Customer Stories

How Magnolia Bakery drove a 9.2% reduction in R&M in their first six months on ResQ

Key successes

9.2%

Reduction on R&M within first 6 months on ResQ

hours per month saved

consolidated approach to managing R&M

Company Background

Magnolia Bakery is a chain of bakeries renowned worldwide for their iconic cupcakes and banana pudding. The first location opened in 1996 in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan and they now operate over 10 locations in the U.S. with more than a dozen stores internationally. Magnolia plans to take their sweet treats to even more markets within the next few years 🎉 .

Challenge

Managing Multiple Locations with Limited Resources

Justin Jones, Facilities Manager at Magnolia Bakery since 2011, oversees facility operations across all U.S. locations. Before ResQ, the team faced several key challenges:

Managing 50-60 different invoices across multiple locations
Constant vendor follow-ups and coordination
Paper-based work order system that was difficult to track
Store managers juggling maintenance issues alongside their primary responsibilities
Time-consuming vendor relationship management
Difficulty in tracking maintenance history and costs per equipment

"Before ResQ, we used to have to call each individual vendor. We'd have to follow up with them consistently. We'd have to call them, call them, call them, get them here. And then when it came to billing time, we'd have 50, 60 different invoices for how many stores we have."

Solution

Streamlined Repair & Maintenance Management

After evaluating repairs & maintenance solutions for Magnolia Bakery, the team said ResQ was a “no-brainer” solution to implement.

No-hassle onboarding

Before ResQ, Magnolia's team spent countless hours managing vendor relationships, chasing invoices, and coordinating repairs across multiple locations. The new system automated these time-consuming tasks, freeing up approximately 12 hours per month for both the facilities team and store managers. This shift allowed the team to focus on strategic initiatives and store improvements rather than getting bogged down in day-to-day repair and maintenance coordination. The platform's centralized system eliminated the need for constant vendor follow-ups and simplified the entire billing process, transforming what was once a major time sink into a streamlined operation.

"You have a lot more time to focus on bigger projects. We're doing a refresh of our branding, doing new paint jobs, getting everything fixed that we've been wanting to fix for years, because I have the time to step away from the vendor contact side of things."

Simplified Work Order Management

ResQ transformed Magnolia's maintenance process into a streamlined operation by implementing a QR system for issue reporting. Store managers can now easily report issues, and Justin maintains a comprehensive view of all maintenance needs across locations, enabling better resource allocation and scheduling.

"ResQ's put me back in control of my schedule. ResQ streamlined things for me in a way that I can follow work orders in the past and future and it helps me set a timeline for my week. It helps me plan my week, my month, and plan my maintenance schedules."

Enhanced Preventive Maintenance

Implementing scheduled maintenance programs, particularly for HVAC and refrigeration systems, has significantly reduced emergency repairs and associated costs. The system allows for better tracking of equipment performance and maintenance history, leading to more informed decision-making about repairs versus replacements.

"Our budget and numbers have gone lower since finding good vendors that do it at a reasonable price. We're seeing less and less work orders come through for that equipment by having good vendors that actually do preventative maintenance.”

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Conclusion

The partnership has transformed Magnolia’s maintenance operations from a reactive, time-consuming process into a streamlined, proactive system that allows the team to focus on growth and improvement rather than day-to-day maintenance challenges.

When asked if he would recommend ResQ to peers, Justin responds: "I'd just ask those in restaurant facilities and operations if they want their lives to be easier and then go from there. That's all it comes down to. It's like would you rather spend your days planning all of this yourself or would you rather have help."

"At Magnolia Bakery, we appreciate the relationship with ResQ because it really has helped us save our time, money, and sanity at the end of the day."

"Our budget and numbers have gone lower since finding good vendors that do it at a reasonable price. We're seeing less and less work orders come through for that equipment by having good vendors that actually do preventative maintenance."