48%
year-over-year increase in overall DoorDash sales
2,688
new customers acquired from a DoorDash promotion
Meet Fiorella
Nestled in the heart of San Francisco's Richmond District, Fiorella is a beloved Italian restaurant that has mastered the balance between neighborhood charm and high-quality dining.
Founded in 2016 by Brandon Gillis and Boris Nemchenok, Fiorella's mission is to create a true neighborhood restaurant serving the needs of the community every day of the week — from weeknight family dinners, to business meals, date nights, and family celebrations in the back patio. With a carefully curated Italian menu featuring California influences, Fiorella today operates four locations across San Francisco.
Embracing delivery from the start
Fiorella recognized early on that delivery would be a crucial part of their business model. Given the complexity of managing an in-house delivery fleet, Gillis and his team partnered with Caviar and later DoorDash to streamline operations.
"We tried running our own delivery and it was extremely hard — the challenge of managing drivers, getting orders out on time, and managing the food. We liked the ease and execution of DoorDash and it was aligned with our brand more than other delivery platforms."
Going exclusive with DoorDash
For years, Fiorella worked with multiple delivery platforms, but in June 2024, they made the strategic decision to go exclusive with DoorDash. "Compared to other delivery platforms, DoorDash looks at restaurants as partners instead of sources of revenue," said Gillis.
Fiorella's DoorDash account manager was a big factor in their decision to go exclusive: "I felt like someone was listening to me, working with me to solve problems, and giving me the data that I asked for," Gillis explained. "That helped solidify my belief that we can drop the other delivery platforms and still achieve the sales through just DoorDash."
"I really feel like DoorDash is a partner. And I was starting to see the full landscape of how this can really work and we can benefit from it. We both want this to be a partnership where we achieve goals together."
By consolidating their delivery efforts with an exclusive DoorDash partnership, Fiorella was able to optimize their operations, reduce complexity, and maximize their marketing impact. "Having one third-party platform is systematically so much easier for my team," Gillis said. "It's great having a consolidated, easy-to-use platform where we know our photos are consistent everywhere, we can control DoorDash marketing universally, and we're not dealing with multiple menus and tablets."
The decision paid off — today, Gillis says that Fiorella's sales exclusively through DoorDash far exceed their total combined sales from multiple third-party delivery platforms.
Leveraging the full suite of DoorDash products
Since going exclusive, Fiorella has fully integrated DoorDash's suite of tools to drive growth.
Online Ordering
DoorDash Online Ordering allows Fiorella to set up delivery and pickup ordering on their own website, commission-free. They also added the Online Ordering 'Smart Button' to their website, giving customers a clear way to place orders.
After switching to DoorDash Online Ordering in April 2024, Fiorella saw a 12% increase in online order volume and a 7% increase in total sales in the first quarter. Overall, Fiorella has generated $620,000 in sales from Online Ordering and increased their conversion rate from 30% to 40%.
Marketplace
They use Marketplace, DoorDash's flagship product, to offer delivery and pickup to customers in the neighborhood. As part of their Marketplace plan, Fiorella is enrolled in DashPass, helping them reach DoorDash's most engaged customers with $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees, and also offers alcohol delivery.
Comparing Q4 2024 to Q4 2023, Fiorella saw a 36% increase in same-store DoorDash sales, and a 48% increase overall when including their new store location.
Marketing tools to acquire loyal customers
Fiorella leverages a variety of promotions to drive sales and acquire customers on DoorDash, including First Order, $0 Delivery Fee, discounts for new customers, and item discounts. Fiorella also runs evergreen in-app ads (known as Sponsored Listings) across all locations to boost visibility.
Since November 2024, their First Order, $0 Delivery Fee discount has resulted in 2,688 new customers, $145,000 in sales, and a 26% reorder rate — meaning a quarter of their new DoorDash customers come back for more.
"We're doing a BOGO [buy one get one] margherita pizza promotion that absolutely crushes it," noted Gillis. In fact, this popular promotion has generated $135,000 in sales since launch.
"It took some time, and we pay for the cost of acquisition, but we now know that if we can acquire customers on DoorDash and get them into our loyalty program, it's going to have a big effect on repeat business."
Fiorella uses DoorDash Loyalty to turn new customers into regulars, offering a $15 discount after three orders. "Loyalty has been terrific on DoorDash Marketplace," said Gillis. Since implementing Loyalty, Fiorella's monthly active customers increased by 139%, with a 23% higher average order value than non-Loyalty customers.
Finally, Fiorella leverages DoorDash Capital to get access to financing, giving them the flexibility to continue to grow even in an unpredictable economic environment. The restaurant used the funding for operational expenses as well as opening a new location.
How Fiorella optimizes their DoorDash business
The Fiorella team has implemented several techniques to help drive DoorDash sales and ensure efficient operations:
Add high-quality menu photos: Gillis understands the importance of using menu photos to drive delivery sales: "Our menu rotates seasonally, so scheduling quarterly photoshoots to get consistent photos of our food has been incredibly helpful."
Taste test delivery food: Maintaining the quality of Fiorella's handmade pastas and woodfired pizzas is a priority for Gillis, so the team regularly tests their food after sitting in a delivery bag for 30 minutes. "We taste test all the time to try and maintain the quality as best as possible," explained Gillis. "For example, pasta firms up over time, so we add extra sauce when it's for delivery."
Offer a streamlined menu for delivery: "We limit our menu — not significantly, but enough so we're not bogged down in terms of packaging," recommended Gillis.
Explore various packaging options: Gillis and his team actively look at different types of takeout containers and materials to determine what yields the best results and maintains the quality of their food.
What's next for Fiorella? Innovation and human connection
In the coming years, Gillis wants to explore bold new ventures, such as a delivery-focused pizza and pasta bar run entirely on DoorDash — no POS system needed. "Something like that is really interesting and innovative to me," he explained. Fiorella is also testing catering on DoorDash to drive incremental revenue, and they're planning to expand into more Bay Area neighborhoods.
And while Fiorella is experimenting with next-generation technologies like an AI maitre'd, Gillis firmly believes that the heart of hospitality will always be human: "People want connection. Restaurants and food touch all of our senses and provide an experience that people will always crave."
Fiorella’s partnership with DoorDash has been instrumental in its growth and long-term sustainability — providing the data, tools, and top-line revenue needed to navigate today's restaurant landscape. As Fiorella continues to expand, its commitment to high-quality food, community-driven hospitality, and smart business strategies will ensure they remain a neighborhood favorite for years to come.
