Gold coin for completing pizza challenge

İZMİR

A pizzeria in the Çiğli district of the Aegean province of İzmir has been challenging its customers to finish a menu consisting of a 60-centimeter diameter pizza in 30 minutes. The reward for completing the challenge is a quarter of a gold coin.

“The competition has been ongoing for six months, and we have had around 1,000 people try the challenge. However, only six people have been successful so far,” Volkan Kantarcı, owner of the pizzeria and a graduate of the İzmir-based Ege University’s Food Engineering Faculty, was quoted as saying by state-run Anadolu Agency on July 17.

The special menu called “30dk60cm” consists of a 60-centimeter diameter pizza, 350 grams of French fries and a liter of a beverage. Anyone who is able to finish the spread within 30 minutes gets rewarded with a quarter of a gold coin worth 429 Turkish Liras ($75). They also do not pay for the food and drink they consume.

But, if one loses the challenge, they have to pay 100 Turkish Liras ($17).

Indicating that he has been conducting this challenge for the last six months, Kantarcı said: “Not only our pizzas are delicious, but also filling [for the stomach]. So, it is quite a difficult challenge to finish the 60-centimeter diameter pizza [in 30 minutes]. Approximately 1,000 people joined the challenge and so far, six people have been successful.”

“I’ve tried to do the challenge before, but I failed; however, my friends and I had a great time. It’s incredibly entertaining to watch contestants try the challenge,” one of the customers, Berrin Candan, said.

“I was thinking that I could win the quarter of the gold coin, but it did not happen. I clogged up [due to overeating]. I will try my change again,” said another customer named Ekin Arıkan, a medical student.