Bringing handcrafted gelato to the world with Slack
Messina has been delighting Australians with handcrafted gelato since opening its first store in Darlinghurst more than 20 years ago. From the first scoop, every flavour has been made from scratch in their Sydney factory with milk from the Messina farm.
With over 30 locations across Australia, a store in Hong Kong, and plans to expand to Singapore and New York, the team faced growing challenges: keeping communication clear, processes consistent, and every store aligned.
“We were using text messages, Viber, WhatsApp, emails, phone calls – you name it. There were too many apps, and we never really knew which one to use,” says Emiliano Yafar, Head of Food Technology, QA and Supply Chain at Messina.
“It was hard to keep up with so many different types of communications on a daily basis,” adds Sian Bishop, Head of Brand and Marketing.
Looking for a better way to connect the supply chain, Messina turned to Slack.
“We started using Slack about 5 or 6 years ago, and it just stuck instantly. It made it so easy for us to communicate on a team level,” says Bishop.
Initially adopted by the marketing and factory teams, Slack was rolled out to the entire organisation and all stores in mid-2024. Today, it connects every part of Messina’s operations — from production to logistics to retail stores — on one platform.
“Having Slack bring all of our communications into one place has been invaluable as we grow,” says Bishop. “Slack is going to be a major part of our international expansion plans.”
Having Slack bring all of our communications into one place has been invaluable as we grow. Slack is going to be a major part of our international expansion plans.
Connecting teams across the supply chain
Before Slack, sharing critical information during product development was slow and manual, relying on verbal updates and siloed systems.
“We’d actually have to walk up to the chefs and ask them for things like a description of a product or allergy information,” recalls Bishop.
Without a centralised system, keeping the team informed required individuals to act as go-betweens.
As Yafar explains, “I used to be the link connecting all the departments, making sure information got to the right people. It left too much room for things to slip through the cracks.”
With Slack, Messina has streamlined its supply chain, creating one central platform for communication between HQ and the factory.
“The speed of communication has completely changed,” says Bishop. “Having all the relevant parties in one Slack channel has eliminated siloed information and reduced errors.”
With Slack’s easy-to-use mobile app, the factory team and chefs can respond quickly, no matter where they are. “We can message our chefs in Slack and get an instant response because they can reply on their mobiles,” Bishop says.
Slack channels have also transformed how Messina collaborates on custom products, from recipe development to marketing planning to store rollouts.
“Before Slack, custom product development was a very manual process. Now, we can put all the relevant parties in one channel so everybody can see the end-to-end process,” explains Bishop.
Keeping gelato cabinets stocked and customers happy
For Messina, fully stocked cabinets are essential to keeping customers happy. In the past, production delays weren’t always communicated to stores in time, leading to missing flavours and disappointed customers.
Take Pistachio Praline, for example. If a customer walked in expecting their favourite flavour and it wasn’t available, that created an experience Messina wanted to avoid.
Now Slack makes it easy to flag potential stock issues early, giving stores the time to prepare and prevent disruptions.
“With Slack, we can communicate with the factory and let the stores know if they’re going to have any issues with stock in advance, so they can plan to avoid having that gap in the cabinet,” says Yafar.
Slack also helps ensure that bespoke and limited-edition products are delivered on time and hassle-free.
“Having all the teams and departments across the supply chain integrated into Slack guarantees that when a customer goes to the store to pick up a bespoke item or a limited edition product, everything runs smoothly,” Yafar explains.
With Slack, we can communicate with the factory and let the stores know if they’re going to have any issues with stock in advance, so they can plan to avoid having that gap in the cabinet.
Slack Connect speeds up collaboration with vendors
In the past, Messina’s teams relied on phone calls and emails to work with external partners, losing time chasing updates and tracking errors.
With Slack Connect, Messina has reimagined collaboration with delivery companies and other vendors. Shared channels bring internal teams and external partners together in one place for faster, clearer communications and problem-solving.
“Slack Connect is one of my favourite features, and I’m always delighted when other companies are on Slack. Having a shared channel with another company really helps speed up communication,” says Bishop.
Setting store managers up for smoother shifts
Before Slack, passing updates between shifts — like cash variances and stock issues — was inconsistent, leading to confusion and extra work in the mornings.
“Our old chat was really messy. There was no template,” recalls Tanya Thongpanich, Store Manager at Messina. Without a clear system, details were often missed or incomplete.
Now, nightly store recaps shared in each store’s Slack channel provide managers with all the information they need to begin their day. “Because I get store recaps every night, I save about 15 minutes every morning before I start my shift,” says Thongpanich.
Slack simplifies how information is shared between shifts, keeping teams connected and focused on delivering the exceptional customer experience Messina is known for.
As Thongpanich explains: “Information and communication go hand in hand. When our staff have the information they need, they can provide excellent service to customers.”
