Nato troops order 100 pizzas in Kuhmo, surprising local pizzeria

A local pizzeria in Kuhmo received an unusual order in May when Polish soldiers training at the Vuosango firing range placed an order for roughly 100 pizzas, reports Yle.

Matti Huotari, owner of Kuhmo’s Kotipizza, said the soldiers collected the pizzas in a small flatbed truck, securing them with ropes. The troops made two separate calls—one large order in the morning and another in the afternoon.

Huotari estimated the total at about 100 pizzas, including meat-heavy options and “Monster” pizzas topped with dough sticks. The volume made for a busy day in the kitchen.

“Of course we wondered if it was real,” he said. “But we quickly realized it was a genuine order.”

He called it the largest single order the pizzeria had ever received, though it occasionally handles big requests from businesses and associations.

Sales have risen during the Vuosango exercises, with more pizza orders than usual. Huotari noted that the NATO drills have also brought soldiers into Kuhmo’s town centre, benefiting local businesses.

The May exercises, led by the Kainuu Brigade, involved 4,500 troops from Finland, the UK, US, Italy, Hungary, France, and Poland.