August 26, 2025

Tutta Bella

Fugere

Hardy

Tutta Bella named Cate Hardy as its new chief executive officer. Hardy, a seasoned food and beverage CEO, joins the Seattle-based Neapolitan pizza company as it continues its expansion into the national consumer packaged goods (CPG) market. Founder Joe Fugere will transition to a new role focusing on stewarding the brand's culture and supporting long-term strategic growth in retail partnerships. Hardy has over 20 years of experience in senior executive roles and national board positions spanning CPG, grocery and casual dining. Most recently, she served as president and chief operating officer of Seattle Hospitality Group, overseeing a portfolio of Pacific Northwest food, beverage, and transportation businesses. Previously, Hardy served as CEO of The Wine Group, CEO of PCC Community Markets, and spent nearly a decade in senior roles at Starbucks across retail operations, store development, supply chain, and product development. Her early career was spent at McKinsey & Company and Deloitte. Hardy currently serves on the boards of WX Brands and Kitchen & Market, and formerly served on the boards of Suja Life, Crunch Fitness, and Ballast Point Brewing. Tutta Bella owns and operates five neighborhood restaurants, two grocerants, plus a cafe, bar and food truck. Tutta Bella's CPG pizzas are made by hand in a 15,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Seattle's SoDo district, then distributed to retail locations nationwide. Tutta Bella recently launched its ready-to-heat pizzas in over 1,000 Kroger stores and Costco warehouses nationwide.