Censored Pizza

Recently, a great new pizza place opened up in Dubai.

NKD Pizza is so great, in fact, that although we’d never heard of it elsewhere, we knew it couldn’t be a local start-up. The concept was a little too logical (fresh, healthy pizza in a city dominated by Pizza Hut and Domino’s?!) and the English on the menu a little too perfect (local pizza joints, after all, tend to list things like “touna” and “chimps” as potential toppings) to have been crafted in our belovedly dysfunctional emirate.

No, surely, it had to be an American chain, or maybe European… and yet Googling “NKD Pizza” yielded results not for a master corporate website, but for the very same local shop we’ve taken to ordering from once a week here in Dubai.

Scratches head.

But then we poked around a little more, and we realized that it is, in fact, an American company.

Only in the US, it’s called NAKED Pizza…

… whereas upon opening up shop in Dubai, they helpfully self-censored their own name to N_K_D Pizza to avoid offending our delicate Middle Eastern sensibilities.

Dies of laughter.

I mean, really?! In 4+ years living in the UAE, I have yet to meet someone who would be offended by the theoretical concept of nakedness insofar as it pertains to pizza. Then again, I don’t really spend a lot of time with Quran-thumping conservative types - although I do count a few among my friend ranks.

So I don’t know - it’s either the most idiotic business localization decision I’ve ever seen, or the most savvy.

Either way, it’s darn good pizza, so if you’re in Dubai, give it a go… and if you’re in the US, get NAKED!

citizenkerry liked this
lovealwayslindsay liked this
hershapeinthedoorway said: One of these JUST opened by my work! Haven’t beenthough.
reallykatie liked this
cupofchi liked this
dubaiandi said: Hahahha! I somehow knew it was called “Naked Pizza” and thought NKD was how they abbreviated it everywhere or something. So Simon and I walked around the Marina asking people “Where is Naked Pizza”… “We’re looking for Naked Pizza”???
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