World Pizza Council Revokes Pizza Company’s Use Of Word ‘Pizza’

[Boater]

SATIRE:

World Pizza Council Revokes Pizza Company’S Use Of Word ‘Pizza'

NAPLES, ITALY –- The Pizza Company, Thailand’s largest pizza chain, may soon lose its right to use the word “pizza” if the World Pizza Council has its way.

The Naples-based Council, whose charter is to “protect the traditions and purity of Italy’s most famous and beloved culinary export”, filed suit in European Union court this week to demand that The Pizza Company “cease and desist using the word ‘pizza’ to describe its products.”

The Council also issued a press release outlining its position in detail, expressing regret that legal action was necessary, but defending the suit as a “crucial defense of the integrity of pizza,” citing numerous violations of pizza tradition that had been committed by The Pizza Company.

“We cannot stand idly by while the so-called Pizza Company continues to create these deformed culinary abuses and call them pizza,” said Mario Lugano, a spokesperson for the Council. “We have been patient with the Company for over a decade, politely asking them to use another word as early as 1997, when they were Pizza Hut Thailand, and they introduced the seafood pizza with imitation crab stick and Thousand Island dipping sauce.”

According to Lugano, the Pizza Company’s violations against pizza integrity grew more and more unbearable during the 2000s, with the creation of a cheese-filled crust, a hot-dog-ring crust, the sausage-cheese-bacon crust, and the gouda-glazed sausage-bite crust. The final straw was the introduction of the prawn-topped cheese-pool crust.

“You cannot look upon such a monstrosity and even think it resembles pizza,” Lugano said. “To do so is to spit in the faces of my Neapolitan ancestors.”

Under the terms of the suit, the Pizza Company must stop using the word “pizza” in its name, on its products, in its marketing materials, and as a keyword in its web pages.

The suit has also suggested alternative names the Company might use, including “Thai Pie,” “Tropical Wedges,” and “Circle Of Krup.”

The company has 60 days to respond before an injunction will be filed.

The Pizza Company, a subsidiary of Yum Brands, did not respond to requests for comment. However, one of its managers at the Silom branch of the restaurant said that the suit was unfairly targeting Thais.

“Why haven’t they sued the California Pizza Kitchen for its hoisin-sauce Chinese duck pizza?” asked Thongpat Chirachai. “I don’t think Chinese duck is very Italian. But they are afraid to offend the Americans so they come after us. It isn’t fair.”

Responding to Thongpat’s comments, Lugano was unequivocal: “The Council encourages experimentation with pizza and has taken a pro-fusion stance.”

“But this,” he said, indicating a Pizza Company flyer advertising the new X-Pan Pizza topped with squid, prawns, mussels, crab stick and no apparent cheese or tomato sauce, “this is a crime against humanity.”

Full story: http://notthenation.com/2011/01/world-pizza-council-revokes-pizza-company%E2%80%99s-use-of-word-pizza/

[bkkjames]

Guess they will have to rename it "Not the Pizza Company"

[Boater]

Guess they will have to rename it "Not the Pizza Company"

haha..

but there pizza'a are a disgrace, taste horrible !! and for the price they charge you can go to an Italian restaurant and get a ' real ' pizza .............

[smokie36]

Toi all the other pizza threads.....I told ya so!!

[garyh]

Is it April already?

[Who, me ?]

Guess they will have to rename it "Not the Pizza Company"

haha..

but there pizza'a are a disgrace, taste horrible !! and for the price they charge you can go to an Italian restaurant and get a ' real ' pizza .............

It is a question of taste. Some like, some don't.....

[MaiDong]

You've got to love the italians.

“Circle Of Krup.”

“But this,” he said, indicating a Pizza Company flyer advertising the new X-Pan Pizza topped with squid, prawns, mussels, crab stick and no apparent cheese or tomato sauce, “this is a crime against humanity.”

Mario has got it spot-on, they are circles of "Krup" and they are crimes against pizza humanity. However, the Thai's love them, I'm sure there's some porky foreigners who love them too, personally I think they taste like wet hand towels.

[geriatrickid]

Guess they will have to rename it "Not the Pizza Company"

haha..

but there pizza'a are a disgrace, taste horrible !! and for the price they charge you can go to an Italian restaurant and get a ' real ' pizza .............

