Seattle Pizza Chain Goes National

Seattle’s Tutta Bella pizza has signed a deal with Kroger and will now serve its Neopolitan-style pies in 1,200 stores in 40 states.

Kroger’s first order of 85,000 pizzas generated more than $1 million in sales.

“We didn’t set out to become a national food manufacturer — it happened organically, one pizza at a time,” says Tutta Bella Founder and CEO Joe Fugere.

To meet demand, Tutta Bella has ramped up production at its SODO facility, and is now producing more than 10,000 fresh products a day, including pizza, hand-rolled gnocchi, pastas and fresh salads.

Tutta Bella had previously expanded into regional Costco locations.

Founded in 2004, Tutta Bella operates five restaurants, two grocerants and a food truck. Its retail food products are also sold at specialty outlets.