbor Point in Subic.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pizza-making machine has chefs in a spin

source: mb.com.ph

ROME (Reuters) - A vending machine that bakes fresh pizza in minutes for a few euros has got Italian chefs in a whirl before it hits the streets in the coming weeks.

The bright-red "Let's Pizza" machine uses infra-red rays and technology developed at the University of Bologna to knead flour and water into dough, spread it with tomato sauce and a choice of topping, and cook it -- all in less than three minutes.

Its developer, Claudio Torghele, says the machine has proved popular in trials in two Italian regions, but gourmets say it is an affront to traditional methods of cooking the classic dish.

"This is not just a vending machine, it's a mini-pizzeria," said Torghele, 56. "It has windows where you can watch the pizza-making process. Kids, including my own, love it: when the machine is working, there's always a crowd."

The device was developed with help from Anglo-Dutch group Unilever, which tested it in Germany, Torghele said. He hopes to launch the machines across Europe and in the United States, with ingredients varying according to local tastes.

At present it offers four toppings -- cheese and tomato, bacon, ham and fresh vegetables -- at an average cost of 4 euros. Torghele thinks "Let's Pizza" will appeal to Europeans looking for cheap options as a recession hits their pockets. "If I want to eat a great pizza, I go to a pizzeria. But our product is satisfactory, low cost and available 24-hours a day," he said. "This is crisis proof ... McDonald's is increasing its sales. Low cost, fast food is in demand."

Italy is famed for its cuisine and has seen a movement develop against fast food, called "Slow Food." But it has more vending machines than any other country in Europe, according to an industry body, mostly doling out hot coffee drinks.

Purists say the Italian pizza -- invented in the 18th century in the southern city of Naples -- cannot be rushed: the dough must be mixed and left for 12 hours, the ingredients kept fresh, and the oven pre-heated to around 300 degrees.

"This machine is a toy," Pino Morelli of the Association of Italian Pizzerias said. "Perhaps it will find a niche overseas, but Italians are born with pizza: their mothers feed it to them as babies. They understand it."

In Pizzeria Brandi, nestling near the center of ramshackle Naples, the reaction to Torghele's invention was cool.

The restaurant invented the pizza Margherita in 1889 in honor of the queen of the newly unified country, its tomato, mozzarella and basil toppings mimicking Italy's flag.

"Unfortunately, today people invent many things, but you can't make any comparison, especially in terms of quality," said chef Marcello, taking a break from sliding pizzas on a wooden pole into the dome-shaped oven. "The only benefit is the price."

"We should scrap this 'pizza machine' and bring back the old jukeboxes: at least they were charming," said Paolo Pagnani, who owns the historic restaurant.

article source: mb.com.ph