Wichita pizzeria owner backs down on disdain for pineapple once a year. Friday’s the day
Robert McMullin is known around Wichita for a few things, including producing perfect pizza dough and running a successful restaurant, Piatto Neapolitan Pizzeria at 1706 E. Douglas.
He’s also well known for passionately insisting to anyone who will listen that pineapple belongs anywhere but on pizza.
One day a year, though — on National Pizza Day — McMullin backs down. This year, that day is Friday.
From 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday (and into Saturday if his ingredients hold out), McMullin will be offering the same Pineapple Al Pastor pizza the restaurant served last year on National Pizza Day. It’s topped not only with pineapple but also with al pastor meat supplied by popular Mexican restaurant Taqueria La Chona, and McMullin begrudgingly admits that he likes this particular pie.
“I mean, I like pineapple on this pizza, but pineapple is never going to be on our menu,” he said. “It’s not going to happen.”
People can order the special pizza at the restaurant, and if they’re visiting the new Hopping Gnome for its Grand Opening and Anniversary Celebration this weekend, they also can order Piatto pizza by scanning a QR code found in the tap room. When their pizza is ready, they can walk across the ally to Piatto and pick it up.
Every year, people who love pineapple on pizza hope that McMullin is coming around, but that’s just wishful thinking.
“You can literally go to any other pizza place in town and get pineapple on your pizza there,” he said.
.jpg)