L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano Tutta Bella Pizzeria partners with QFC to feed the human spirit A year into the p a n d e m i c , perhaps no business sector has been more gravely affected than the hospitality industry – from restaurants and bars to hotels and inns. Without commitment, determination and a huge dose of creativity, it's been nearly impossible for these businesses to stay viable and vibrant. Joe Fugere, founder of S e a t t l e ' s T u t t a B e l l a Neapolitan Pizzeria, has worked hard to keep Puget Sound diners fed for nearly t w o d e c a d e s , b u t l i k e s o many others, the pandemic shook his business to the core. "Seattle was the first U S c i t y t o b e a f f e c t e d b y C O V I D - 1 9 , " s a i d F u g e r e . "When Tutta Bella dining rooms were shut down by government mandate, we immediately lost 80 percent of our business. We relied solely on our take-out busi- nesses and some other busi- ness channels that we were beta-testing." One of these new busi- ness channels is the "gro- c e r a n t " – a r e s t a u r a n t i n s i d e a g r o c e r y s t o r e . W i t h i n t h e i n d u s t r y , i t ' s been a popular concept late- ly since grocery stores have managed to stay open dur- i n g t h e p a n d e m i c w h i l e many restaurants have been shuttered, either partially or completely. F u g e r e h a d a l r e a d y begun to explore this idea a year or two before the pan- demic struck. In 2019, Tutta Bella opened its first grocer- ant inside the new 50,000- s q u a r e f o o t Q F C g r o c e r y store at the Kirkland Urban d e v e l o p m e n t c o m p l e x i n Kirkland, Wash. The restau- r a n t t a k e s u p a b o u t 4 0 0 s q u a r e f e e t o f t h e s t o r e , sharing operational space with QFC's deli and other f o o d s e r v i c e o f f e r i n g s . I t proved to be such a success- ful venture that a second g r o c e r a n t i n s i d e Q F C ' s bustling University Village location in Seattle opened last fall. "QFC is a fantastic part- ner for us," said Fugere in a n i n t e r v i e w w i t h Supermarket News. "From t h e v e r y s t a r t , t h e e n t i r e QFC team has been such a resource for us and their s u p p o r t h a s o n l y g r o w n s t r o n g e r . " Q F C ( Q u a l i t y Food Centers) was founded m o r e t h a n 6 0 y e a r s a g o . Headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., it has 62 stores in w e s t e r n W a s h i n g t o n a n d Portland, Ore., and is part o f t h e n a t i o n a l K r o g e r chain. Expanding into its sec- o n d l o c a t i o n n e a r t h e University of Washington campus was a win-win for both partners. As QFC pres- ident Chris Albi put it: "The Q has a passion for support- ing the best local products to provide our customers w i t h q u a l i t y f o o d e x p e r i - ences and Tutta Bella is a g r e a t p a r t n e r t h a t a l i g n s with our purpose of feeding the human spirit." B o t h t h e K i r k l a n d a n d University Village locations use the same high-quality i m p o r t e d p r o d u c t s a n d locally sourced ingredients that Tutta Bella is known f o r . H u n g r y s h o p p e r s o r busy workers looking for a c o n v e n i e n t b u t d e l i c i o u s m e a l c a n p u r c h a s e t h e wood-fired Neapolitan piz- z a s t h a t a r e a s i g n a t u r e o f f e r i n g o f T u t t a B e l l a , along with made-to-order sandwiches, fresh salads, even Sicilian cannoli. But Fugere isn't stopping there. He has introduced a new product –Take-n-Bake Pizza – which is currently being carried at five QFC stores, and he is in conver- sation with one of the large big-box retailers about car- r y i n g h i s p r i v a t e - l a b e l canned tomatoes. Fugere says the Take-n- Bake Pizza has been a big h i t . " W e ' v e b e e n t a l k i n g about a Take-n-Bake option for some time," said Fugere, " b u t i t w a s n ' t u n t i l Q F C showed their support that w e d e c i d e d t o i n v e s t t h e resources needed. We want o u r c u s t o m e r s t o g e t t h e real Tutta Bella experience when they bring this pizza h o m e . W e m a k e t h e s e b y hand and use the very same ingredients we use in the restaurants." Being an integral part of the community is a concept that resonates deeply with Fugere. A fourth-generation Italian American, his great g r a n d p a r e n t s a r r i v e d i n S e a t t l e i n 1 9 1 1 f r o m Calabria. After obtaining a business management and hospitality degree, focusing o n h o t e l a n d r e s t a u r a n t management, Fugere moved t o L o s A n g e l e s w h e r e h e worked in the hotel industry b e f o r e m o v i n g b a c k t o Seattle. Following a stint at S t a r b u c k s t h a t i n c l u d e d national food manager, he l e f t t o p u r s u e s o m e t h i n g more "personally meaning- ful." That led to the creation o f t h e f i r s t T u t t a B e l l a N e a p o l i t a n P i z z e r i a i n 2004. Today, in addition to t h e t w o g r o c e r a n t s , t h e c o m p a n y m a n a g e s f i v e neighborhood Tutta Bella restaurants and a mobile food truck. T h e Q F C s p a c e w a s d e s i g n e d t o c a p t u r e t h e Tutta Bella experience that diners have come to know and love, complete with an authentic wood-fired oven. F u g e r e t h i n k s h e m i g h t have the first Italian wood- fired oven in a grocery store in the US. That would not be a sur- prise, given the logistical challenges builders face to install the equipment. First is the weight: about 2,500 pounds. Add to that a spe- c i a l e x h a u s t s y s t e m t h a t cleans the wood smoke and t u r n s i t i n t o s t e a m . T h e Tutta Bella oven was made and imported from Italy by F o r z a F o r n i o f N e w Y o r k City. Seattle-based Graham Baba Architects designed the QFC Tutta Bella space around the oven, using nat- ural materials such as wal- nut, highlighted by black- ened steel. As the nation enters the second year of the pandem- ic, Fugere feels both grati- tude and optimism. "With the vaccine being rolled out, w e ' r e l o o k i n g f o r w a r d t o s e r v i n g o u r r e g u l a r c u s - tomers in our dining rooms again soon," he said, "but we're also excited to serve new customers through our take-out and bake-at-home options. I'm thankful for the opportunity that QFC has given us and I'm thankful f o r o u r c u s t o m e r s . T h e y have been patient with us as we learn this new side of the b u s i n e s s . T h e y a r e f u l l y supportive of our counter s t a f f w i t h t h e i r g e n e r o u s tips. It's clear they are root- ing for our success." Tutta Bella's newest product, a vacuum-sealed Take-n-Bake Pizza, has seen record sales in the past few months (Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria). RITA CIPALLA SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY

• Cover