After many successful years in the brick and mortar restaurant industry, Gruppo Terroni launched an ambitious new concept: quality Italian food delivered to your door and your grocery store. PORTA (meaning both “door” and “carry” in Italian) began taking shape in 2021, but the team was still searching for their final ingredient — an ERP partner who could help them rise to the next level.

About PORTA, Tradizione Italiana

Cosimo “Cosi” Mammoliti, the founder of Gruppo Terroni, had been sharing his passion for Italian food for over thirty years. During the pandemic shutdown, his successful restaurant businesses faced the same challenges felt by food and hospitality services worldwide. Food was not only his livelihood but it was also his expression of love and care for others, so he knew that he had to shift his business model to meet the moment. PORTA became a take-home option that could serve the people of Toronto after the pandemic reshaped the dine-in food service industry. PORTA’s popularity boomed almost overnight, and it quickly evolved to become a grocery store and subscription offering. What was intended to be a temporary solution proved to be a permanent part of the Terroni product line.

Istvan Galambos, PORTA’s senior manager of the culinary division, joined the Terroni team in early 2022. With decades of experience in the industry, Istvan brought vast knowledge of fine dining, commissary operation, food manufacturing and consulting to the team. “PORTA’s popularity was immediate, and no one was ready for its fast take-off. I was hired specifically to create a structure for PORTA’s growth. It was uncharted territory for the Terroni team. Though they had mastered the art of restaurant operation, they needed someone with manufacturing and commissary experience,” said Istvan.

PORTA Launched in Just 10 Weeks with Wherefour

When PORTA first launched, they were operating out of Terroni’s existing kitchen spaces. That worked for a short time, but demand for their delicious at-home options quickly grew and they needed a bigger space. “We outgrew the Terroni commissary kitchen almost immediately. So we leased a bigger commercial space, bought an even bigger space, and started a huge renovation to create a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility,” said Istvan. All the while, he and the other chefs were managing their growing operation with spreadsheets and a patchwork of documents used in their previous kitchens. “It was working but we were growing fast, and we knew we needed to upgrade to an actual inventory management platform that could provide traceability for our whole operation,” he said.

Because their facility was under construction, they were up against a rapidly approaching start date. They had to have full operational capabilities by the time their manufacturing space was move-in ready, and the clock was ticking. “In the summer of 2023, we hired a project manager to find a best-in-class ERP partner. She presented us with a dozen options, and we narrowed it down to three or four who provided everything on our checklist. "What made Wherefour stand out,” remembered Istvan, “was their speed of onboarding. The other platforms could meet our operational needs at an affordable price point, but their onboarding processes were six months or more. We needed to be fully operational in eight to twelve weeks, and Wherefour made that happen.”

In late November and with the hands-on expertise of Wherefour’s Customer Success Team, PORTA began their initial data migration. “Our onboarding experience was quite comprehensive. Between the data migration, video tutorials and e-classes, the people at Wherefour made the training process unbelievably smooth. It felt like they were there for us full-time. They were answering emails almost immediately, they were available for team meetings, and their responses were detailed and thoughtful,” said Istvan.

In January 2024 after only 10 weeks, PORTA moved into their new facility and they were fully operational with Wherefour’s ERP platform. Integration with Wherefour offered seamless management of their manufacturing facility unifying their inventory, production, customer and vendor records. “Having every piece of data in one platform was a game changer from day one,” said Istvan. “We had orders lined up for when our facility was completed, and our sales were dependent on meeting our timeline. If we can make more pizza, then we can sell more pizza. It’s as simple as that, and Wherefour enabled our accomplishment.”

Certified and Scaling: PORTA’s Expansion Fueled by Wherefour’s Compliance Tools

In addition to unifying all aspects of their operation, Wherefour gave PORTA a huge advantage with their food safety certifications. “Right away we had an important round of inspections in order to gain GMP and SQF certification, and to be able to export our products into the U.S. We had previously been operating under other co-manufacturing certifications, so this was a big step for PORTA. Our first two-day audit was a huge success thanks to Wherefour’s cloud-based compliance capabilities,” said Istvan.

And with that milestone cleared, PORTA’s growth continued. PORTA is now operating across Canada and the United States with cold storage and distribution facilities in Toronto, Los Angeles and Chicago. “Wherefour allows us to have full visibility and accurate management at multiple locations. At any given moment, we know exactly what inventory we’re dealing with across an international operation. Employing a platform that takes the management problem solving off my shoulders has allowed me to put my energy 100% into the product. I used to have to create tools to solve problems; now Wherefour is the tool, and any challenges we face have a built-in solution,” he says.

Istvan isn’t the only member of the PORTA team who has experienced the benefits of partnering with Wherefour. When Wherefour unburdened the team from the complicated data management tasks, the freed up time allowed several people to move up and take on new roles. Nayana Patteril John was one of those people, and she is now PORTA’s warehouse & inventory coordinator. “On a day-to-day basis, we use Wherefour to manage production scheduling, inventory tracking, lot traceability, and raw material planning. The interface is intuitive, and having real-time visibility into inventory levels and production stages has helped us stay ahead of potential bottlenecks. Not only do the platform’s features help with inventory accuracy, they also support internal quality checks and operational transparency,” says Nayana.

Real Results, Real People: PORTA’s 75% Sales Surge with Wherefour’s Support

As PORTA looks to the future, they’re confident that growth is guaranteed. After one full year of managing operations with Wherefour, PORTA’s sales reflect clear advantages of adopting an ERP solution. “Our sales are up 75% from November 2023 to November 2024. With that increase, we anticipate them to be up another 40% by November 2025,” says Istvan.

Wherefour’s ability to tailor custom solutions is a game changer for this growing manufacturer. “Being able to tailor data views has made communication across teams much smoother and as a result, our decision-making is faster,” says Nayana. “And we’re able to explore further expansions, both in our facilities and in the market as a whole,” says Istvan.

Aside from the intuitive software solutions provided by Wherefour, the team at PORTA values one thing above everything else: the people. “The support from the Wherefour team is excellent. They’re responsive, knowledgeable, and open to feedback which makes a big difference when you’re working in a fast-paced production environment,” says Nayana. “And no matter what the future holds, we are confident that we can do it with Wherefour. Their team is made up of real people fostering real relationships. In an industry where collaborating with massive companies can make you feel like just another account, Wherefour’s personal touch is always appreciated,” adds Istvan.