By Salma El-Sakka
An Italian chef who was fired from a Brisbane restaurant for refusing to put pineapple on pizza has lost his unfair dismissal case before Australia's Fair Work Commission.
Dismissal and Dispute
Davide Tamburella was sacked from La Costa restaurant in Fortitude Valley on 20 May, two weeks after a meeting with management about performance concerns. One issue was his refusal to prepare ham and pineapple pizzas for a large function worth more than A$15,000. Tamburella argued that adding pineapple to pizza was an insult to Italian culture and that he need not follow instructions offensive to his heritage.
Commission Ruling
Commissioner Jennifer Hunt dismissed Tamburella's application on Tuesday, ruling it was filed outside the prescribed time limit and did not qualify for an exception. The commission heard that this was the third time in four years Tamburella had refused to add pineapple to pizza. Restaurant managing director Elliot Ingram said accommodating customers was part of running a business, even if pineapple was not his preferred topping. The ruling did not determine whether the dismissal itself was justified.
Visa and Residency Impact
The dismissal disrupted Tamburella's employer-sponsored subclass 186 visa process, which provides a pathway to permanent residency. Ingram said he delayed notifying authorities as long as legally possible, but the visa was not approved in time, forcing Tamburella to restart the process.
Restaurant Closure
La Costa closed in July after its lease expired. Ingram attributed the closure to high operating costs in Fortitude Valley. Queensland, where the restaurant was located, is one of Australia's main pineapple-growing regions and home to the heritage-listed Big Pineapple landmark.
