Publications

January 2024
Supplement

Frank Cornelissen: The Great Sulfite Debate (B)

By: Tiona Zuzul and Susan Pinckney

In 2018, artisanal Italian vineyard Frank Cornelissen was one of the world’s leading natural wine vineyards. Its founder, Frank Cornelissen, faced weather related conditions that forced him to have to decide between staying true to the tenets of the natural wine... View Details

December 2023 (Revised May 2024)
Case

Building Resiliency in McDonald's Supply Chain

By: David E. Bell, Damien McLoughlin and David Lane

Considers McDonald’s efforts to build resilience into its global supply chain so that the company and its suppliers can better navigate the increasing pressures and pace of climate change and regulatory change, including a focus on supplying sustainable beef, while the... View Details

Keywords: Climate Change; Supply Chain Management; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Risk and Uncertainty; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Growth Management; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; United States; Europe; South America

January 2016
Case

Haiti Hope: Innovating the Mango Value Chain

By: Amy C. Edmondson and Jean-François Harvey

This case study examines a market-based approach to economic development through the eyes of NGO TechnoServe's project manager, implementing a US$9.5 million five-year public-private partnership between Coca-Cola, IDB, and USAID. The case ends at the beginning of the... View Details

December 2013
Case

Grupo Beta San Miguel

By: David E. Bell and Natalie Kindred

In November 2013, Dr. Jose Pinto, head of Grupo Beta San Miguel (BSM), Mexico's largest private sugar producer, is weighing the future prospects of the Mexican sugar industry as he considers whether BSM should bid on one of the state-owned sugar mills slated for... View Details

Keywords: Mexico; Jose Pinto; Beta San Miguel; Polycrom; Sugar; World Sugar Trade; NAFTA; Strategy; Trade; Futures and Commodity Futures; Agribusiness; Price; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Mexico; United States; North America

November 2011
Case

WrapItUp: Developing a New Compensation Plan

By: W. Earl Sasser Jr. and Rachel Shelton

A restaurant chain based in California offers made-to-order sandwich wraps using fresh, healthy ingredients. The founders of the company take a very active role in day-to-day business and tightly control every aspect of the restaurant operation from hiring store... View Details

Keywords: Empowerment; Middle Management; Human Resource Management; Compensation; Incentives; Motivation; Motivation and Incentives; Change Management; Business Growth and Maturation; Service Delivery; Entrepreneurship; Employees; Compensation and Benefits; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; California

December 2008 (Revised February 2010)
Case

ViniBrasil: New Latitude Wines

By: David E. Bell, Marcos Flava Neves, Luciano Thome e Castro and Mary Louise Shelman

ViniBrasil is a small wine venture in Brazil started by a top Portuguese wine company, Dao Sul. ViniBrasil grows its grapes in a novel environment (close to the equator) using innovative management practices such as controlled irrigation and year-round harvesting.... View Details

Keywords: Agribusiness; Global Strategy; Innovation and Invention; Management Practices and Processes; Demand and Consumers; Competition; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Brazil

January 2008 (Revised February 2010)
Case

Chocolates El Rey

By: Rohit Deshpandé, Gustavo Herrero and Regina Garcia-Cuellar

In late November 2006, Jorge Redmond, CEO of Chocolates El Rey, called a meeting with senior management to discuss the company's growth strategy. A relatively small firm with sales of around $14 million, El Rey produced top quality chocolate made with single origin... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Globalized Markets and Industries; Growth and Development Strategy; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Segmentation; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Venezuela

April 1986
Supplement

Lyric Dinner Theatre: Deborah Denenberg, General Manager, Video

By: Richard G. Hamermesh

Presents Deborah Denenberg, general manager, answering questions about her successful turnaround of an ailing dinner theatre. View Details

Keywords: Managerial Roles; Restructuring; Business Ventures; Arts; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

November 1997
Case

National Pork Producers Council

By: Ray A. Goldberg and Tom Clay

Al Tank, CEO of the National Pork Products Council, is facing an environmental and structural crisis in the U.S. pork industry. Can he resolve the environmental and image problems of his industry in time? Can he receive the support of both his growers and the... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Situation or Environment; Crisis Management; Environmental Sustainability; Business and Community Relations; Animal-Based Agribusiness; Industry Structures; Reputation; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; United States

Find at Harvard

November 1988 (Revised February 1989)
Case

Dry Creek Vineyard

By: Ray A. Goldberg

Keywords: Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

Find at Harvard

16 Jun 2015
Blog Post

Military Alumna Reflects on Time at HBS

world-class organization known for growing leaders. I would have a number of general management roles at PepsiCo over the course of over five years—both in the food and beverage divisions. Being “in the arena” of line management taught me... View Details

01 Jun 2011
News

Downtime

Turkish novelist.Â The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, because I loved the documentary film Food, Inc. and would like to learn more about where our food comes from. Better by Atul Gawande, because it’s about improvement in an... View Details

Keywords: fiction; Christianity

29 Aug 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, August 29

years, the founder/owner has scaled down his involvement in the day-to-day operations, leading to a number of operational and financial issues, including variable food quality and deficient wait staff service. The restaurant is about to... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

14 May 2020
Research & Ideas

What Leaders Can Do to Fight the COVID Fog

decisions, remember information, and control mood are all affected by diet. What you need: Nearly all research on nutrition converges on one point: Eat as many vegetables and fruits as you can. Beyond that, avoid processed food (to... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams

November 2015 (Revised January 2016)
Teaching Note

McDonald's Corporation: Managing a Sustainable Supply Chain—From Amazon Soya to Cage Free Eggs

By: Michael W. Toffel

This case provides an opportunity for students to consider how large, multinational corporations should respond when targeted by activists regarding environmental and social concerns in their supply chains. Greenpeace targeted McDonald's because its chicken supplier... View Details

Keywords: Supply Chain; Supply Chain Management; Welfare; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Brazil; United States; United Kingdom