NATO Military Exercises Boost Pizza Sales in Kuhmo
A large-scale NATO military exercise in May led to an unusual surge in pizza sales in Kuhmo, as Polish soldiers training at the Vuosanka shooting range placed a record-breaking order at a local pizzeria.
Kuhmo’s Kotipizza received two phone orders from Polish troops participating in the international drills, totaling around one hundred pizzas. The soldiers collected the pizzas in a small flatbed truck, securing them with a cloth on the vehicle’s bed, according to Matti Huotari, the pizzeria’s owner (Yle).
The first order arrived in the morning, followed by a second in the afternoon, keeping the restaurant’s kitchen exceptionally busy. Huotari described the moment as surreal, recalling that staff initially questioned whether the order was legitimate before confirming its authenticity (Yle, Iltalehti).
The Polish soldiers selected a variety of pizzas, including meat-heavy options and the restaurant’s Monster pizza, which features dough sticks on top. Huotari noted that the soldiers tended to favor more filling choices (Yle).
The order marked the largest single purchase in the history of Kuhmo’s Kotipizza, though the restaurant occasionally receives bulk orders from local businesses and organizations (Iltalehti). Huotari confirmed that sales increased during the exercise period, as the military presence drove more customers to the town center (Yle).
The exercises, led by the Kainuu Brigade, took place in Kuhmo and Kajaani in May, involving 4,500 soldiers from Finland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, Hungary, France, and Poland. The Kainuu region had prepared for the influx of troops, with local businesses anticipating higher demand (Yle).