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| Delicious pizza illustration |
A pizza store was slapped with charges after it was caught serving customers on the street, according to police reports in Italy.
The owner of an Italian pizzeria said that he was charged and fined $6,634 for serving food to customers outside the store. He also said that the fine is excessive.
Massimo Abategiovanni, who opened the Benventui al Sud pizzeria in the city of Albisola, said he was fined after employees were caught violating the licensing laws for serving pizza to customers at a table outdoors.
Abategiovanni admitted that the restaurant broke the law, but he doubts the punishment fits the crime.
"Our mistake was an act of kindness for two customers, who came late, but we never thought that we would be slammed with such a large fine," the owner said.
Albisola Mayor Franco Orsi said he expects store owners to strictly adhere to the rules of their licenses.
"They do not pay for garbage disposal and benefit from a simpler tax system," Orsi said about the pizza store. "But they can not serve at outside tables," he said.
Abategiovanni said he did not have enough money to pay the fine.
"We are not in the position to pay, and we run the risk of ending up over our heads. We will talk with our attorney to evaluate what we can do," he said.