Publications

April 1986 (Revised January 1993)
Case

Au Bon Pain

An eight-year-old company is in the midst of growth. This case follows the company from its inception through its growth stages. Teaching objectives are to understand the problems of growth, partnership, and operations-driven companies. View Details

Keywords: Business Growth and Maturation; Business Startups; Growth and Development; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

February 22, 2023
Article

How to Seed Organic Marketing in a Video-First World

By: Ayelet Israeli, Leonard A. Schlesinger and Matt Higgins

Early direct-to-consumer (DTC) companies relied on plentiful capital and low-cost digital marketing to power growth. But as this sector has matured, capital is more constrained, social media is more cluttered, and customer acquisition costs are rising. DTC companies... View Details

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January 2018 (Revised October 2021)
Case

Château Margaux: Launching the Third Wine (Abridged)

By: Elie Ofek

Château Margaux, one of only five prestigious estates in the Bordeaux Medoc wine region to have been classified as a "first-growth", is facing a host of strategic decisions in early 2013. Up until this point the estate had been selling two red wines, a first wine whose... View Details

Keywords: New Product Launch; Marketing Plan; Brand Management; Go To Market Strategy; Channels Of Distribution; Wine Industry; Marketing Strategy; Distribution Channels; Product Launch; Brands and Branding; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; France

Web

Staff Catering Guidelines | About

Head (AOM) or Business Manager. HBS may also pay for a meal when there is a business meeting with EXTERNAL guests. In some cases, the School pays for the food and beverages for... View Details

February 2012 (Revised November 2012)
Case

Bain Capital: Outback Steakhouse

By: Paul Gompers, Kristin Mugford and J. Daniel Kim

Bain Capital had purchased Outback Steakhouse in 2007 and despite the myriad initiatives to improve operations, the financial collapse in 2008 threatened the company's ability to meet its loan covenants. Outback's performance steadily declined throughout the year. How... View Details

Keywords: Private Equity; Acquisition; Mergers and Acquisitions; Performance Expectations; Borrowing and Debt; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

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 View Details

04 Mar 2013
News

Young entrepreneurs sell Pushpins app to retail giant

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

Profile

Cristina Ros Blankfein

look and design to inspire a positive reaction. By the holiday season in 2014, Be Mixed launched its first major production run and is currently being sold in 17 different food... View Details

11 Dec 2017
News

Growing from Within

guest counts on a daily basis across the restaurant portfolio as well as operating metrics such as speed and accuracy of service and food quality. Also very important are... View Details

Keywords: Dan Morrell; Food Services and Drinking Places; Food Services and Drinking Places

June 1995
Case

Strategic Countermoves: Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi

Describes strategic acquisitions by Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola in the late 1980s. The context allows students to evaluate the implications of the mergers for the competitiveness of the industry. View Details

Keywords: Competition; Mergers and Acquisitions; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

May 1987 (Revised December 1987)
Case

Caruso's Pizza (Condensed)

Caruso's Pizza is a small, entrepreneurial restaurant chain. The case considers expansion of an experimental pizza delivery system ("express delivery") that involves a major process innovation--producing pizzas to inventory rather than to order. The system promises... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Business Processes; Innovation and Invention; Food and Beverage Industry

March 2019
Supplement

Koita Milk

By: Lynda M. Applegate, E. Ofek and Michael Norris

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Cash Flow; Food; Growth Management; Social Marketing; Ownership Stake; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; United Arab Emirates; Dubai

14 Apr 2021
Research & Ideas

The High Cost of the Slow COVID Vaccine Rollout

in to regulate and fund the chemical’s production. In addition, governments could use existing vaccine stores more effectively through cooperative agreements with other countries View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Health

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

25 Nov 2018
News

How This Entrepreneur Went From 200 Investor Rejections To A $300 Million Acquisition

Keywords: Food and Beverage Stores; Food and Beverage Stores

January 2009 (Revised July 2015)
Case

Restaurant Promotions in 2015

By: Benjamin Edelman

A variety of services offer consumers discounts when dining at participating restaurants. This case examines four such services: Entertainment Book, Restaurant.com, Rewards Network, and Groupon. Despite key functional similarities, each of the services chooses an... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Two-Sided Platforms; Service Delivery; Service Operations; Internet; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

December 2012 (Revised May 2013)
Case

Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite): Plus ça change…

By: Ray A. Goldberg, Arthur I. Segel, Elie Ofek and Carin-Isabel Knoop

For centuries Lafite has been the most admired wine Estate in the world. How does Baron Eric de Rothschild protect this crown jewel in a conservative manner while DBR develops other Chateaux blending wine programs, reaches out to new areas such as China and begins to... View Details

Keywords: Plant-Based Agribusiness; Expansion; Market Entry and Exit; Global Strategy; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; France; China

February 1998 (Revised June 2000)
Case

Delamere Vineyard

Delamere Vineyard is a small, integrated winemaking business in Tasmania, specializing in pinot noir (red) and chardonnay (white) wines. Richard Richardson, Delamere's owner and winemaker, manages and operates the vineyard and winery largely alone. His products have... View Details

Keywords: Plant-Based Agribusiness; Quality; Production; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Australia