Comparison of Cambridge Suites Hotel and Hampton Inn by Hilton Hotel
A study of the two named hotels indicates a large difference in the prices of their services. Cambridge Suites Hotel records higher prices in all their services as compared to the same services offered by the Hampton Inn hotel though both hotels occupy the same locality in Sydney. The table below represents the results of the statistics recorded.
Item of comparison
Cambridge Suites Hotel (Rates in Dollars)
Hampton Inn by Hilton (Rates in Dollars)
Rooms (per person)
From $ 109.35/night
From $ 99/night
Meetings and events
From $ 89 for 20 people
From $ 82 for 20 people
Weddings
From $ 387.95
From $ 306.97
Dining
From $3 to $250 for platters
From $ 2.50 to $ 243.35
Spa
$100 per month per person
$ 96 per month per person
Table 1: A difference in the prices of services offered in Cambridge Suites and Hampton Inn (Andreyeva, Long, and Brownell, 2010).
Cambridge Suites Hotel has higher prices than that of Hampton Inn in all services provided. This is due the location of Cambridge Suites in an area inhabited by rich people as compared to those living in the area surrounding the Hampton Inn Hotel.
Comparison of Napoli Pizzeria and The Olive Pizzeria Bistro restaurants
Napoli pizzeria is located at 465 Charlotte Street while The Olive Pizzeria Bistro is located along the Sydney port Access Road. The two restaurants mostly operate in fast moving foods such pizza, cheese, pepperoni, and pepp-cheese among others. The table below summarises the results of a study on the prices of different commodities
Products
Napoli Pizzeria Cost per item (in Dollars)
The Olive Pizzeria Bistro Cost per item
Pizza
From $3
From $2.5
Cheese
From $7
From $5.7
Pepperoni
From $4
From $3.8
Pepp-cheese
From $4.35
From $4
Mush-cheese
From $6.20
From $5.85
Table 2: Comparison of the prices of foodstuffs in Napoli Pizzeria and The Olive Pizzeria Bistro (Hayes and Ninemeier, 2004).
Other hotels and restaurants in Canada
Grey Eagle Resort, a modern hotel in 3777 Grey Eagle Drive Southwest, T3E 3X8 Calgary, Canada offers a series of highly recommendable services and is one of the most preferred hotels in the area. Even though it has higher prices as compared to the two studied hotels within Sydney, it attracts a good number of Canadian tycoons and others from the world over. In Grey Eagle Resort, a living room inclusive of breakfast goes for 84 pounds for a single night per person. This is much higher than the hotels in Sydney. Consequently, other services such as meetings, weddings, and events are also more expensive.
Raymonds Restaurant, in the eastern Coast of Canada, also experiences higher prices in their services with the cheapest pizza amounting to $8.50. Generally, the costs are higher than hotels in Sydney. Hayes and Ninemeier (2004) note that a seven-course tasting menu runs from $125 and five-course menu at $100. However, the restaurant attracts a high population of rich individuals with higher profit margin recorded in 2014.
Price comparison of International hotels and restaurants
A study of international Hotel Calgary indicates even a quite higher prices of the services offered. The rates for suites in the hotel start from $119 per person per night. Consequently, dining and events rates are also higher than that of the hotels in Canada, with the starting rate being $112. According to International Hotel Calgary (2015), Catering and weddings are also expensive with the rates calculated per hour.
Thrillist restaurant in the Middle East is one of the restaurants that attract a greater population regardless of its high prices on goods and services. However, it maintains additional services that keep most of its customers regardless of high prices. The lowest rate is $ 14 for a pizza.
Justification of the higher prices by companies
Evidently, companies that charge relatively higher offer modernised and highly improved services that meet their clients taste and preferences. For instance, Cambridge Suites Hotel provides ample rooms for meetings and events organisation with different set of sitting patterns enabling the client to choose the design of their own interest. Consequently, in the event of the meeting, Cambridge Suites provide meeting WI-FI, flip chart and markers, and all day non-alcoholic beverages among others. One of the distinct methods used by Hampton Inn is individual pricing during the meeting if need be and offers for audio-visual systems. My visit to these expensive hotels and restaurants proved provision of extra services and, therefore, a justification of the higher prices (Andreyeva et al., 2010).
Most companies that offer services of higher products offer other free services such as free high-speed internet, free breakfast, pet friendly services, and accessibility to kitchenette where the client can prepare some other foodstuffs apart from those provided by the hotel. Cambridge Suite and Hampton Inn, for example, provide free breakfast and internet to their clients and therefore a need to maintain high prices for their services. I realised that the more a hotel becomes expensive, the more improved are its services. I, therefore, concur with the concept higher prices directly relate to better services.
Other factors affecting price by hotels
The sales of the products in the hotels in Sydney and the world over depend on other factors both within and outside the concept of the company. Outlined below are some of those factors that determine the price of a commodity or service especially in a hotel:
The development cost
Any person offering a service or a product would not be willing to sell the product at a lower cost than the initial production cost. The main aim of operation is to obtain profit. The total cost of production inclusive of tax and other expenditures determines the actual unit cost of a commodity or service. Consequently, an introductory price is always high due to higher in innovative processes and heavy investments into research and development of the new product.
Economic trend
Economic factors such as labour cost, taxation rate, inflation rate, currency exchange rate, and governments fiscal and monetary policies positively or negatively influence the price of a product or service. For example, a higher taxation of cheese would generally contribute to a rise in the prices of all the restaurants that offer cheese-related products.
Class of the targeted customers
The class of the targeted customers affects the pricing of services and products. There exist three classes of people; the rich, middle class and the poor. A product or service that targets the rich commands a higher than those targeting the middle class. The rich usually render a low-priced service or product valueless; therefore, it does not attract many buyers or attendants. Cambridge Suites Hotel, for example, targets the rich and this contributes to the higher prices of its services to maintain the pool of its customers.
The level of demand
A higher demand than supply of a product or service creates a scramble for the limited available services. Consequently, the products inflate leading to higher pricing of the commodities. Therefore, a product developer must understand the market trend about the demand and supply.
References
Andreyeva, T., Long, M. W., & Brownell, K. D. (2010). The Impact of Food Prices on Consumption: A Systematic Review of Research on the Price Elasticity of Demand for Food. American Journal of Public Health, 100(2), 216-222. Web.
Hayes, D. K., & Ninemeier, J. D. (2004). Hotel operations management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Web.
International Hotel Calgary. (2015). Calgary Hotels Downtown. Web.
Dubai Fish Hut is one of the successful small businesses in the food industry in the United Arab Emirates. The restaurant has a good ambience and is located in an advantageous place attracting a lot of customers. The detailed analysis of its location helps to reveal that the owners of the business have chosen a great site contributing to the success of the restaurant.
The Map
The map shows the exact location of Fish Hut restaurant. It is situated at Street 8 behind Lamcy Plaza Parking, Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The restaurant is located in Oud Metha in a proximity to Dubai Mall. It is also situated close to Burj Khalifa. Only a few kilometres separate it from Jumeirah and Dubai International Airport.
