From Arancini al Parmigiano to Wild Mushroom Cannelloni, Fiorella serves delectable Italian dishes to countless customers across its four popular San Francisco locations. But, before it became the established restaurant group it is today, Fiorella was just an idea dreamt up by two colleagues: Brandon Gillis and Boris Nemchenok.
When Gillis and Nemchenok joined forces in 2016, they shared a mission to create a neighborhood restaurant perfect for every occasion — from first dates to business dinners to Grandpa's birthday. Since opening their first location in the Richmond District, Fiorella has become a beloved San Francisco staple, allowing Gillis and Nemchenok to expand their community-driven vision across the city.
The challenge: A changing city
As a classically trained chef with over 20 years of experience in the restaurant world, Gillis is no stranger to the ups and downs of the hospitality industry. But in late 2022, Fiorella faced unique financial challenges, requiring an equally unique solution.
Due to San Francisco's decline in tourism and a massive increase in remote work, the crowds that had once filled San Francisco's streets and patronized local restaurants had dwindled. These shifts caused inconsistent and unpredictable sales for Fiorella, making it hard for Gillis to ensure cash flow and forecast the business' future.
The solution: Convenient financing through DoorDash
Gillis leveraged DoorDash Capital to maintain stability during a period where Fiorella saw wide variation in revenue month-to-month.
With DoorDash Capital, merchants can access fair and convenient financing to cover unexpected expenses, open a new location, invest in improved equipment, and more. There is one flat fee paid over the term of the advance, and payments are based on a fixed percentage of their gross DoorDash sales.
In Fiorella's case, Gillis uses DoorDash Capital to fund the everyday operational expenses of his growing business. Gillis signed up for DoorDash Capital through the Merchant Portal and received funds within three to four days.
"Using DoorDash Capital has been super easy. There haven't been a ton of hiccups or anything and we generally recieve funds in about 72 hours — four days max. It's a pretty efficient process."
The results: A flexible future
The influx of cash Gillis obtained through DoorDash Capital gave his team the financial flexibility they needed to hit yet another exciting milestone in 2024: opening a new location in Noe Valley.
Due to the variable timelines and costs associated with real estate assets and construction, having working capital at their fingertips was key to making their Noe Valley restaurant a reality. Today, the Noe Valley location is thriving, generating strong sales and giving them the momentum to continue expanding.
"The flexibility that DoorDash Capital has provided us is really about helping us be stable with cash flow and weather some challenging times."
In addition to expansion, Fiorella also turns to DoorDash Capital for operational expenses, such as equipment maintenance or large repairs. "We've used the funding for general stability and working capital, like when we needed to purchase a large piece of equipment or fund a new project quickly," explained Gillis. "It's nice having the capital available so we don't have to pull from our normal operations."
DoorDash Capital has helped Fiorella not only withstand but also grow in an uncertain and unpredictable market. And, they're not done expanding their business yet — with more locations on the horizon, the future is very bright for Gillis and the entire Fiorella team.
"DoorDash Capital is a short-term solution that allows us to work on a long-term goal."
Interested in learning more about Fiorella's journey with DoorDash? Read their success story.
