DOWNEY – Residents of Downey may soon find themselves choosing sides over what could be described as the biggest question of 2017. 

While foods such as pepperoni, sausage, and assorted vegetables have all long been established on pizza, one potential topping – the tropical fruit pineapple – repeatedly finds itself in danger of being left out, or rather, off.

The issue has been heatedly debated over the last several years, traditionally in an online setting. However, the topic has garnered even international attention, especially when Iceland President Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson suggested that the pineapple/pizza combination should be outlawed. 

The residents of Downey have also had to wrestle with the dilemma here at home, as Downey has seen two custom topping oriented pizza parlors open their doors for business: Mod Pizza early last year, and Toppings Custom Fired Pizza earlier this month. 

Popular community restaurant Downey Pizza Company, known for its pastrami pizza, has given its support to the sweet yellow fruit. 

“Definitely,” said Esad Djokovic, GM of Downey Pizza Co. “One of our pizzas, it’s called The Trio, you put meatballs, jalapenos, and pineapple. The mixture, you know, it tastes good. It goes together.”

Another Downey pizza mainstay, Frantone’s, gave a similar response.

“Everybody loves pineapple! It’s very popular,” said manager Debbie Montgomery. “Canadian bacon and pineapple, pepperoni and pineapple, the third one is jalapenos and pineapple. Very popular here.”

Montgomery did, however, add that she personally related with the pineapple naysayers. 
“I don’t like to cook pineapple. If it’s cold I’ll eat it, but not cooked,” said Montgomery. “…it’s different when it’s cooked.”

On the other side of town, Pina Pizza House took a more neutral stance. 

“It’s preference over choice of the customer. We don’t make the choice, they make their choice,” said manager Rinaldo Alderico. “If somebody doesn’t like certain things they can oppose. That’s why we have the First Amendment in America, freedom of speech. We apply that in different things.”

Over 685 residents participated in a Downey Patriot poll on Twitter, resulting in a 58 percent vote in favor of the controversial topping.