The Competitive Business nearby the Fish Hut Restaurant
This map shows the potential competitors of Fish Hut Restaurant: the nearby restaurants and cafes. The closest food restaurants include Winnys Restaurant, Noon O Kabab Lamcy Plaza, Moti Mahal Delux Restaurant, Mayas Restaurant, Des Pardes Restaurant, Pan de Manila Restaurant, etc. Though Fish Hut Restaurant is surrounded by an abundance of potential rivalries in the food business, the restaurants dedication to a specialised type of food makes it rather unique, as no fish food restaurants can be found nearby.
The Choice of the Location
The current owner of the business chose this site because of its numerous advantages. The locality of Oud Metha has Dubai metros green line station, which makes the location easy to be reached with the help of public transport. Oud Metha is also rich in interesting places attracting thousands of tourists every day. Burj Khalifa, the tallest artificial building in the world, is among the sites mostly visited by the tourists and is situated close to the restaurant. Zabeel Park is also located close to the restaurant. The proximity to the park is always advantageous for a food restaurant, as people come to the park for entertainment and are likely to continue spending their leisure time in a nice place offering delicious food.
The proximity of the airport also makes the chosen site advantageous, as it enables the visitors to try out the exquisite meals served in the restaurant before their flight from Dubai. Dubai Airport serves not only for foreign visitors but also for local population travelling abroad. Therefore, local citizens coming from other cities also have an opportunity to visit the famous restaurant. The restaurant is situated close to Jumeirah Hotel, which increases the chances of being visited by the tourists and businessmen staying at the hotel. The proximity to Lamcy Plaza and Dubai Mall also increases the chances of attracting a lot of visitors coming to the restaurant after long hours of shopping.
Lease Cost versus the Suitability of Location
Though the lease cost in such site is rather high, the suitability of such location offsets the spending, as it enables the restaurant to be in the centre of the entertainment life of Dubai. Fish Hut restaurant is a perfect example of the case in which investing much money in luxurious leasing opportunities is a necessary and well-taken decision. Though the owners of the business had to spend big sums for starting the business in such an advantageous location, the popularity of the restaurant justifies the spending. By choosing the suitable location, the owners of Fish Hut Restaurant have managed to create the business that is famous abroad the United Arab Emirates and attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world.
The Benefits of the Location
The site chosen for Fish Hut appears to be the best choice. The first component of its success is the proximity of Lamcy Plaza Parking. The restaurants situated close to huge parking places have higher chances of attracting the visitors, as their customers do not face problems with searching for a place for parking a car (Lallo 2013). The second advantageous factor is related to the safety of the site. Location in the area of the city that is safe is a must for the owners of food business (Brown 2007). Fish Hut is located in the locality that is not only safe but is also well-known for tourists and the local population. The accessibility of the location is another important factor influencing the success of the restaurant business (Brown 2007).
The site can easily be accessed, as the locality has the metro line and is situated on the way to the airport, which means that an abundance of transport passes by it every day. The attractiveness of the location to the tourists is another factor contributing to the restaurants success (Baraban & Durocher 2010). The proximity to famous sites, parks, malls, and hotels makes the location exclusively appealing to the visitors of Dubai. Besides, though the abundance of other food restaurants nearby Fish Hut can seem to be a disadvantage, the restaurant offers such a unique and exquisite type of food, that it is no reason for its owners to be afraid of the competitors in the area.
Success in restaurant business heavily depends on the thoughtful choice of appropriate location (Zapoli 2005). The owners of Fish Hut have managed to choose the site that gives many benefits to the business and contributes to the popularity of the restaurant.
Reference List
Baraban, R & Durocher, J 2010, Successful restaurant design, Hoboken, New Jersey, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Web.
Brown, D R 2007, The restaurant managers handbook, 4th edn, Ocala, Florida, Atlantic Publishing, Web.
Lallo, M 2013, A street wise managers guide to success in the restaurant business, Toronto, Canada, Productive Publications, Web.
Zapoli, J R 2005, How to succeed in restaurant business, Lincoln, Nebraska, Universe, Inc, Web.
Sonnys Real Pit Bar-B-Q was established in Gainesville, Florida by Sonny Tillman and his wife (Lucille) in 1968. In 1991 Bob and Jeff Yarmuth bought it and moved its headquarters to Maitland, Florida. Bob and Jeff had a franchise located in Orlando.
The aim of setting up the restaurant was to provide a casual and relaxing place for the people of the southern state. Sonnys Real Pit Bar-B-Q does not only serve nutritious food, it provides customers with forthcoming and quick services every time they stop by. Excellence can be demonstrated in their passion for giving people the first priority in everything they do.
According to Sonnys website, the restaurant owners believe that everything is possible, one should only put little effort. They aim at delivering an unmatched feasting experience where all people are always welcome. Their Mission is divided into three main parts. Firstly, they need to be on top of all casual restaurants. Secondly, they need to ensure that they make profits to their stakeholders. Finally, they need to uphold a steadfast obligation to their community.
Sonnys Real Pit Bar-B-Q is one of the most popular of the 128 restaurants located in the South-Eastern states today. It has served areas like Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina. The Real Pit Bar-B-Q has provided employment for 6,700 people system wise. The sales in 2010 were estimated to be around $238.
The restaurant has been enjoying an outstanding reputation for forty years and it is due to various things: the services from real professionals, the devoted franchisees and the concrete system that ensures the generation of quality products and profits. Despite the fact that the management of the restaurant has changed overtime, it still remains friendly and comfortable as ever.
The food served at Sonnys Real Pit Bar-B-Q has a good nutritional value. It is confirmed by the analysis of the nutritional value. The restaurant takes nutritional analysis that is conducted by Analytical Food Laboratories that was custom built by Sonnys. They also rely on the nutritional information provided by vendors. This ensures that customers are provided with quality foods and drinks.
The restaurant also offers catering services, deliveries, and pick-ups. The food in the restaurant is affordable at reasonable prices. It is famous for the delicious meat that is served plain to give customers a chance to choose their barbeque sauce. The meat is prepared by barbecuing the meat with hardwood which leaves it soft, tender and juicy.
They include ribs, chicken, and pork. The restaurant offers appetizers and soups like chicken wings, corn nuggets, and fried okra among others. It also specializes in salads, sandwiches, and desserts. This tends to attract many people because of the wide range of foods they can choose from.
As the name suggests, the restaurant specializes mostly in meats and meat-related foods. However, there are dishes that are served for vegetarians that include salad bars, the Big Salad, and chicken Caesar salad. Sonnys Real Pit Bar-B-Q also serves sidekick dishes like vegetables, crinkle cut French fries, mashed potatoes, baked potato, backyard garden salad, fresh coleslaw, and cinnamon apples.
In conclusion, Sonnys Real Pit Bar-B-Q has worked incredibly hard in the past years to build their corporate image. They have ensured both customers and employees satisfaction. It has proved with the right people, the right attitude and the right services that a business is set to achieve its goals indefinitely. Sonnys Real Pit Bar-B-Q is a success story in the restaurant industry, and its latest performance shows even further progress.
Within the framework of this report, several important organizational and leadership challenges are addressed. The case of the restaurant called The Cut is evaluated and several relevant changes are proposed based on the existing information. The author of this report validates the proposed change process using an extensive array of literature on organizational development, management, and leadership.
The ideas that are developed throughout the report revolve around the idea that there is a critical need to transform the approach to leadership and change the way of how the members of the team interact with each other. The author of the report judgmentally considered the weaknesses of the current setup and used Lewins change model to support change at The Cut. Several obstacles and the ways of overcoming them were also discussed within the framework of this report. In the end, a readiness to change and communication were identified as the core contributors to the successful implementation of transformative change.