It is a question of taste. Some like, some don't.....

NO. The glop they call pizza i anything but pizza. That's the issue. One of my friends actually thought he was being kind when he bought one of their vomit inducing creations for me. He likes it indeed with crab bits and pseudo meat sausages. I was apoplectic. After assuring him I would eat the leftovers, as soon as he left, it was in the trash.

[laurentbkk]

What about PIZZA HUT ? they offer the same kind of so called pizza as the pizza company , same unflavored fatty industrial products ..

[richabb1]

is the pizza company really a subsidiary of Yum brands?

[spidermike007]

Fascinating stuff. Not sure what is worse, the arrogance of the Italians, or the Pizza Company creations. Yes, the cheese filled crust, and the crab

stick additions are pretty tacky, and surprising for a country that adores their food so much. But, for the "Pizza council" to take such offense? Have

they got no lives? Why such thin skin. Who cares? There is enough good pizza in the world. So what if someone is creating bad pizza. Get a

freaking life, for God's sake. is it not up to the individual to make a choice about whether eating gourmet or not is a priority for them? It is just

another pompous Italian making a declaration. The world needs to learn to start ignoring these fools, and their silly pronouncements. Who cares?

[carmine]

Guess they will have to rename it "Not the Pizza Company"

haha..

but there pizza'a are a disgrace, taste horrible !! and for the price they charge you can go to an Italian restaurant and get a ' real ' pizza .............

It is a question of taste. Some like, some don't.....

Not really mate. Their pizzas are absolute garbage.

[commonparlance]

First of all, this article is a joke, right?

Also, what makes Pizza Co any different from any other fast food pizza? Seems about the same to me, no worse (although admittedly, no better either).

[supaprik]

most "pizza" in Thailand in very average for sure but the italians sueing for a name change? I thought the Thai had stupid ideas/thoughts until I read this....Moron on the month ITALY

[olivier2553]

Does Pizza Company sale outside of Thailand?

Does World Pizza Council has any ruling in what Thai companies call their products?

As for the taste, I find it better than Pizza Hut.

[XXpate48USA]

Guess they will have to rename it "Not the Pizza Company"

haha..

but there pizza'a are a disgrace, taste horrible !! and for the price they charge you can go to an Italian restaurant and get a ' real ' pizza .............

Now, everyones got to try that yummy one you can get at the Chiangmai zoo. It has weiners and manayonaise..mmmm mm..

what a treat that one was. I never ever found a decent REAL pizza even in the pizza huts around Thailand. It is a disgrace of a pizza for sure.....nothing what it should be or taste like................it's round is about it!!...

[penguinchris]

I too thought this must be a joke at first. It's pretty funny, and so true. I normally feel little reason to go to mall-type restaurants in Thailand, but have been to both PIzza Company and Pizza Hut on one occasion each. Pizza Hut was ok - not wildly different from the US version if you don't get anything crazy (though I don't go to Pizza Hut in the US either, I have been in the past). Pizza Company really was horrible, though, and well worth making an example of I think

I suppose some people must like it, but none of the Thais I know do, and certainly no foreigners do. I've seen much, much worse Thai pizza, of course - buffet places sometimes have it, and it's atrocious.

My ultimate point is this - I know why my girlfriend (Thai) has an aversion to all things pizza, and it's not because she doesn't like pizza - at least, I'm pretty sure she would like it, based on the other things that she does like. She actually just doesn't like the abomination that is Thai-style pizza, and refuses to give the real thing a try because of her experience with Thai pizza

Edited January 7, 2011 by penguinchris

[MaiDong]

Does Pizza Company sale outside of Thailand?

Does World Pizza Council has any ruling in what Thai companies call their products?

As for the taste, I find it better than Pizza Hut.

Now this article was titled 'SATIRE' but surely your comment is too? 'The Pizza Company' was formerly known as 'The Pizza Hut' in Thailand...

[007]

is the pizza company really a subsidiary of Yum brands?

