Pizzeria apologizes over ‘racist’ Pic-a-Nika pizza menu item

A controversial pizza of the month is creating a firestorm on social media. (Pizza by Certé)

A New York City pizzeria has apologized after it debuted new menu item with a name many call racist.

Pizza by Certé created a “Pic-a-Nika” pie topped with Southern fried chicken, sea-salted watermelon, and a sunflower seed crust -- sparking anger among customers and those on social media, reports PIX 11

“I went there today and there was a new pizza that they are selling called “pic-a-nika” which sounded very horrible when I read it. It was when I read the description I knew that the name was in fact racist,” a New Yorker told PIX 11.

Pizza by Certé first advertised the item earlier this month in a promotional tweet that has since been deleted.

Pizzeria manager Victor Guzman told PIX 11 that they were aware of the issue but had no plans to take the pizza off the menu because it's one of their best sellers.  He added that the name is just an “Italian pronunciation” based on the way the owner’s father used to the say the word "picnic."

Some on Twitter stood by the pizzeria and saw nothing wrong with the name.

But others continued to point out the potential problems with their name choice:

Despite the controversy, it looks like the pizza is here to stay, but under a new name.

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