Introduction
Organizational Development Theory
Nowadays, the economy and organizations are becoming more complex. To increase competitiveness as an organizational perspective or improve the workers quality of work-life, there is a need to be able to attract and motivate them from their employee perspective (Sullivan, Rothwell, & Balasi, 2013). An organization would need to have organizational development. It is a professional field of social action, and scientific inquiry intended to impact the entire system, which can enhance the effectiveness of the organization by implementing behavioral science knowledge within the framework of developing strategies. It also requires transferring the knowledge and skills which are necessary for monitoring change and reaching the target.
Moreover, the role of organization development officers has become increasingly important lately. In any given organization, their role is to determine themselves to keep track of whether the company is operating towards its core objective. At the same time, managers and workers also have the roles that are designed to help them to improve their values and thoughts that dictate their behaviors. Hence, they can implement change to improve the effectiveness of the organization (Roland, William, & Mary, 2013).
Organizational change is always planned theoretically by the OD practitioner and members of the team. There are three main theories of planned change. One of the theories will be Lewins change model. It is a change from the result of driving forces and restraining forces. Driving forces are members who force and take the initiative to change. While a restraining force is represented by the members who stay in the current state and refuse to change. In this situation, the organization is trying to reduce the restraining force to process the change. The first step is unfreezing, which is meant to decrease restraining forces.
During this step, The Cut employees will have to ensure that all crew members are willing to change (Waddell, Creed, Cummings, & Worley, 2016). The second step would be a movement. Here, numerous ideas and thoughts are created for organizational change. The last step would be refreezing because it is evident that team members need to sustain and maintain the change of the organization.
Aim of the Report
This report aims to analyze the challenges and problems that occurred in The Cut and comprehensively investigate a years development plan that can improve The Cuts organizational effectiveness. Internally, workers will be motivated and willing to work for the best of the company. While externally, the number of customers can be increased. Moreover, the vision which is service excellence, continuous knowledge growth, and service leadership should be upheld. The author of this report is willing to address leadership challenges that currently exist at the restaurant and improve the state of affairs using a multifaceted approach.
Scope of the Report
First, there will be some understanding of changes and the role of the organizational development practitioner (OD practitioner). Followed by the main body of the proposed change process, the report will also include several recommendations regarding the implementation of transformational leadership within the restaurants environment and additional ways of motivating employees and managers. Second, there is a necessity to ensure that the future of The Cut will be impacted by several positive outcomes that will be depending on the applied leadership practices and organizational methods. The key scope of the report is to equalize the working environment and help the team to learn how to collaborate more efficiently and respect organizational values that are critical for the process of fostering organizational growth and success.
Understanding the Change
The Current State
Currently, numerous issues are characteristic of the restaurant. First of all, there are critical misunderstandings between the employees of The Cut that are caused by an incorrectly chosen leadership style. Also, there is a problem that relates to the lack of motivation among both new and old employees. There is currently no strategy proposed to deal with this, so the author of this report will concentrate on leadership and motivation in the upcoming subsections of the entry. The major problem that impacts the current state of affairs at the restaurant is the inability to resolve inner team conflicts and come up with a better scheme for running the existing processes and operations.
The Desired Future State
The future state that is desired by The Cut is a situation where a friendly atmosphere is supported, and managers can run the facility effectively. This includes the presence of proper leadership and the possibility to motivate employees. This kind of approach is expected to help both the managers and employees to get out of the slump and apply new practices to implement innovative practices and understand essential processes more thoroughly. The desired future state also includes the proper treatment of the employees that are either new to The Cut or are willing to learn more in terms of their profession.
The Proposed Change Process
The Keystones of Organizational Change at The Cut
Certain elements have to be perceived by the organizational development practitioner before implementing change. For these changes to become successful, the team will have to
reach an agreement regarding the future direction,
develop an effective leadership configuration,
promote the culture of rewarding positive change (Kuipers et al., 2014).
Therefore, the author of this report addressed these topics and came to several conclusions that allowed them to evaluate the situation at The Cut and develop a change plan that is expected to improve the state of affairs at the restaurant.
First of all, the author of this report decided to validate the importance of supporting the concept of a shared vision. They realized that there was a need to create a strategic direction for future practice at the restaurant to be able to enunciate a rational vision for the employees (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). This led to the idea that all the decision-makers in the company should take part in the development of the change strategy.
This allowed the administration of The Cut to come to an agreement in terms of the future of the restaurant and consider each of the perspectives. The author of the report stated that the follow-on vision statement should be conveyed to each employee and reinforced continually. The rationale for that was the fact that organizational culture at The Cut always was one of the cornerstones of the restaurants success and the teams readiness for change.
At the same time, the author of the report concluded that the vision statement mentioned above could not be achieved without effective leadership strategies. The existing evidence on the subject of organizational change revealed that the majority of organizations were able to apply change successfully due to their healthy leadership strategies (Benn, Dunphy, & Griffiths, 2014). The author of the report realized that the leader at The Cut should be able to strive for greatness and acknowledge the significance of the leaders role. Knowing that employees at The Cut forgot how to communicate effectively and come to mutually beneficial agreements, this statement seemed rational.
Nonetheless, it was also found that the majority of critical decisions should be made solely by the leader. All the members of the team were expected to follow the leader and not to see themselves as the weakest link in the chain (Pieterse, Caniels, & Homan, 2012). The author of the report established that the situation at The Cut where almost each of the employees believed they could be the leader would not end well. The Cut needed their employees to become true team players to take responsibility for their activities and foster a leadership practice that would allow the team to become aware of the leaders authority and levelheadedness.
After that, the author of the report was aiming at viewing the organizational culture at The Cut as one of the key aspects of the restaurant that had to be changed. The issues that were identified include disrupting procedures, fear of change, and dispiritedness (Shin, Taylor, & Seo, 2012). Self-righteousness and laziness were acknowledged as the two factors contributing to the ill organizational culture at The Cut the most.
The author of the report was certain of the fact that employees at The Cut had to understand that will to change is the key to their success. At the same time, it was found that complacency was rather typical of The Cut employees and the latter was not willing to become committed and follow the new leader. The last idea was taken into account, and several new ways to foster the appropriate organizational culture and create a willingness to change were discovered.
First of all, it was claimed that the status quo at the restaurant had to be destabilized to allow the creation of a situation where no one would be satisfied with the existing state of affairs at The Cut. Accordingly, the author of the report acknowledged that all the changes should be of the top-to-bottom nature. The employee team was found to be the key variable in this equation (Hayes, 2014). In a certain sense, kitchen workers set the tone for the whole organization, and it would be unfair not to mention that change would not start without them being ready to change. Second, it was hypothesized that sharing information with the team would also become a profitable practice because the team would get out of the disinterest slump.
That is why the author of the report was certain of the fact that the team would benefit from measuring all kinds of indicators and collecting data on practically every aspect of the organizational life of the restaurant team. It was found that the majority of changes should be needed at each of the organizational levels, not staff only (Bolman & Deal, 2017). The decision to collect feedback from the team operating at The Cut was seen as a way to cultivate readiness for transformational change.
