Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Davide Macchi, co-founder and CEO of Due' Cucina Italiana, located in Seattle, WA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Due’ Cucina's makes authentic Italian cuisine, particularly fresh pasta, affordable and accessible to everyone. Our concept, which I ideated with a high-school friend from Italy in 2014, was developed and incubated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2015-16 and launched the first store in Seattle in 2017. Currently, Due' is operating three locations in the Seattle area, with one more location under construction.
Dining at Due’ is a completely different experience from other Italian restaurants. We reinvented the casual-dining experience for authentic Italian cuisine by combining high food standards, beautiful dish presentations, and a welcoming atmosphere, typically found in a fine-dining establishment, with the operational excellence, technology, and standardization of counter-service models. As a result, we are able to deliver a unique menu that meets or exceeds the quality provided by the best fine dining Italian restaurants for just a fraction of the price.
Tell us about yourself
Before opening Due' Cucina with my co-founder, I worked in a variety of roles in the corporate world, ranging from management consulting to e-commerce and software. I had some great employers (my last gig was at Amazon), but I always wished I had more freedom to make strategic decisions without going through all of the approval steps typical of corporate organizations. I also wished to be in closer contact with customers and employees than I could be at a large organization. These objectives got me to entrepreneurship and still motivate me today.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
To be able to survive the many challenges that Covid-19 posed us, and indeed use them as a forcing function to improve our off-premise experience. We were able to grow a strong online ordering business, both take-out and delivery, and keep our entire workforce employed throughout the entirety of the pandemic.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Economic uncertainty driven by pandemic, inflation, and labor shortage makes operating a business today much harder than it was just 3-4 years ago.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start with an MVP and iterate, rather than investing a lot of money on your first version of your product. You don't want to burn all of your cash onto something if you don't know yet if customers will like it
- Life is better with a co-founder who is also a friend! Pick someone who's not only good at their job but that you are also happy to spend time with. I did, and it's paying off.
- Start thinking about your corporate culture early.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://duecucina.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/duecucinaitaliana
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/davmacchi/
https://www.instagram.com/duecucina/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/duecucina
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidemacchi/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.