Overview
- The chef, Davide Tamburella, was dismissed from La Costa in Brisbane in May after a managerial meeting about repeated performance and conduct concerns.
- Court materials show Tamburella admitted he had on three occasions in four years refused to place pineapple on pizzas and told managers he viewed the topping as an insult to his culture.
- La Costa’s owner told the commission the refusal had business consequences, citing a client who paid more than AUD 15,000 for an event that explicitly ordered ham‑and‑pineapple pizzas.
- The Fair Work Commission dismissed Tamburella’s unfair‑dismissal application because it was filed after the strict time limit, so the case was not considered on its merits.
- The sacking led the employer to withdraw support for his employer‑sponsored subclass 186 permanent‑residence application, La Costa closed when its lease ended in July, and Tamburella has since taken work at another Brisbane Italian restaurant without pineapple on the menu.