This had to be done to eliminate the premises of employees blaming each other for the restaurants failures. All the perspectives had to be checked, and several private discussions had to be completed after the author of the report found out the results. The concept of communication turned out to be the most important issue that was present at The Cut. The need to change was approved by the team, and they decided to provide even more information regarding their practice at The Cut. The author of the report identified several indicators that had to be addressed as soon as possible if The Cut wanted to succeed in terms of encouraging a readiness for transformation and implementing organizational change.
Dealing with the Change Process at The Cut
The very first idea that has to be discussed here is the ability of The Cut to deal with resisters. There are three groups of employees at The Cut that may critically affect the change process in the long run the supporters, the pessimists, and the counterfeit supporters (that will claim that they support organizational change but will demoralize others instead) (Battilana & Casciaro, 2012). To complete organizational change successfully, the administration will have to approach these three groups straight away.
Nonetheless, the author of this report is certain of the fact that resistance to change is a common event and should not be fought too aggressively. Instead, it should be acknowledged that the majority of employees at The Cut are merely afraid of the challenge and there are three main reasons why they are afraid of
the changes in their environment,
the changes that their relationships with colleagues will undergo,
the changes that will impact their practice at The Cut (Carter, Armenakis, Feild, & Mossholder, 2013).
Furthermore, these fears can be called the potential cause of resistance at The Cut. This is why the author of the report proposes to implement change carefully and be increasingly sensitive to the outcomes of the restaurants organizational change. The future change has to be in line with the teams expectations because otherwise, they will become afraid again. They will resist new changes merely because they will not be able to react to them properly (Fugate, Prussia, & Kinicki, 2012).
It is advised to listen actively and check on the employees body language. It may be reasonable to talk with the potential resisters in private to minimize the devastating impact of team members that undermine organizational change.
It is also advised to communicate with the team recurrently to be able to connect with the team on several levels operative, strategic, and personal (Jacobs, Witteloostuijn, & Christe-Zeyse, 2013). A lot of things will be going on during the process of change so, the administration of The Cut should plan all the activities before deploying the change. All the suggestions have to be conveyed in a specific manner to have more chances to convince the team that change is necessary.
The author of this report is certain of the fact that appropriate communication should be one of the strategic goals of the administration of the restaurant. Members of the team have to be aware of the events they will be involved in and how they are going to impact them in the long run (Kool & Dierendonck, 2012). If there is not enough relevant information, the amount of inaccurate information will exceed all the confrontational expectations. The author of the report proposes to conduct team meetings that will increase team morale and minimize the chances of resistance.
Another thing that is expected to contribute to positive change outcomes is champion support (Blackmore & Sachs, 2012). The presence of team members that can lead others is vital to The Cut. In other words, the restaurant will do better if its staff will include several employees that capable of convincing colleagues of the benefits of change. Therefore, a change team that will manage transformation processes and direct peer efforts can be organized (Sharif & Scandura, 2014). At The Cut, empowerment may become the cornerstone of organizational change because it will provide the team with numerous instruments and resources helping them to get the job done.
To conclude, the administration of The Cut will have to implement a process of evaluation and institutionalization of change. This can be done using positive reinforcement and employee feedback (Morgan, 2013). This proposition is reasonable because each of the members of the team will be willing to find out if they were effective and valuable. Therefore, there is a possibility to use the data that was collected throughout the stage of fostering readiness for change and document the progress of each employee. The ability to reinforce certain behaviors will be as important as The Cut employees keenness to accept change and adjust their values to the new system (Seo et al., 2012).
To do this, the administration will have to call for weekly (or monthly) reports that will reflect the existing state of affairs and display either the need or uselessness of deployed changes. This kind of data will facilitate the process of obtaining credible feedback that can be used to employ changes that are in line with the workers beliefs and wishes (Banker, 2012). By doing this, the author of the report expects to sustain change and learn all the necessary things about change that are shared by team members.
At The Cut, the change can be institutionalized using encouraging everyone to do well. At the same time, there is a need to acknowledge the teams efforts and be thankful for each particular contribution. Milestone celebration and the ability to sustain change should be seen as the main contributors to the consistency of implemented changes (Dunford et al., 2013). Overall, the process of change at The Cut should be perceived as a team effort where every member of the crew contributed to the improvement of the situation in the restaurant.
Conclusion
This report provides an extensive outlook on the issues concerning organizational development and leadership. The restaurant that is thoroughly reviewed in this report is exposed to several leadership- and organization-related issues that have to be dealt with as soon as possible. Notwithstanding the complexity of the case, the author of the report was able to implement Lewins change model and come up with several relevant propositions intended to improve the existing state of affairs at The Cut.
It is safe to say that the administration of The Cut has all the chances to implement the changes successfully. They will have to take into account the requirements of their employees and carefully adjust communication practices that seem to be the most devastating contributors to the restaurants working environment. Overall, the organizational development practitioner has to deal with the situation as soon as possible to mitigate the adverse effects of interpersonal relationships at The Cut.
References
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Sullivan, R. L., Rothwell, W. J., & Balasi, M. J. (2013). Organization development (OD) and change management (CM): Whole system transformation. Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal, 27(6), 18-23. Web.
Waddell, D., Creed, A., Cummings, T. G., & Worley, C. G. (2016). Organisational change: Development and transformation (5th ed.). South Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning.
The topic of discussion is about the laziness in the workplace and the spread of its negative impacts on Chinese cuisines and restaurant business across the world. Management of human capital, how restaurants and hotel business is handled in the Chinese way and the city that should be dwelt upon is that of Ontario in Canada is also discussed. Laziness is an intolerable demise and it has never been recognised and accepted anywhere on the universe.
Most specifically, managers are known to be very harsh and strict on lazy characters in case they are identified. This is because laziness and productivity are a complete contrast of the other. One does not expect to realise growth in production where employees do not perform their roles within the required timeframe. One contributor to laziness derived from attitude in Chinese business is the fact that Cuisines of the Chinese are based on the Chinese culture and they are majorly based in the major Chinese cities of Lu, Zhe, and Guangzhou among many others.
Moreover, Chinese Hotel business spreads across the world like bushfire due to its uniqueness and its strong cultural base. What we ought to do is seeing on ways to solve this problem and hence support business growth. This is again supported by the fact that people are very open and willing to accept the Chinese culture hence big client and customer base which is the major prerequisite of business advancement.
The spread of Chinese ventures is not biased because that china is not a capitalist state and has belief bent on the welfare considerations of the people. Another reason is that of recent China has opened up itself to the rest of the world as opposed to previously when it believed in itself and her alone (Cho, 2010). This explains why even the labour industry and laws of Canada have accepted their operations in their land. In Ontario, Canada alone there are over 500 Chinese restaurants and the prospect of growth are highly expected at slightly over 50% p.a with the major obstacles being laziness at the work place and employee handling.
Punishing employees who do not conform to the policy and standards of many businesses in Canada has been a very great challenge due to the strong human right organisations and employee associations. Despite their members being on the wrong at times they always employ a great deal of resources to defend them to the last drop of blood (Ludmer, 2001). Our case in study is the Shanloon Chinese Cuisine House. Employers are also left in a dilemma at times when the government and the civil society engage in strife over their employees. This restaurant is located in a highly accessible street 41 Raglan St S Renfrew, ON K7V 1P8, Canada. The environment is serene, highly accessible to many and by extent have space for future growth (Mosher, 1998).
