information from West Seattle Chamber of Commerce

The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce announced that  the Keynote Speaker for the annual Westside Awards Breakfast May 1 will be Joe Fugere, Founder, Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria who will draw on his experiences as a small business owner, and share meaningful lessons and how he plans to use his role as Co-Chair of the Mayor's Small Business Advisory Committee to make a positive impact on the business community.

• What makes Tutta Bella "tick" -- The importance of Values and Purpose when running a meaningful business.
• "Leaning Forward" and the power of getting outside your comfort zone as a business owner
• The meaningful role that the Small Business Advisory Committee plays in shaping policy, and the impact and new voice that the small business community now has in Seattle.

Celebrate the Recipients of the Westside Awards: Husky Deli, Senior Center of West Seattle, Alair and Lora Swift. Presenting Sponsor: Quail Park Memory Care Residences of West Seattle. Tickets may be purchased at www.wschamber.com.

Joe Fugere is the founder of Tutta Bella 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 five locations in the greater Seattle area that serve handcrafted Italian fare - featuring Neapolitan pizza and classic pasta. His restaurant group holdings also include operating The Hollywood Tavern in Woodinville, WA.

In addition to providing stellar food and welcoming service, 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. Tutta Bella has also been committed to waste reduction and energy saving practices since its inception. Tutta Bella’s primary focus areas—based on potential business impact—are food waste diversion and using compostable and recyclable materials.

Employees are the centerpiece of Tutta Bella’s success. The company strives to offer better than industry standards when it comes to compensation, paid time off, shift meals, and health insurance benefits with a goal to soon add other benefits like a 401K.

Some additional background on Tutta Bella’s history:

· Joe attended the signing of the 2010 Small Business Lending Act at the White House where President Obama recognized Tutta Bella for its contribution to economic recovery. Two years later, upon a presidential request, Tutta Bella made a special delivery to Air Force One.

· In 2010, Tutta Bella beat out 33,000 of its peers nationally by being named “Independent Pizzeria of the Year” and received “Business of the Year” recognition by the Greater Seattle Business Association and “Operator of the Year” from the Washington Restaurant Association.

· The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) and Harvard Business School included Tutta Bella in their annual Fortune Magazine listing in 2011 as one of America’s 100 fastest growing “Inner City” businesses.

· Tutta Bella received the “Human Rights Business Award” in 2013 from the Seattle Human Rights Commission.

· 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.

By nurturing a meaningful business that also reaps economic and social benefits, Joe hopes to encourage other local businesses to make investments in staff and community. To learn more about Joe and Tutta Bella, please visit: www.tuttabella.com.