What to Know
- NYC-based Champion Pizza has created a 40 lb. cheeseburger pizza that consists of six layers and takes three hours to make
- Priced at $2,000, all proceeds made from the pizza burger will go directly to those affected by Hurricane Florence in North Carolina
- The pizzeria currently has a 3-day wait on orders, but is hoping to reach 1,000 total
A cheeseburger pizza that weighs about as much as a 3-year-old child is now on the menu at a New York pizzeria. It'll set you back thousands of dollars for a pie, but it's all for charity.
In order to satisfy the local request to add a burger to the classic menu, Champion Pizza founder and CEO Hakki Akdeniz went one step bigger, creating a 40-pound cheeseburger pizza. Yes, you read that right.
“We like to do fun things, and people had been asking us to put a burger on the menu,” Akdeniz said. “So I was like, let’s come up with something cool and that people will think is fun.”
If you're looking to score a slice with a big group, make sure to call ahead of time. The three-hour baking process starts by melting mozzarella cheese atop a plain pizza crust base, followed by lettuce, tomato, onions, and crumbled beef, followed by another layer of mozzarella cheese and American cheese slices, with some ketchup to top it off. And that’s just the beginning.
Another crust is then added, and this process repeats another four times. A 10-pound Kobe beef patty acts as the fifth layer, before being topped by none another than a pepperoni pizza.
“It is (a) three hour process, and I need at least one another person to help me get it (in) the oven,” Akdeniz said.
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It’s unsurprising then, that such a monstrosity doesn’t come cheap. For $2,000 you can experience it yourself, and answer the question on everyone's lips: is it a pizza, or is it a burger?
And while it seems extravagant, and maybe even a tad excessive, the purpose behind the pizza is what truly makes it extraordinary. All proceeds from the pizza-burger will go directly to those affected by Hurricane Florence in North Carolina.
As someone who lived rough on the streets for a short period of time, for Akdeniz, it always comes down to giving back. Whether it’s in collecting supplies for places hit by natural disasters, donating hot pies to local shelters, or just by creating a speciality pizza to raise awareness about austism, Akdeniz is always focused on helping others.
Last year after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, he encouraged New Yorkers to donate supplies by offering free pizzas to any who brought needed toiletries to any of his shops. He's also played a big role in helping undocumented immgrants and refugees find work in throughout New York City.
“You be a good person,” Akdeniz said. “I want to inspire others to give.” Check out his Instagram and you'll see a common phrase throughout his posts: "Don't give to get. Give to inspire others to give," and in looking at what Akdeniz does, it's clear thats the motto he lives his life by.
Akdeniz doesn’t know how long the cheeseburger pizza will be on the Champion Pizza menu, but he does know that in the coming weeks he will be cooking up something new and interesting to keep customers excited.
Due to high demand, the pizzeria currently has a 3-day wait on orders, but is hoping to reach 1,000 total in order to help out those suffering from the recent hurricane. Champion Pizza has sold nine of these creative concoctions already, although no one has been able to finish the entire thing. Will you be the first?
