For years, Bridgette Tuttle has served the residents of Monroe through educational advocacy and positions on various boards, associations, councils and committees. In 2012 she started serving them pizza ' something she found she enjoyed.
In fact, she enjoyed it so much she decided to buy the restaurant.
Tuttle recently assumed ownership of Sahara Pizza Monroe in the Monroe Shopping Center at U.S. 2 and Main Street, after over four years as the restaurant's manager. One of her first moves as the owner was to join the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, later accepting a position on the chamber board of directors. The married mother-of-two has a long history of service to the city of Monroe, including more than a year on the Monroe City Council.
She is a current member of the Monroe Planning Commission, serves as the planning commission liaison to the Monroe Parks Board and is involved in numerous community events.
The chamber is grateful to have her, said president Mike Buse.
"As the president of the chamber of commerce, I welcome all new businesses, but I especially welcome Bridgette because she's an amazing individual, and I look forward to great things on the horizon,GÇ¥ Buse said.
While Tuttle is not new to entrepreneurship ' she previously co-owned a Kirkland auto detailing shop with her husband, Tim ' she is new to being a business owner in Monroe. Hired as the manager of Sahara in 2012, Tuttle's role became more comprehensive last June, after former owner Zeke Christenson decided to step away, so he could focus on his Maverick Catering business.
Ownership seemed like a natural next step, she said.
Sahara Pizza Monroe offers freshly-made pizza, salad, chicken wings, pasta and dessert. The restaurant serves six beers on tap, including craft ale made by Dreadnought Brewing in the Fryelands. Sahara is a franchise, with 10 independently-owned restaurants sprinkled around Snohomish and King County and beyond.
Sahara Pizza Monroe is unique in that it not only offers a seated dining area, but the wait staff arrive at the tables to take customer orders. It also offers takeout and delivery.
Tuttle enjoys the camaraderie and the reciprocity between other local businesses, along with the opportunity to make a positive difference in the community.
She loves the close-knit feel of Monroe and the rewards that come from operating a business in such an intimate setting. From serving the Monroe police officers who stop in for lunch, to hiring the kids of her friends and colleagues, it's an incredible opportunity, she said.
"I love employing all these kids,GÇ¥ Tuttle said. "We have a good staff.GÇ¥
Her 16-year-old son's friends want to come and work for her, which she takes as a compliment.
Tuttle appreciates the flexibility of the franchise, which offers the structure and framework that makes the franchise model appealing, but also gives a lot of opportunity for owner enhancement based on customer preference.
"They're not super strict about how you build your business,GÇ¥ Tuttle said. "One of the things I like is they require it to be owner-operated. So the idea is to create more of a mom-and-pop type of thing.GÇ¥
It's also a quality product, she said. The pizza dough is freshly made in 50-pound batches every day, and contains natural ingredients, including flour, water, olive oil, brown sugar, yeast, salt and buttermilk. Fresh produce is delivered to the restaurant twice a week from Shawn's Produce in Everett, and the gluten-free pizza dough is also made locally.
Tuttle does her best to accommodate all customers. The gluten-free crust at Sahara is also vegan, and Sahara Pizza Monroe will work with customers who don't consume dairy products.
"We have a few customers that bring in their own cheese,GÇ¥ Tuttle said. "We're pretty accommodating, especially our regulars. A large percentage of our business is regulars.GÇ¥
Working at Sahara has given her the opportunity to become even more involved in the community, which is something she looks forward to continuing as the owner. In addition to holding numerous school and sports organization fundraisers throughout the year, Sahara Pizza donates pizza to the Monroe Fire Department open house every October.
Last year, Sahara donated enough free pizza to feed all of the department's 844 guests. Tuttle served the pizza herself, recruiting her daughter, Rylee, to help.
Sahara also donates pizza during Monroe's National Night Out event, held every year in August at Lake Tye Park. This year, Sahara will provide 70-100 pizzas, which will be delivered to the park incrementally, to ensure the pizza is fresh.
"I love all the giving back to the community,GÇ¥ Tuttle said.
Her initial foray into community involvement started with a position on the Salem Woods Elementary School Parent Teacher Association, where she served for six years. It was when her kids transitioned to the middle school that she began to consider a position on the Monroe City Council. She was encouraged by former Councilmember Kurt Goering, who served as a mentor.
She ran unsuccessfully in 2009, but was appointed to the council in 2010, beating out two other candidates for the seat. It was a tumultuous time for the city, Tuttle recalled, as they grappled with things like traffic cameras, east Monroe, the property sale that eventually led to Walmart and the H3O cable wakeboard park. She immersed herself in city business, including Monroe's former downtown revitalization group, DREAM, and the U.S. 2 Safety Coalition, working to become acclimated to government processes.
She received guidance from Goering, who instilled in her the belief that serving on the council is a privilege and something to be approached with dedication. In her very early days as a councilmember, she considered missing a meeting, and sought advice from Goering.
"He said, "I don't know about you, but I try to never miss a meeting,' GÇ¥ Tuttle said. "So I adopted that.GÇ¥
During the 2011 election, she was challenged by Councilmember Jason Gamble, who won the seat. Deciding she wanted to remain in public service, she shifted gears, earning an appointment recommendation to the planning commission from former mayor Robert Zimmerman.
She enjoys her work on the commission. She is currently serving in her second term, after being recommended for reappointment last December by Monroe Mayor Geoffrey Thomas.
"Planning was such a better fit for me,GÇ¥ Tuttle said. "There's a lot more deliberation, there's a lot more discussion.GÇ¥
As a planning commissioner, Tuttle is part of a seven-member body responsible for discussing city land-use matters, holding hearings and listening to public testimony. The commission makes recommendations to the city council regarding things like zoning, municipal code revisions, allowable land uses and updates to the city's Comprehensive Plan.
"In planning commission, we're a little less formal and we can engage, because there's usually only one person there for a particular thing,GÇ¥ Tuttle said.
Tuttle is also the backbone of the popular Facebook group, You Had Me at Monroe, an online portal to community events, positive business reviews and general questions about Monroe. The group, which she founded after recognizing a need for a community bulletin board, boasts 6,610 members, who are able to engage with each other on Monroe-related topics.
Tuttle runs a tight ship, encouraging strict adherence to rules and policies designed to keep the group free from negativity and personal attacks.
"I got a lot of flak for my rules, but they are what they are and I believe in them,GÇ¥ Tuttle said.
Tuttle is looking forward to her future as a Monroe business owner. She isn't planning any major changes for the restaurant but will be offering online ordering and has extended business hours. She said she is excited about continuing to grow with the community.
Sahara is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
For more information about Sahara Pizza Monroe, visit www.facebook.com/saharapizzamonroe.Photos by Chris Hendrickson Sahara Pizza Monroe serves free pizza every year during the Monroe Fire Department Open House, which is held in October to coincide with Fire Prevention Week. Last year, Tuttle served around 844 guests, recruiting her daughter to help her serve.Tuttle took over ownership of Sahara Pizza Monroe toward the end of June. She looks forward to implementing online ordering, and has extended her business hours.
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