The research is geared towards the study about the basics of the foundation of the restaurant, the management of the restaurant including about how management and the employees relate, employee handling and the most important of this is how employee behavior such as laziness influences the operations of the restaurant. Another area of interest in our study is whether the operations of the hotel are in line with the Labor Relations Act of Canada. Labor laws in Canada are very strict and in so much favor of the laborers and therefore restaurant operators ought to be cautious, enough to handle their employees well (Taxel, 2009).
Research methods and techniques employed include both primary and secondary methods. To retrieve first hand information about laziness of employees and the restaurant, a one on one investigation is instigated on all the stakeholders of the restaurant. To reinforce the facts from the ground secondary findings are also sourced from books and journals with detailed coverage on laziness and its impacts as well as how it can be eradicated or managed so as to realize productivity out of it.
Overview of Concerns
From our primary research finding its evident that Chinese Restaurant business is highly booming in Europe given the recent advancement of the Chinese in Europe with the major limiting factor to growth being employee behaviour, specifically, laziness at the work place. The idea of Chinese in Europe is still very sceptical since they have been secluded from the rest of the world for so long; other reports have also shown that their way of life is not easy to fit given their highly deviating culture from the rest of the world. Their foods are equally unique (Campbell, 2009). Management challenges have also been experienced for a while on occasions.
Relationship between demand and supply have not been that much but though at time the fluctuations of foreign exchange and the relevant risks at times affect the supplies which are majorly imported from China (Newman, 2004). Importation is the basis since the originality of the foods relies on the motherland that is China. The major management challenge that is experienced by operators in the industry according to the findings is that of the employees. Specifically, it has been observed that their laziness has been on the rise (Levine, 2002). The legal concerns as have been mentioned previously are in the favour of the employees.
This is in line with the countries policy to attract Foreign investments in the country through lenient rules and laws to alien investors. The reference to this is also The Ontario Employment Act (Mosher, 1998). It is in contradiction with the company policies of high productivity from its employees. They also demand that their employees adhere to its rule and terms of engagement to the letter. The future challenges that are unveiled include those such as undercapitalization which to and extent lead to the threat of collapse if liquidation is insufficient (Mosher, 1998).
The industry is also in the verge of rapid expansion and therefore firms in the industry may also find it difficult to grow due to the stiff competition and stiffened demand as well. This is despite the fact that the location of Shanloon Chinese Culture House is accessible and ample surrounding that highly favours hotel business (Taxel, 2009).Primary and Secondary Research Findings:
Source (Primary)
Our interviewee in shanloon Chinese Cuisine House Chinese Restaurant is Sun Kung; Sun Kung is an entrepreneur cum proprietor in Ontario State of Canada. We want to interview him on general employee laziness and how this has impacted on the operations of the restaurant. Sun, in the management of Shanloon hold a position of the overall management as the general manager of the restaurant (Newman, 2004).
He holds two bachelors degrees one in Business communication and the other in Hospitality Management. These Degrees are awarded to his from the Shandong University, majoring in Business and a Minor in Hospitality. He also has a diploma in Organizational Theory and management from Dips College in Toronto (Mosher, 1998). He lives in the neighbourhood of Renfrew ON Canada. This is a location just around the vicinity of the Restaurant. This he attributed to assist him reach his job in time, earlier than even their employees. The restaurant has high optimism of future growth. This is indicated by the level of management offered under Sun Kung.
Questions to ask
When and why Shanloon Chinese Cuisine House established and what were why was it formed in the first place? Why was it established in Ontario in Canada? What are the Visions, Missions and Objectives of Shanloon Chinese Cuisine House Restaurant?
For how long has the business been in existence?
How many employees does your business have?
What terms of engagement do you offer your employees? That is salary scale and working conditions.
What led to the laziness of employees in the restaurant business if they have given an effort to this?
What efforts has the management made to take care of the laziness problem?
What are the impacts of laziness to the organization? How does it impact on the goals and objectives?
What is the strategic plan as developed by the management of the company?
What is that swot of the business and its competitive advantages and disadvantages if any?
Into what proportions does the restaurant intend to integrate both the factors in its micro and macro environments to ensure the survival of the business?
The primary research methods adopted in terms of the questions developed above would be conducted in terms of an interview; both oral and written in a questionnaire. For consistency, anonymous telephone interviews would be conducted at times within the research duration.
Secondary, research methods to a large extent will also be extensively exploited. Here, information will be looked for from books, journals and even magazines that relate to the hotel industry. Information found from such sources will be coded and analyzed and then interpreted. Journals from the ministry of labor and those fro the civil society will also be scrutinized and relevant information analyzed.
Source (Secondary)
Secondary research information sort gave us detailed information about what laziness is and its various definitions. Causes are also highlighted and their detrimental impacts to businesses. Laziness apart from just being a vice at the work place since it cuts on productivity it is also a sin to be lazy. Other unacceptable acts at the work place include: lack of enthusiasm. Nay saying, gossiping, the know it all attitude, complaining and the worst is irresponsibility which is categorized with laziness as the worst acts that one should ever do at the workplace.
Ontario labour laws are so much in contention with the theoretical information sought from secondary sources. Managers are to hire and fire employees they consider to be of benefit to the business and those they have proof that do not yield much, that is the unproductive lot. While laziness on one hand would lead to weaker brains due to weak thinking, work only leads to creativity and innovation. It is through thinkers that greater innovations came by.
The ever increasing rates of crime have largely been attributed to excessively lazy minds. Criminals are a disgrace to its nation and gives a very bad image to the to a nation (Johnson, 2009). Thats why the laws and regulations of Canada is so cruel with the lazy youth. Through the labour ministry, the government of Canada has created several programmes for the youth just to ensure that its youth with vast energy are engaged in building the nation as well as themselves.
Source (Secondary)
The second batch of our findings was on the causes or factors that are likely to lead to laziness in an organization. The first and most significant came to be the in built characteristics of and individual. If born lazy or if one develops laziness from child hood, this becomes part of them and therefore very hard to do away with. In such a case, it becomes upon the company to decide how resourceful the individual is to the business (Johnson, 2009).
Alongside this, the company policy should also be looked at. Other causes of laziness were got to be, poor relations in an organization. This was realised to emanate from poor leadership. Shanloon restaurant emerged best due to its exemplary leadership as demonstrated by Sun Kush. He employs the right leadership style where appropriate. Motivations and forms adopted of motivation may at times influence employees positively or negatively. Positive rewards like salary increaments and promotions when deserved are acts that will always make an employee be willing to work without supervision (Johnson, 2009).
Work place ethics as a policy strongly oppose laziness. This opposition is not for any other reason but for the good and success of the organization. To ensure that an organization is never derailed off its objectives. Laziness also leads to reduces output in terms of productivity (Johnson, 2009). This is against the major reason of firm establishments. Acts of laziness according to company policies are normally strictly and harshly dealt with most so if it is realised that it is likely to reduce productivity of an organization. Shanloon punishes its employees when it realises that their acts are likely reduce their employees.
