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Bella Italia is a family business - two American families who manage the Bella Italia store and website and a network of Italian artisans, many of them family run businesses, who have dedicated their lives to producing one of a kind foods and household products that border on the artistic. Together, the Bella Italia family shares a love of the simple pleasures of life, like a nice meal shared with family and friends at a beautiful table.
We at Bella Italia have experienced that sense of well being -- la dolce vita -- during our travels in Italy and it is our desire to bring that feeling to these shores and to share our experiences with you and your family that led us to establish Bella Italia. Check out our bios to learn more about us. Or click on a link to the right to find out more information about the craftsmen and women with whom we are proud to work and whose labors we share with you. |
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William Menard |
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Bill Menard, together with Suzy Menard and Paolo Monti, founded Cucina Italiana, the predecessor to Bella Italia, in 2000. Bill travels frequently to Italy to manage supplier relationships and to identify new products for import. He is responsible for shipping and import compliance issues.
Bill first fell in love with Italy on a school trip in 1978. He returned to Italy for the summer of 1990 as a law student, spending a summer semester in Florence and studying at the European Union University in Fiesole. He has travelled extensively in northern Italy and speaks passable Italian. |
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Suzy Menard |
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Suzy Menard, together with Wendy Goldberg, manages Bella Italia, our retail store in Bethesda, Maryland. Together with Wendy, she is chief buyer and manages store and web inventory.
Suzy first travelled to Italy in 1990 with her husband Bill, spending the summer discovering the treasures of Florence with their one year old son while her husband studied law at the European Union University. That initial trip fostered a love of Italy that has brought her back an average of two to three times a year ever since. |
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