Franchising

Due Cucina opens 2nd location

Provided

November 3, 2020

Seattle-based Due Cucina is opening its second location next month in Kirkland, Washington's The Village at Totem Lake, 12670 120th Avenue NE, Suite 170.

"We appeal to foodies and discerning diners who love Italian food but don't want to break the bank to eat it," co-founder Davide Macchi said in a company press release. "They can taste the depth of flavors and authenticity of our dishes, which they crave. We have always known that our vision for Due Cucina and our strategic plan called for replication and expansion. We think that high volume, urban and suburban locations are the right fit for our growth. The profile of the tenants at the Village at Totem Lake are the right mix of like-minded quality brands that share our sensibility. The outdoor-oriented design of Totem Lake and the demographic diversity of Kirkland will draw a wide range of age groups."

When Macchi and Filippo Fiori opened the first Due Cucina in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood in 2016, the impetus was to celebrate their Italian heritage through the food and recipes cooked for generations by their families. That meant making their pasta by hand each day; seeking the finest local ingredients from trusted sources, even though they may come at a higher price; and deploying technology for self-service, speedy ordering.

Macchi and Fiori have been friends for years, attending school together in Italy's Tuscany region. Following high school, they each worked summer jobs as waiters in London. After University, graduate studies took Fiori to Canada, then China, where he completed a Ph.D. in nuclear science and technology at Tsinghua University. While there, he taught Italian cooking classes and appeared regularly on a television cooking show. Macchi's undergrad degree came from the University of Bologna, followed by an MBA from MIT's Sloan School of Management.

As executive chef, Fiori deploys principles of the "slow food movement," fostering the preparation and eating of locally sourced foods and celebrating Italian heritage and culture within a fast casual format.

"Cooking is an integral part of my Italian DNA," he said.

A stickler for tradition, everything is made from scratch at Due Cucina but the bread. And once space permits, Fiori said he will make the focaccia and other bread, too. Pasta, handmade throughout the day and a mainstay of the menu, motivates Fiori to direct his attention toward finding exactly the right sustainably processed flour. He purchases prime cuts of meat from regional ranchers and grinds it to create his blend of pork and beef for Bolognese ragú. Instead of purchasing, he cures his pork to create guanciale-an Italian cured meat prepared from pork jowl and ages the meat for two months in a dedicated refrigerator, according to the release.