Source (Secondary)
The other secondary sources exploited explained the several ways through which laziness at the workplace can be eradicated. Eradication of laziness may be procedural in that laziness may be accepted and changed or it can be punished once and for all. Laziness at work steels both the time of employer and the employee in equal measure and therefore needs to be done away with almost immediately they are detected. There are ways that have successfully been deemed fit to solve laziness related challenges (Johnson, 2009).
First, problems at the workplace should never be taken out of the office, the worst an employee can do is to extend workplace challenges at home. Family environment can easily help one out of whatever made them feel like being lazy and solve the problem once and for all. Laziness at the workplace can as well be managed by making more friends at and out of ones workplace. This is basically done by assisting others when in problems and seeking fro assistance when in the same situations. This is also a suitable cure of laziness. The management can also plan for programs that are geared towards bringing employees together always like games, workshops and trainings where employees get to update themselves with the current market trends (Mosher, 1998).
To avoid stress and a lot of confusion that may come in the process of ones duties and since this may at times be a source of laziness. One needs to always document each and every activity conducted. This will ensure that each employees piece of work is ever in order. Therefore chances of error and confusion are limited and quality time therefore geared towards productive work.
Source Canadian Company
International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is an international company that is based in Canada with branches spread all over the world. It has demonstrated the highest level of operational efficiency from within itself in Canada and also in all its branches worldwide. This, it has managed to undertake by first of all being in the position of attracting a pool of managers from all over hence strong and efficient leadership (Johnson, 2009).
IDRC has taken gender mainstreaming as its main tool to eradicate laziness at work. Affirmative action is taken to ensure that whenever there is a shortfall in gender in any sector, the shortfall is reinforced. This has stirred competition among employees for tasks within the organisation leaving no room for any lazy click.
Recommended methods of managing scenario
The best way to do away with laziness at the workplace and its detrimental effects is to give advice whenever a sign of their occurrence is detected in any department. Where this is not applicable, then this steps can be taken to do away with the problem:-
Identification of the problem which in our case is evident; laziness at the workplace.
Identify several ways of handling the problem.
Identify alternative courses that can be taken in case the ways above are not appropriate as well as their impact.
Make a decision on the best approach to use among the alternatives gathered.
Implement the problem solving technique adopted.
Perform a review and evaluate.
Other ways of solving the problem should involve conducting motivational talk once at a time within the organization. Trainings on employee handling at the workplace is also critical at such moments, this is to aid the employees in understanding their rights and duties when at work.
Reference List
Campbell, J. G. (2009). A Double-Edged Life: A Memoir of a Young Womans Journey with Bipolar. Bloomington, Indiana: Author House.
Cho, L. (2010). Eating Chinese: Culture on the Menu in small Town Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Johnson, J. A. (2009). Health organizations: Theory, Behaviour, and Development. Mississauga, Ontario: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Levine, M. D. (2002). The myth of laziness. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Ludmer, L. (2001). Cruising Alaska: A Travelers Guide to Cruising Alaskan Waters & Discovering the Interior. Oxford: Hunter Publishing, Inc.
Mosher, C. J. (1998). Discrimination and Denial: Systemic racism in Ontarios Legal and Criminal Justice systems, 1892-1961. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Newman, J. M. (2004). Food culture in China. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group.
Taxel, L. (2009). Cleveland Ethnic Eats: The Guide to Authentic Ethnic Restaurants and Markets in Greater Cleveland. United States of America: Gray & Company.
Kelly OBryans & Carlos OBryans is a chain of restaurants in Canada that offers Irish and American food. Nowadays, the chain operates in seven different locations. The given paper focuses on the use of the 4Ps at Kelly OBryans restaurant in New Westminster. In reference to the chosen company, Kelly OBryans restaurant in New Westminster is located near the River Market, one of the most popular shopping malls in Canada.
Being located at 800 Columbia Street, the restaurant uses an old building that was a train station at the beginning of the twentieth century (New Westminster, Kelly/Carlos OBryans, n.d.). Taking into account the popularity of the River Market, the choice of location is expected to have a positive impact on restaurant attendance. In addition, the decision to choose the building with a rich history and unique design can contribute to commercial success. In fact, the buildings appearance can serve as the representation of Irish traditions.
Product
When it comes to the next element, product, it needs to be said that the restaurant offers a wide range of dishes and beverages. Also, there are special offers for children. As is clear from the menu that is available at the companys official website, the restaurant provides traditional Irish food and uses modified recipes from other cuisines to suit every taste. There are several vegetarian dishes on the menu since the company aims at providing variety. Apart from that, the restaurant claims that some of its dishes are gluten-friendly, which contributes to the formation of a positive social image. However, as is clear from customer reviews, meals that the restaurant offers tend to be overfried or cold (Kelly OBryans & Carlos OBryans Pub, n.d.).
Price
In terms of pricing, the restaurant claims to provide food at reasonable and moderate prices. At the same time, many consumers claim that the prices set by the management are incompatible with the quality of food that they serve. The majority of customers agree that prices for drinks are reasonable, whereas food is believed to be overpriced (Kelly OBryans & Carlos OBryans Pub, n.d.). The meals for children are sold at a fixed price ($6), which makes it easier for parents to plan expenditures. In addition, special offers such as discounts for birthday celebrants are available.
Promotion
The fourth element of the 4Ps, promotion, refers to all initiatives and actions that involve public relations. The restaurant chain under analysis remains quite popular among clients despite some peoples dissatisfaction with the way that meals are cooked and served. Trying to attract more attention to the new location, the management of the restaurant created a blog available at the companys official website. However, there are only two blog entries related to the opening date, which is not enough to attract new customers. The strategy is much more successful when it comes to social media presence the restaurants Facebook page publishes posts on a regular basis to inform visitors about special offers and discounts.
Recommendations for Improvement
Based on the available information about the restaurant, there are two important areas for improvement. The first area is presented by products offered by the restaurant. Potential recommendations are based on customer reviews and the selection of meals presented on the menu. In order to make customers more satisfied, the restaurant manager should utilize feedback received from clients to improve cooking processes. Apart from that, the company should include more dishes for vegetarians and healthier alternatives of popular meals.
The second area for improvement is promotion. As for the first recommendation related to promotion and advertising, the management of the restaurant is advised to improve its official blog by including a more diverse content. Also, it is necessary to use a wide selection of advertising channels apart from Facebook.
Established less than three years ago, Mabu Generation is a successful Taiwanese bar and restaurant. Located in Markham, the establishment specializes in Taiwanese dishes and beverages. The business is known for its unique menu consisting of bubble tea, desserts, cocktails, hotpots, BBQ, and snacks, among others. The restaurant has a rating of 4.5 and currently ranked in the top 200 most successful food joints in Markham (Chdexpert, 2018).
Products/Menu Items and Pricing Structure
The menu items of the Mabu Generation are categorized as lunch specials, appetizers, and meals, drinks, desserts, take-out, and featured. Lunch specials cost $12.99 and come with a dessert and bubble milk or green tea. The food items in lunch specials are categorized by a serial number from LS01 to LS12 (Mabu Generation, 2018). The most common foods served under the lunch special are Taiwanese-style fried pork, chicken, beef, noodles, rice, sausage, potatoes, and vegetables served with a special sauce made of black pepper. The appetizers and meals menu consists of fifteen varieties from L01 to L15 (Mabu Generation, 2018).
