Tutta Bella, launched six years ago in Columbia City by Joe Fugere, has been named best the country's best independent pizzeria by industry magazine Pizza Today. The cover story (a lovingly photographed, 11-page article) chronicles Tutta Bella's growth to 180 employees and four stores, all certified by the exacting standards of the Italian Vera Pizzeria Napoletana commission, concluding, "This might well be the perfect pizzeria."
To celebrate, Tutta Bella will offer a free pizza to every table, lunch and dinner, for the week of Aug. 16-22.
Fugere says he built Tutta Bella with a focus on what he calls artisan cooking, community awareness and environmental stewardship. 'êI strive to run my business with a 100-year mentality," he tells the magazine, "to thrive long after I'êm gone."
Tutta Bella's four locations are Columbia City, Westlake, Stone Way, and Issaquah.
Lest we forget that Pizza Today is a trade publication, it also named Domino's as its "Chain of the Year."
