Church welcomes Hell pizza | Ipswich News | Local News in Ipswich

Hell Pizza franchisor Mike Hird at the new Booval Hell Pizza store wants to deliver the church a pizza.

Sarah Harvey

Poll

What do you think of Hell Pizza?

This poll ended on 27 May 2010.

It's offensive and should be banned

7%

It sends confusing messages to children

3%

It's just a marketing scheme

25%

It's humorous

50%

I don't care

13%

This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.

A HELL Pizza restaurant has opened in Booval and the suburb’s Catholic Church has surprisingly welcomed the outlet to the neighbourhood.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church Priest Bob Harwood said he had no concerns about the image Hell Pizza was projecting.

His stance is the opposite of Springfield Family Christian Church pastor John Van Bennekom.

Last week The Queensland Times reported the pastor was outraged by Hell Pizza’s adverting after the franchise opened in Brookwater.

Pastor Van Bennekom said the outlet had upset church members and could negatively influence children.

But Reverend Bob Harwood said the restaurant’s use of the word hell was obviously a cheap marketing ploy.

“Few people actually understand the word’s real meaning anyway so I doubt this would change anything,” Reverend Harwood said.

“It’s used in the wrong sense all the time. I don’t think it matters to be honest.”

As an opening promotion, several concrete tombstones have been erected in front of the Booval Hell Pizza.

A competition will be run to find the most suitable words to be written on the tombstones.

Hell Pizza’s Australian chairman, Mike Hird, said he hoped one of the winning submissions would focus on the Springfield Church.

“We have a hearse with a coffin inside it which we use to deliver pizzas and I’m happy to deliver the Springfield pastor a pizza in the hearse if he likes,” Mr Hird said.

“I think the Church is concerned that we are muscling in on their turf.”