The L01 is the most expensive and consists of grilled salmon priced at $11.99. The L02 category consists of Taiwanese-style pork sausage served with a thick garlic or soya sauce priced at $10.99 (Mabu Generation, 2018). The other categories of appetizers are priced at $8.99 and consist of deep-fried tofu, fish cake, and squid ball served with a variety of garlic sauces. The prices for other dishes fall within the same margin.
Target Market Needs, Wants, and Demands
Everyone living in Markham is a potential customer of this restaurant. The target market consists of more than 50,000 people preferring affordable, high-quality, and efficient restaurant services (Markham, 2018). These customers are aware of the existence of perfect substitute products and would sample a series of restaurants before selecting their favorite eatery. The clients are also demanding quick and friendly services when visiting a restaurant. In addition, the customers are conscious of the need to eat healthily and would wish for food joints that serve organic dishes (Chdexpert, 2018). Fortunately, the current business model of the Mabu Generation is tailored to meet these demands.
Companys Placement in the Niche Market and Competition
Mabu Generation is well placed in the Markham market to reap optimal benefits from the demands of potential customers. For instance, the service line is very quick (15 minutes waiting at peak-hour and 5 minutes at off-peak) (Mabu Generation, 2018). Moreover, the restaurant offers organic dishes that promote healthy living. The business has a quality service charter besides the general warm ambiance in the eating spaces. In addition, Mabu Generation has a series of promotional strategies such as special menus, discounts, and happy-hour free meals (Mabu Generation, 2018). The business faces stiff competition from other specialized restaurants. However, Mabu is the only business with a tailored Taiwanese menu in the region. Therefore, the establishment does not face any major threat to its product line.
Marketing Successes
Mabu Generation has an active online presence through its Twitter, Facebook, and corporate website pages, which are used to market different menus and run promotions. The restaurant also uses local print and mass media channels for marketing its products. Among the notable promotional strategies at Mabu include a happy-hour free meal, discounted vouchers for family meals, and redeemable loyalty points for frequenters (Mabu Generation, 2018).
The company has a responsive online and offline customer care service. Mabu Generation has been at the forefront in promoting healthy business practices through a series of corporate social responsibility initiatives. These activities have helped in increasing its visibility and positive perception among potential customers (Clow & Baack, 2014). The current internal marketing strategies include a warm customer experience and high-quality services (Mabu Generation, 2018). Mabus direct marketing strategy includes a quick service charter.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
The proactive business management strategy centered on customer satisfaction has been instrumental in propelling Mabu Generation to expand its menus over the years. The business has a series of unique selling points (USP), such as selling Taiwanese menu, quality service, cheap pricing, and emphasis on organic foods. The USP has made Mabus products have a competitive advantage in the Markham restaurant sector. The business has a solid knowledge of its market because of its focused menu and being the first of its kind in Markham (Clow & Baack, 2014). These traits have positioned Mabu Generation to reap optimal benefits as a first-mover of large-scale Taiwanese food menus.
Weaknesses
The restaurant is still at the start-up stage with less than two years of active presence in Markham. Thus, it might still face higher chances of failure at the slightest change in customer preference. The concentration in only Taiwanese foods is limiting in terms of potential revenue from diversification. Since the restaurant targets majorly people in Markham of Taiwanese descent, the market niche is limited and might not support an expanded version of the business in the future (Cole, 2015). In addition, the high cost of running a specialized restaurant in terms of contracting suppliers has the potential of increasing the operational costs.
Opportunities
The restaurant has unlimited opportunity for expansion through cooperation with health clubs and corporate organizations within Markham and beyond. The current marketing strategies bordering discounts, free deliveries, and menu specials have the potential of attracting more customers. In addition, the business has a perspective of establishing a strong network within Markham through the current partnerships with health clubs to further increase its revenues (IBISWorld, 2017).
Threats
Since Mabu Generation is a threat to several competitors, they might retaliate through the provision of perfect substitute dishes or start unfair pricing wars. This might hurt the revenues of Mabu in the short and long-term. Moreover, the current conglomerate product diversification strategy might result in losses should the swings in Markhams business environment conspire against its expansion plans (Cole, 2015). Since Mabu Generation operates in the restaurant industry, which is sensitive to negative feedbacks, consistently bad reviews might result in massive losses through changes in customer preference.
Final Synopsis and Overview of the Operations
Mabu Generation Restaurant has a stable operation management system that is pillared on total quality service charter. The system functions within the parameters of efficiency, optimal resource use, and a healthy organizational culture. There are active communication system litigations supported by periodic strategic plans. Every operational decision at the restaurant is connected to customer satisfaction and quality assurance (Cole, 2015).
The employees have been subjected to service training programs every three months to inculcate holistic work etiquette. The service chain has been computerized for smooth tracking of all activities from a central location. The employees are given monthly targets accompanied by performance feedback trackers in every section. There is a system in place to control the inventory, especially operational costs. This system also audits the internal and external expenditures (Clow & Baack, 2014). Apparently, the restaurant has an effective strategic operations management system that balances speed, quality, cost, and flexibility for business sustainability.
References
Chdexpert. (2018). The Canadian restaurant industry landscape-why is Toronto unique? Web.
Clow, K.E., & Baack, D. (2014). Integrated advertising, promotion, and marketing communications (6th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Higher Education.
Cole, A. (2015). The implications of consumer behavior for marketing. London, UK: Anchor academic publishing.
IBISWorld. (2017). Full-service restaurants-Canada market research report. Web.
Mabu Generation. (2018). Menu. Web.
Markham. (2018). Statistics and demographics. Web.
Consumer preferences and habits are changing in the U.S. due to sustained variations in consumption habits. According to (Berry, 2010) spending habits have changed towards an increase in demand for the value of products. Due to the economic recession, Americans are more aware of the need for value for money. For this reason, current trends in the market show an incline towards local sources of food, produce, sustainability and nutrition. Therefore the market has seen an increase in the demand for quality and nutrition in the context of food. For this reason, a move towards locally produced farm produce would be a wise move by Tim.
Literature
Reports from National Restaurant Association show that consumer trends in 2010 leaned towards local food and drink, authentic and short ingredient list, ethical production of food, and nutrition, Martinez, et al., (2010). This was after a survey was carried out on 1800 chefs. Therefore the trends within the restaurant business are the sourcing of ingredients from local farms and markets. Hence by following the trends of other chefs, Tim would do well to turn to local farms for produce.
However, despite the market trends, Tim should consider the behavior of his consumers. The food market is drastically changing due to changes in consumer preferences and purchasing habits. We are at a time when Americans are more aware of their spending habits. To stretch resources to meet everyday demands, they are going out to restaurants less. With declines in the number of those dining out, restaurants are left more empty tables. This is according to the report by Berry (2010).
To keep consumers coming to restaurants, chefs and restaurant owners have had to adapt to the needs of their market. Americans now prefer to buy quality food on the goods that have private labels. This food is cheap and greatly helps in savings. Despite the recession, Americans would rather pay a premium for local food to get quality. In addition, quality restaurant food is on-demand as more Americans have time to fully prepare a meal from scrap, and less time to go out for a meal. Current trends show that redeeming coupons is up by 25%, with 15% for private label sales Martinez, et al., (2010). Consumers are now demanding more for uniqueness, with ethnic cuisines and new drinks being favorites. Food sources are also considered by todays consumers, they measure the quality of food in terms of the miles from source to the table.