No, but Pizza Hut is. As for Pizza Company (according to Google): The Pizza Company (Thai: เดอะ พิซซ่า คอมปะนี) is a restaurant chain and international franchise based in Bangkok, Thailand. With focus on pizza and Italian-American cuisine, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Minor International (previously known as The Minor Food Group).

Countries currently with The Pizza Company locations:

• Thailand
• People's Republic of China
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates
• Bahrain
• Jordan
• Poland
• Laos
• Vietnam
• Cambodia

[asiawatcher]

Is anyone really going to take notice of this 'world council'??? What a lot of todo about nothing. They are all dough-boys anyway no matter what they put on or in.

[mezcal]

I'm from Italy and I like my pizza the traditional way. If it were up to me I would even ban pineapples as a topping.

That said, I think the pizza counsel is going a bit too far. If they have their way with the pizza company they should also do a crackdown to the pizza-aberrations in the US to be fair.

[GarryP]

I can't believe how people are actually being taken in by this. It is satire. But really funny all the same.

FYI The Pizza Company is not part of Yum brands. That would be Pizza Hut.

[drthom10]

Guess they will have to rename it "Not the Pizza Company"

haha..

but there pizza'a are a disgrace, taste horrible !! and for the price they charge you can go to an Italian restaurant and get a ' real ' pizza .............

Now, everyones got to try that yummy one you can get at the Chiangmai zoo. It has weiners and manayonaise..mmmm mm..

what a treat that one was. I never ever found a decent REAL pizza even in the pizza huts around Thailand. It is a disgrace of a pizza for sure.....nothing what it should be or taste like................it's round is about it!!...

[fvw53]

...and we the Belgians, owners of the largest beer brewing company in the world and brewers since the days of Julius Cesar will sue the Singha Brewery if they still continue to call the stuff they brew "beer"

[smokie36]

Fascinating stuff. Not sure what is worse, the arrogance of the Italians, or the Pizza Company creations. Yes, the cheese filled crust, and the crab

stick additions are pretty tacky, and surprising for a country that adores their food so much. But, for the "Pizza council" to take such offense? Have

they got no lives? Why such thin skin. Who cares? There is enough good pizza in the world. So what if someone is creating bad pizza. Get a

freaking life, for God's sake. is it not up to the individual to make a choice about whether eating gourmet or not is a priority for them? It is just

another pompous Italian making a declaration. The world needs to learn to start ignoring these fools, and their silly pronouncements. Who cares?

I had no idea the pizza delivery guys could read and write.....

[IanBungy]

What about PIZZA HUT ? they offer the same kind of so called pizza as the pizza company , same unflavored fatty industrial products ..

The Pizza Company started out Life as a Franchise Holder of Pizza Hut! But as soon as they started becoming Successful they Objected to Actually Paying the Fee they had Agreed to so waved their Centre Finger to Pizza Hut and renamed themselves Pizza Company!!! This is Probably the Main Reason for the Action being Taken!!!

This is quite Common Practice with Big Rich Thai Companies, take out a Franchise, Get all the Factories and Organizational setup done and once everything is Going well Dump the Original Foreign Company and do it themselves. Same as "Burger King"! Remember "King Burger" And Who can Forget the Carlesberg / Chang episode!!! Amazing but T.I.T

[Digitalbanana]

Virtually every other piece of crp masquerading as pizza in Thailand would have to go the same way then?!

[Eff1n2ret]

What a hoot. Anyone inclined to take this seriously should take a look at this site:-

http://notthenation.com/category/top-stories/

I particularly liked the headline "Health Ministry warns of Mormon outbreak."

[KamnanT]

is the pizza company really a subsidiary of Yum brands?

No, the NTN guys got that part wrong. The Pizza Company is part of the Minor Food Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Minor International, a SET-listed company. Other Minor Food Group brands in Thailand include Swensen's, Dairy Queen, Sizzler and Burger King. Pizza Hut is a subsidiary of Yum Brands, which also owns KFC, Taco Bell and Long John Silver's.

But still, their satire always cracks me up.

[drthom10]

Best pizza I had in Bangkok was from Limoncello restaurant on Sukhumvit soi 11. The "Delizia " was my favorite. If only they made the crust a little thicker it would be perfect.

I'm in phuket now , any suggestions for a top quality pizza down here?