Seattle-based Tutta Bella, an AVPN-certified pizza brand, might be steeped in Old World traditions, but it’s thoroughly modern in another sense: It’s poised for “significant growth” in the coming years.
That’s where the company’s new president and COO comes in. Alex Camara has signed on for the role as Tutta Bella prepares to expand its retail/CPG (consumer packaged goods) product line both regionally and beyond the Pacific Northwest.
The company noted in a press release that Tutta Bella founder Joe Fugere will remain in his role as CEO.
Tutta Bella is the kind of pizza company that eschews plastic straws and was the first restaurant in Seattle to adopt its own compost program along with its existing recycling program. It was also Seattle’s first restaurant—and first business—to jump onboard the city’s pilot program to reduce environmental waste.
The brand knows how to have a little fun, too, while raising money for good causes. Each Movember (the month of November), Tutta Bella crafts a limited-time cocktail named after a famous person with a moustache, then donates a portion of the sales to the Movember Foundation. Some classics from the past have paid homage to Alex Trebek, Freddy Mercury, Groucho Marx and the lesser-known Amalthea, a “magical goat being” from Greek mythology.
Related: Tutta Bella creates LTO cocktail honoring Alex Trebek
Camara’s background, according to the press release, is in food retail and global manufacturing. That makes sense considering that Tutta Bella also has a line of pasta sauces available in retail stores throughout the Puget Sound area. As president and COO, Camara will lead Tutta Bella’s strategic planning and development efforts and oversee operations at both the company’s Seattle-based restaurants and its manufacturing facility in SoDo. That 15,000-square-foot facility, which opened last summer, currently supports the production and distribution of Tutta Bella’s artisan products to more than 200 retail outlets, including Costco, QFC, Fred Meyer and PCC.
“With significant growth ahead for Tutta Bella, it was clear that we needed to add an executive resource, a growth-minded leader with the expertise and vision to guide us through this next phase of our journey,” Fugere said. “Alex checks every box, and he’s the perfect fit for us. He’s a proven leader, he’s a tremendous cultural fit, and we’re elated to have him join the Tutta Bella family.”
“Joe’s mission to live his dream, serve his people, and share his love for Neapolitan cuisine helped make Tutta Bella one of the most beloved restaurant brands in Seattle over the past 20 years,” Camara said. “There is an uncompromising commitment to his mission that I have long admired. It’s a mission that I’m grateful to be a part of, and I’m excited to lead our team into the future.”
As CEO, Fugere, who founded the celebrated company in 2004, will continue to lead its brand development efforts and culture to “nourish lives by sharing traditions, authentic food and love in all that Tutta Bella is known and loved for.”
At present, Tutta Bella operates five neighborhood restaurants, two grocerants and a food truck. It was the first pizzeria in the Northwest to be certified by the AVPN.
