Of course, we all know that the "giant spatula" in this news report and video (above) is a pizza peel.

The incident happened in Brooklyn Park, Maryland:

The first blow knocked the gun from the robber's hand and [pizzeria owner Choudhry] Younis followed up with a few more hits, eventually tackling [Mark] Ensinger to the ground and holding him until police arrived.

In this case it appears to be a metal peel. I wonder if a wood peel would make a better robbery deterrent?