A pizzeria in southern Italy is facing backlash after charging a customer extra for removing an ingredient from her order.
The incident came to light when Italian Olympic swimmer Elena Di Liddo revealed on Instagram that she was billed €14 (about $16) for a “pizza tricolore” in the town of Bisceglie — plus an additional €1.50 for requesting it without tomatoes (“no pomodorini”).
To her surprise, Di Liddo was also charged another €1.50 for choosing a lactose-free version.
“Paying €1.50 for something I didn’t even eat is truly sad and shameful. Is this legal?” the 31-year-old athlete wrote alongside a photo of the receipt.
Her post quickly caught the attention of several Italian newspapers on Monday.
The pizzeria has so far declined to comment on the controversy.
Similar practices have stirred debate in Italy before, with some restaurants adding extra charges for seemingly minor requests — such as halving a toasted sandwich, providing a spoon, adding ice cubes to a drink, or even serving a small glass of tap water alongside coffee.
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