You would be hard pressed to find an authentic shawarma in Karachi. Most shawarma variants offered in the city contain an overflowing amount of mayo when they should have toum — a sauce that makes you think you are snorting garlic — ketchup when it should have pickles, and a thick pita when it should be enveloped in a thin, lightly toasted bread called saj.
But pizzas are a different story.
The city has POMO and Redbrick Pizzeria for authentic wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, a style known for using fresh tomatoes in their sauce and having a crispy, airy, charred crust; Famous O’s for the authentic New York slice that is thinner and foldable with a more seasoned tomato sauce; Xander’s for the brick-oven pizzas; and Venti, which draws on both New York and Neapolitan techniques, is now also making a comeback. And then, of course, there are the localised Karachi-style pizzas that are known for their deep pan crusts and heavy toppings.
But what happens when a new pizza place opens in a city that has plenty to choose from?
In a city that already has Neapolitan, New York and everything in between, what does a new pizza place need to do to stand out?
