Keeping It in the Family 26

areas), Scott is determined to give insurance companies a better name; his favorite part is helping people get back on their feet. And after seeing the response to the recent Caldor Fire, Scott has full faith that Lake Tahoe is one of the best places to be in times when disaster strikes.

“There’s an intrinsic value for Tahoe that can be underwritten for. In this last fire, departments from all over the country came to save this place, it’s the jewel of the West. Tahoe is so responsive…if you look at the numbers, there’s zero change in risk in the last 30-40 years. I’m incredibly grateful for everything the fire departments have done for our communities,” Scott says.

Although his dad Mike stepped back from the day-today operations in June 2021, he is still active with local fire boards to help keep people insured in this area.

“I’m in a business when I see people at their worst and nothing makes me more pleased than to give them a check and help them rebuild. It’s part of an effort to give insurance a better name in the industry,” he says.

Azzara’s

On a weekday night in the shoulder season, people are trickling into the popular IV Italian restaurant to get hearty, traditional meals crafted with love.

Azzara’s has been around since 1956, when Sam Azzara used his mother Vita’s recipes to open a restaurant in Stanton, California. He relocated to Incline Village in 1978 and opened a location here, quickly becoming an integral part of the community.

Meanwhile, Sam’s youngest daughter Andrea graduated from IHS and went to school at University of Nevada, Las Vegas on the millennial scholarship. She loved to cook and graduated with a degree in culinary arts management, moving back to Northern Nevada. In 2007, Andrea and her husband, Cord Gitchell, took over Azzara’s.

A lot has changed over the years, but Azzara’s has come out stronger than ever. Sam passed away in 2018 and the Gitchells are currently raising three sons: 15-year-old Tate, 12-year-old Dane, and 9-year-old Mac. Especially during the pandemic, it helped to have them around.

“Tate is old enough to work now, it’s a huge gamechanger. He helps me unload food, he busses tables; he’s just as capable as any of my adult staff,” Andrea says. She also credits the continued success of Azzara’s to their ability to adapt quickly, implementing carry out, online ordering, and delivery services when they reopened.

Azzara’s treats their staff well, allowing them to keep 100 percent of their employees when things started opening back up. For instance, just look at head chef Valentina Medina and Zoelia Medina who’ve been with the restaurant for more than 40 years.

When asked whether her sons have expressed interest in taking over Azzara’s, Andrea replies, “Hopefully one of them will take it over. They’ve all talked about it… one will say, ‘When I run this place, I’m going to be the bartender and you’re going to do dishes or something like that,’ but that’s just them being boys,” she smiles. However, Andrea is adamant about encouraging her children to follow their hearts and pursue their own interests.

Only time will tell…Andrea and Cord were young when they took over the business and still have a lot of years left. And although it’s hard running Azzara’s without her dad around, fortunately being involved in the restaurant helps keep his memory alive.

“People loved to see him, running around bussing tables, and we were always telling him to slow down,” Andrea says.