Friday Jul 24, 2020
"Coming Out Stronger"
Joe Fugere
Founder & CEO Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria
Introduced by: John Martinka
“As concern mounted over the spread of coronavirus in Seattle – location of the first reported cased in the U.S. – one local multi-unit pizza operator has reduced his salary to zero to ensure his employees can keep getting paid.
I am doing everything in my power to help my team and the community weather the storm,’ said Joe Fugere, founder and CEO of Seattle-based Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria.”*
Today Joe Fugere will discuss what Tutta Bella has done to weather the storm and why he believes his organization will come out stronger at the back-end of the pandemic!
*Excerpt from PMQ Pizza Magazine, March 2020
About the Speaker
Joe Fugere is the founder of Tutta Bell Neapolitan Pizzeria, the Pacific Northwest’s first certified, authentic Neapolitan pizzeria. In 2004, Joe opened his first restaurant in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood and currently has 6 locations in Seattle and on the Eastside and one food truck that serve handcrafted Italian fare – pizza and pasta. Prior to opening Tutta Bella, Joe received his certification as a pizzaiolo and traveled to Naples to continue his training and refine his skills.
Tutta Bella is an active participant in the communities they serve by closely partnering with a non-profit in each neighborhood where they have a location to provide an array of support, providing surplus food to local hungry families and hosting “Forever Family” dinners for newly finalized adoptive families.
Joe has been named to several city, regional and state government advisory teams such as Seattle Mayor Durkan’s Small Business Advisory Council and Governor Inslee’s transition team. Joe also attended the signing of the 2010 Small Business Lending Act at the White House. Also, in 2010, Tutta Bella was picked the Independent Pizzeria of the Year beating out 33,000 of their peers, received “Business of the Year” recognition form the Greater Seattle Business Association and “Operator of the Year” from the Washington Restaurant Association.
Tutta Bella is an active participant in the communities they serve by closely partnering with a non-profit in each neighborhood where they have a location to provide an array of support, providing surplus food to local hungry families and hosting “Forever Family” dinners for newly finalized adoptive families.
Joe has been named to several city, regional and state government advisory teams such as Seattle Mayor Durkan’s Small Business Advisory Council and Governor Inslee’s transition team. Joe also attended the signing of the 2010 Small Business Lending Act at the White House. Also, in 2010, Tutta Bella was picked the Independent Pizzeria of the Year beating out 33,000 of their peers, received “Business of the Year” recognition form the Greater Seattle Business Association and “Operator of the Year” from the Washington Restaurant Association.