March 16, 2020 | SF Responds to COVID-19 with Stay-at-Home Order

"The Shutdown" – A coalition of six Bay Area counties (San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Marin, Contra Costa, and Alameda) announces a blanket shelter-in-place order, legally requiring residents to stay home except for essential tasks. Restaurants and coffee shops must shift to takeout and delivery only.

"Challenge Accepted" – Cotogna, a beloved Italian restaurant known for house-made pastas, wood-fired meats, and farm-driven menus, had never offered takeout before. But within days, we pivoted to a fully digital ordering platform with contactless pickup and delivery.

March 17, 2020 | The Challenges.

Launching a takeout program from scratch presented unique challenges:

Speed to Market – Time was critical. We needed to launch immediately to minimize losses and make use of prepped ingredients.
Order Timing & Pacing – Orders had to be capped and staggered to maintain food quality and accommodate kitchen prep times.
Inventory Management – A daily-changing menu required real-time updates on available dishes.
Customization Needs – The system had to factor in sales tax, SF mandates, service charges, and delivery parameters.
User Experience – The platform had to be seamless for both customers placing orders and the team managing the backend.

March 18, 2020 | Building the Solution.

Our goal was simple: create a payment-processing system that could handle preorders efficiently. After evaluating various platforms, we chose CognitoForms for its flexibility, ease of setup, and low cost.

Why CognitoForms?

Preorder Functionality – Forms were designed to reflect each day’s menu and pacing, allowing guests to plan ahead.
Full Customization – Every aspect—menu items, pricing, taxes, and delivery parameters—could be tailored to our needs.
Low Cost – The platform was free to test and remained cost-effective throughout the program.

I led the form creation, configuring all necessary parameters and rigorously testing the checkout process for accuracy and usability. Working closely with web developer, we designed a landing page to host the daily forms, display the week’s menu, and provide clear ordering instructions.

On March 19, 2020, Cotogna at Home launched and fulfilled its first takeout orders.

Impact

With no existing takeout program, Cotogna quickly adapted to an entirely new digital-first operation. The Cotogna at Home initiative successfully:

Generated immediate revenue during restaurant closures
Provided seamless ordering for guests while maintaining food quality
Allowed the restaurant to continue supporting local farms and purveyors

This project demonstrated our agility, smart digital solutions, and thoughtful design, turning a crisis into a new revenue stream opportunity.

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