Pizza has been good to Joe Fugere. So when he found an opportunity to use his famous pies to give something back, he jumped at it.
Fugere heard stories throughout his childhood from his grandmother, an Italian immigrant, about the unmistakable flavors of classic Neapolitan pizza – San Marzano tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt – and knew from her passionate tones the meaning went deeper than the crust and toppings.
“I always remembered what my grandmother said,” Fugere said. “I wanted to find out what she meant by authentic Neapolitan pizza.”
When he left his position at Starbucks, he knew he wanted to start his own business and create something that represented not only the Seattle area, but his deeply ingrained Italian heritage.
The result was Tutta Bella.
Fugere never imagined his plan would extend beyond one location, but as word spread around Seattle and the Eastside about the area’s first certified authentic Neapolitan pizzeria, expansion became inevitable and he now operates four locations, including the one in Issaquah.
While filling neighborhoods with the trademark smells of a wood-fired oven and carefully crafted ingredients was no doubt a dream come true, Fugere knew there had to be even more possibilities to integrate his business into the communities it served. When he was asked to give the keynote speech at the 2010 International Pizza Expo, which brings independent pizzerias from around the world together to share insights and examine industry advancements, Fugere knew it was the right time to launch his plan.
“I wanted to add something meaningful to my speech,” he said. “We decided to rally around a cause that has touched most Americans, breast cancer.”
The original plan was to partner with Susan G. Komen and its Quest for Cure, but complications with the agency grounded that plan prematurely. Without an established network to fundraise and build connections, Fugere and his two partners, Pizza Today editor-in-chief Jeremy White and industry equipment supplier Garrett Mullen, decided they would have to go it alone.
Mullen’s wife passed away in 2010 after a four-year battle with breast cancer and in her honor, the three men created the Karen Mullen Breast Cancer Foundation and its signature fundraiser, Slice of Hope.
Similar to the nationwide restaurant campaign Dine Out for Life, Slice of Hope gave patrons at Tutta Bella the option of making a donation on their guest check that Fugere and Mullen each matched dollar-for-dollar for the month prior to the main fundraiser for the inaugural event last year. That led to one day when Tutta Bella, and the more than 100 pizzerias around the nation that joined in the event, donated 20 percent of sales to Slice of Hope.
“It’s all about building money so we can write checks directly to the researchers,” Fugere said, noting that Slice of Hope is dedicated to research funding over awareness campaigns. “I’d love for this to become a city-wide and even country-wide effort.”
They repeated the effort this year and while the final figures are not in, Fugere said they hope to come in around $150,000, or double the amount from 2011.
“You hear the stories and realize how many people have family and friends affected by this disease,” he said. “I think there is so much opportunity to get more and more people involved.
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