Publications

03 Aug 2022
News

Hungry for Change

Management consulting doesn’t lend itself to a balanced diet. Always on the go for her projects at Kurt Salmon, Kate Flynn (MBA 2012) would grab whatever packaged food appeared healthiest to her. For a long time, she sought low-calorie... View Details

Keywords: April White

January 1994
Case

National Convenience Stores, Inc.

By: Steven R. Fenster, Stuart C. Gilson and Roy Burstin

National Convenience Stores seeks to emerge from Chapter 11. Central to the nature of the reorganization plan is the company's determining enterprise value. The various constituencies (secured debt, unsecured debt, etc.) will seek to find an enterprise value that... View Details

Keywords: Capital Structure; Valuation; Restructuring; Strategic Planning; Borrowing and Debt; Food and Beverage Industry; Texas

September 2006
Case

Earthbound Farm

By: William A. Sahlman and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld

Describes a set of decisions confronting the senior management of Earthbound Farm, the largest organic produce company in the world. Focuses on what to do with an East Coast distribution center that is losing money but may be useful strategically. View Details

Keywords: Plant-Based Agribusiness; Distribution; Food; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Management Teams; Capital Budgeting; Business or Company Management; Business Strategy; Corporate Finance; Food and Beverage Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry

Find at Harvard

01 Jun 2016
News

Feedback

This pioneering effort is now a multibillion-dollar industry. —Donn Walklet (MBA 1976) via alumni.hbs.edu Community from Cuisine Re: Doug Duda (MBA 1985) Food is love, and love drives consumer behavior. As... View Details

28 Jun 2017
Research & Ideas

Minimum Wage Hikes Drive (Lousy) Restaurants Out of Business

Fittest: The Impact of the Minimum Wage on Firm Exit. One lesson is clear: Businesses that provide higher-quality service and maintain a solid reputation can become more insulated from market shocks, such as increases in fixed costs. The... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Food & Beverage

01 Mar 2014
News

Cutting Edge

an executive at several food companies, Silk had revived other century-old brands such as Jell-O, Lea & Perrins, Hebrew National, and Armour. Based on those successes, New York–based hedge fund York Capital... View Details

Keywords: Food and Beverage Stores; Food and Beverage Stores; Food and Beverage Stores

25 Aug 2022
News

Comfort Zone

food and beverage or retail opportunities along the journey,” Fraser says. That and other technology can be adapted to reduce anxiety, improve... View Details

Career Coach

Deborah Resnick

Deborah (HBS '06) has deep expertise in consulting (breaking into consulting, navigating a career in consulting, and breaking out!), complemented by a diverse set of operational and managerial experience... View Details

Keywords: Consulting; Consumer Products; Retail

December 2022 (Revised July 2023)
Case

Applegate Farms

By: Forest L. Reinhardt, José B. Alvarez and Natalie Kindred

Keywords: Agribusiness; Food; Consumer Behavior; Animal-Based Agribusiness; Brands and Branding; Integration; Strategy; Change Management; Change; Organizational Structure; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; United States

November 2002 (Revised June 2003)
Case

Monsanto: Leadership in a New Environment

By: Ray A. Goldberg, James Weber and James M Beagle

Monsanto is the biotechnology leader in agriculture. How does it use its leadership in Round Up to fund long-term research and development in biotechnology that is acceptable to the priority system of consumers in different parts of the world? Includes color exhibits. View Details

Keywords: Research and Development; Science-Based Business; Food; Business or Company Management; Agribusiness; Industry Growth; Customer Focus and Relationships; Globalization; Leadership; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; United States

August 1994
Case

Kirin Brewery Company, Ltd.

Describes the introduction of two profit planning and control systems at Kirin as part of its shift from a production-oriented to a consumer-oriented strategy. Specifically, documents Kirin's use of profit centers to increase efficiency and its use of pseudo profit... View Details

Keywords: Cost Management; Organizational Structure; Management Systems; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Japan

Find at Harvard

August 1995 (Revised July 1997)
Case

H.E. Butt Grocery Company: A Leader in ECR Implementation (A) (Abridged)

By: F. Warren McFarlan

Describes the industry context that has resulted in the development of efficient consumer response (ECR) within the grocery industry and its adoption by H.E. Butt Grocery Co. View Details

Keywords: Demand and Consumers; Customer Focus and Relationships; Adoption; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

Fast Answer

Consumer goods: market research

markets. Strong in consumer goods, and food & beverage industries in American and European countries. IBISWorld
Provides research... View Details

21 Jan 2021
News

New Menu

imports 90 percent of its food supply, considered the uncertainties climate change is introducing into the global food market and set a target of fulfilling 30 percent of its... View Details

14 Oct 2015
News

Blue Apron's Got Big Plans For Dinner - But So Do Its Hungry Rivals

Keywords: Plated; Food and Beverage Stores; Food and Beverage Stores

10 Feb 2016
News

Investing in Sustainability

Nicholas Tiller (MBA 1998) grew up in a farming community, but it was his experience in hedge-fund management in the food and energy sectors that led him to establish Sustainable America, a nonprofit with... View Details

December 1999 (Revised October 2001)
Case

Introducing New Coke

On April 23, 1985, the Coca-Cola Co. announced a decision that would rock the world. The old Coke formula would be taken off the market and replaced with a smoother, sweeter taste. The reaction of the American people was immediate and violent, causing three months of... View Details

Keywords: Failure; Product Development; Brands and Branding; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

December 1996 (Revised July 1997)
Case

Parker's Biscuits, Inc.: Venturing into China

Carol Wittenberg's first major task as president of the Asia/Pacific business for Parker's Biscuits is to set up a joint venture to manufacture biscuits in China. The team that Wittenberg has put together to find a joint venture partner has narrowed the choice down to... View Details

Keywords: Joint Ventures; Decision Choices and Conditions; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; China