Customer Stories
How Due' Cucina Took Control Of Their Repairs & Maintenance While Saving 7 Hours A Week
Key successes
Company Background
Established in 2017 in Seattle, WA, Due' Cucina is dedicated to bringing the heart, soul, and authentic taste of Italy to local neighborhoods. Breaking the mold of American perceptions of Italian dining, Due’ Cucina offers a genuine culinary experience beyond typical chain offerings.
Under the leadership of Co-Founder, Filippo Fiori, Due’ Cucina has expanded to four locations, with ambitious plans for further growth to 30 locations. Filippo, an engineer by training, has been integral in maintaining the company’s operational efficiency and high standards, ensuring each restaurant location functions smoothly to deliver exceptional dining experiences.
Challenge
Before integrating ResQ into its operations, Due’ Cucina faced challenges managing maintenance across multiple locations.
Filippo, who initially handled most maintenance tasks, found the manual system of calendars, emails, and Excel files unsustainable as the company grew. “We tried to keep track of refrigeration and equipment maintenance with calendars for each location, emails, and Excel files. It didn’t work. Expenses weren’t readily available, and managers didn’t understand how much they were spending.”
Operational inefficiencies were another major issue, with frequent equipment breakdowns causing disruptions.
A notable incident involved a missed hydro-jetting service that led to a significant financial loss during their biggest day of the year:
“During our first year operating in Seattle's Capitol Hill, we faced a major sewage backup during the Pride Parade, costing us $3,600 in emergency repairs. To prevent future issues, we implemented yearly jetting maintenance. However, two years ago, the jetting company failed to perform the maintenance, causing another backup and a $3,600 repair during the parade weekend. Instead of being ready to serve customers the day we expected a 50% increase in business, we had to hire another company to sanitize everything. It was chaos.”
Vendor management was also problematic, with Filippo recounting how unreliable vendors exacerbated operational issues.
The lack of a centralized system for managing warranties and maintenance history further complicated vendor interactions and increased costs. “Across our restaurants, some have equipment that is six years old, others are completely new, and some are a mix. So when we called for repairs, service providers never knew if the equipment was under warranty, nor did they care if they were getting paid from us or the manufacturer, it didn't make a difference for them, so that was costing us money.”
Solution
Filippo evaluated three solutions - 86 Repairs, Ecotrak, and ResQ.
With 86 - he didn’t like that they were a phone based solution and with Ecotrak - he thought the interface was outdated and one that his team wouldn’t use as it was clunky. When evaluating ResQ, he found the interface immediately intuitive, loved the fact that ResQ’s team takes care of the maintenance plans, and believed that it was an easy to adopt solution for his team.
The transition to ResQ marked a transformative change for Due’ Cucina’s repair and maintenance management.
ResQ provided a comprehensive and user-friendly platform that centralized all repair and maintenance activities, making scheduling, tracking, and managing tasks easy.
“Before my team would tell me the refrigerator was not working. When the technician showed up in two days, the technician would tell my team they needed a part. Which part? My team didn’t know, so I had to call the technician again to see which part and when they’d get it. It always felt like I had to stay alert of everything and made it easy for me to drop the ball. With ResQ, this is no more.”
Operational efficiency improved dramatically as the Due’ Cucina team became more empowered to handle minor maintenance issues independently and save Filippo time.
“I used to spend 7 hours weekly on repair and maintenance tasks. Now, it’s just 10 minutes for reviewing and approving invoices.”
ResQ helps with asset management by having a full history on every piece of equipment.
“Before, if I had a problem with the hood system, I’d have to dig through invoices to figure out previous repairs and if it was the same problem and still under warranty. Now, I can quickly check the equipment’s history in ResQ, and pinpoint if this was a prior problem in minutes. It saves me money knowing if this is under warranty.”
ResQ streamlined vendor management.
ResQ provided a vetted network of reliable service providers and simplifying the maintenance history and warranty tracking processes. This allowed Filippo to hold vendors accountable and avoid unnecessary costs.
“I was unhappy with a vendor. I asked for help finding a new one and got two quotes. I accepted one, and now my HVAC work is timely and cost-effective, thanks to ResQ. They connected me with a vendor I would never have found on my own.”
In addition, ResQ’s customer success team helped Filippo to stay on top of potential compliance issues that he himself wasn’t even aware of:
“ResQ also saved me from a fire violation due to hood cleaning. I thought it only needed inspection, not cleaning, but ResQ’s team flagged it for me. Otherwise, I might have forgotten for years until someone from the fire marshal would ask.”
ResQ's a scalable partner in supporting Due’ Cucina’s ambitious expansion plans.
The platform’s proactive approach to setting up maintenance plans and vendor relationships for new locations ensured seamless operational integration.
“We’re opening one location in Dallas, Texas. I know nobody in Dallas. I don’t want to go through the vetting process like I did here in Seattle where to arrive at my maintenance person for refrigeration I had to use four different companies and be screwed by three before getting the right one. I just want to have one that has been vetted already. ResQ ensures that we’re onboarding quality vendors for the new location.”
By adopting ResQ, Due’ Cucina significantly enhanced its maintenance management, leading to improved operational efficiency and cost savings. This partnership has not only addressed the immediate challenges but also laid a strong foundation for scalable growth, supporting Due’ Cucina’s mission to deliver authentic Italian dining experiences across an expanding footprint.
“Before, my philosophy was really hands-on. Multiple calls, follow-ups, etc. Right now? Nothing. I can check ResQ in a minute on my Daily Menu to see all updates and approve invoices.”
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