Rifugio Paion
https://www.rifugiopaion.it/
Country: Italy
Sector: Foodservice
The Rifugio Paion is located at 2,250 meters above Cavalese, in Val di Fiemme (Trentino). It is a family-run business: Michele Defrancesco has been running it with his family since 2000.
What makes this context unique is not only the altitude, but also the volumes: during peak season the lodge handles around 700–800 covers per day, with all the logistical complexity that comes with working in the mountains (supplies, timing, and team organization).
The challenge for Rifugio Paion
In 2025 the lodge faced an important decision: a full renovation with the transition from a gas kitchen to an electric kitchen, introducing more advanced technologies to support the pace of service.
In a high-altitude environment, with heavy workloads and frequent peaks, the need was clear:
- Standardize quality;
- Reduce “hands-on supervision” time;
- Make the kitchen more efficient, without compromising the result on the plate.
That’s why, among the new equipment introduced, Rifugio Paion chose Figaro Firex, a 100-liter industrial braising pan, capable of handling different recipes and, above all, working with configurable programs and phases to achieve repeatable results even with large quantities.
What the customer says
According to Michele, Firex technology has provided decisive support in day-to-day operations: the ability to set up recipes and replicate them consistently makes it possible to maintain high standards even with large volumes (meat, vegetables, soups) and under demanding operating conditions.
Chef Junior Da Silva also confirms the step change: “We use Figaro every day for preparations such as tomato sauce and goulash, to cook pasta, braise meat, and above all for pressure cooking. Since it came into the kitchen, we load the recipe and the machine works completely autonomously: this allows us to reach service calmer and with the certainty that each portion will be identical to the previous one, ensuring perfect repeatability.”
The benefits are also reflected in organization:
- fewer hours “stuck at the stoves”,
- very fast cleaning,
- greater ability to handle peaks
- more time for order and kitchen management.
Junior shares a concrete example: the stew went from three hours to about one hour thanks to pressure cooking, without the need for constant supervision, because “technology takes care of everything with no margin for error”.
Finally, a key point: onboarding was easy thanks to training with the Firex chef, and in just a few days the team was already autonomous. The final message is clear: automation doesn’t take creativity away—it amplifies it. “The machine doesn’t replace you: it frees you to do what you truly love—create.”
Michele Defrancesco – owner of Rifugio Paion: “I feel confident recommending Figaro by Firex to my colleagues, especially those with high production volumes who need this kind of technological support.”
