Restaurants

Winter 2010

Joe Fugere ’84—Feeding his interests

Joe Fugere opened Tutta Bella pizzeria in Columbia City in 2004. A veteran of several Northwest-based companies, including Starbucks and Taco Time, he decided it was time to go into business for himself and produce true traditional Naples-style pizza.

Today the south Seattle restaurant is filled with blond wood tables and bears sweet touches like parchment paper pendant lights and brick walls. Though it’s not yet 10 a.m., an applewood fire is burning in the oven and trays of sliced mushrooms are waiting to be roasted.

Fugere comes in and orders a cappuccino over the heads of two regulars at … » More …

Fall 2008

BJ Duft – Of meals and missions

At age 24, BJ Duft found himself in Bill Marriott’s private jet face-to-face with the CEO of Marriott International. They were headed back to Washington D.C. from Penn State University where Duft ’86 had gone to do some on-campus recruiting for the company and Marriott had attended a ceremony in his honor. During the flight Marriott turned to Duft and asked if he could change anything at the international hotel company, what would it be? Duft was so nervous that he has no clue what answer he managed to stammer out. What he does remember is that Marriott took a Steno notepad from his shirt … » More …