Pros and Cons
A pro is that by turning to local food sources, Tim will be attracting that part of the population that is conforming to recent market trends as a result of the recession. Another part of the population will be attracted due to the availability of local foods and the support the restaurant is giving local farmers. This is because more Americans would want to know the origin of the food; therefore local foods will also reduce the food miles factor and guarantee freshness and better taste Kramer, (2010). This is also a boost to the local economy as they support the local farmer instead of large-scale farmers. The collaboration will be fostered between the chef and farmer, as they will plan meals that have a basis on year-round availability of produce. The economic and environmental costs are reduced through less transportation, less processing, and the packaging of food. The con is that this move will increase the workload for the restaurant as they source food sources. Some ingredients may be difficult to obtain due to seasonality and geographical capability for their production. The competition will be high, as menus will consist of similar ingredients. Consumers may not enjoy the seasonality of food as they were used to getting it all year round.
References
Berry, B. (2010). Agri-Food 2010 hot trends Report United States. Agri-Food Trade Service. Web.
Kramer, J. (2010). The Pros and Cons of Supporting Local Farmers in your Region. Web.
Martinez, S. et al., (2010). Local Food Systems: Concepts, impacts, and Issues, ERR 97, U.S. dept of Agriculture, Economic Research service.
Mann (2011) observes that the pop up restaurants are an update of the underground supper club. They are legit, licensed, open to the public domain, and the chefs featured are of high profile preparing and serving delicious and quality dishes. According to Mann (2011) pop up restaurants are not stationed in a particular place.
The difference with traditional restaurants is that they operate on a given time frame like a month, day or a week. After the period expires they can relocate to another location and start up another pop up restaurant. They are temporal restaurants that have operated during festivals and parties. They are short lived and in most cases operate from privately owned homes, open spaces like former factories among others.
The emerging trend of pop up restaurants has been necessitated by the pop culture. Pop up restaurants in the UK emerged and become popular in the 2000s but they have become common everywhere and they no longer feature as new phenomenon. The target of the pop restaurants is the urbanite professionals of the aged 21 to 35 years.
The social media platform is used by diners to make follow ups on the events being held up by the pop up restaurants. By the use of face book, MySpace, twitter, blogosphere among other social networks, they are able to follow up pop up restaurants movements. In most of the occasions, reservations are done online because the goers are technologically savvy.
Young chefs who know what the youth want in terms of the menu provisions play integral part in the running of pop up restaurants. Young chefs open up the pop up restaurants and use the underused facilities and cutlery. Sometimes it can be experimental because the young chefs dont want to risky in opening a real restaurant.
De Certeau and Mayol (1998, p. 103) note that weekends are the best days that festivals are organised. This could be prudent time for individuals to catch up for a meal in pop up restaurants.
Analysis
According to Mann (2011) pop up restaurants offer chefs the opportunity to experiment new dishes. This makes them famous and their business can be expanded and marketed by through the various social media networks. The risks that are feared by traditional restaurants in testing and experimenting new dishes is not experienced by pop up restaurants as they are short lived in a particular area.
The advantage of pop up restaurants as acknowledged by Mann (2011) is that they need no rent and employees need no pay benefits. This is because, they are temporal and the staff used in operation is limited or in other occasions non existent. Another likely advantage is that they need not develop a menu that is consistent and what is served every night is used as experimental (Mann 2011).
Unlike restaurants there is no setting of the operational mechanisms and schedules. With the emerging trends where the urbanites dine out twice a week, the pop up restaurants act as an option for young couples. Diners can organize a pop up because the meals served are offered at affordable prices and the dishes are creatively prepared targeting the age group of 21 to 35 years.
Pop ups restaurants are easy to operate although there is challenge of start up capital and the venues at sometimes. The reason why they are easy to operate is because they do not incur extra overhead costs. Pop up restaurants have offered jaded urban foodies the chance to change their eating experiences (Mann 2011), and allowed chefs utilize their innovative skills with least financial risk (Mintz 2011).
According to Beardsworth and Keil (1997, p.100) the eating trends have changed and people are opting to eat out in public places away from the family setting. Pine and Gilmore (1999, p.4) note that the changes in economic times and experiences has prompted changes in running of business. For instance, the traditional restaurants have been replaced by the pop up restaurants.
Diagram 1. An example of interior of a pop up restaurant (Mintz 2011)
The service area and kitchen of a pop up restaurant
The setting of a pop up restaurants should be accommodative for a large number of people. However, the kitchen setting is usually small given that few chefs are available. Most of the venues where pop up restaurants are set are usually crowded with people. According to Baraban and Durocher (2010, p.165) a kitchen and its interior should have a greater ambience and impact to the front part.
Being clean, a kitchen can captivate and please customers hence increasing their numbers. On the other hand, the service stations of a restaurant should be located at the in the dinning area to allow easy customer services. Although they are usually temporal, pop up restaurants should be accommodative enough for many people.
The kitchens should be clean, and fitted with exhaust heat hoods that remove extra heat and smoke (Baraban &Durocher (2010, p.166). Some of the equipments found in a popup restaurant are
Preparation Tables, Combination Oven, Hand wash Stations, Under counter Freezer, Double Bowl Sink and Wash Hand Basin, Six Burner Range and Oven, Upright Refrigerator, Mobile Canopy, Hot cupboard, Under counter Refrigerator, Racking, Gastronomy Trolley, and Counter Top Heated Gantry
Sample diagram of a pop up restaurant kitchen interior
Sample of Service are with menu
Sketch diagram of pop up restaurant interior
Key:
Hot cupboard
Preparation Tables
[a, b, c, d, e, f] tables and chairs
Hand wash Stations
feamle washrooms
Male washrooms
Under counter Refrigerator and Under counter Freezer
Gastronomy Trolley
Double Bowl Sink and Wash Hand Basin
Six Burner Range and Oven
Mobile Racking
Upright Refrigerators
Food stuff racks
Cutlery and utensils cupboards
Combination Ovens
Service area of a pop up restaurant (Dicum 2010)
Menu in pop restaurants
The various dishes offered in pop up restaurants are usually innovative and affordable by most diners. The foods served in pop up restaurants are not common to the diners at normal occasions. Long (2004, p.22) note that people have the urge to taste new foods that are not served in their culture.
The chefs have an understanding in terms of the food requirements the diners usually need. According to Barrows and Powers (2009, p.323) chef should be able to plan appetizing meals so as to captivate the customers.
As it is the case with pop up restaurants the dishes are usually tantalizing, delicious and appetizing to the customers. As described by Barrows and Powers (2009, p.323) a chef should be the manager and be able to cook, buy and serve quality food. This case applies to chefs involved in pop up restaurants.
The most reason given why people eat out is need for change and experience. In their survey Warde and Martens (2000, p.47 ) found that the reasons why people out are to get a new experience, have a break from cooking, socializing, partying, preventing hunger, liking a particular food and having a treat.
All these reasons have encouraged the increase in the number of the pop up restaurants in the UK and other parts of the world. Eating different food out instead of the occasionally ate food bring in new and different experience all together (Warde & Martens 2000, p. 47)
The menu of a pop up restaurant is usually simple but innovative. The reason why the menu is kept simple is the aspect of the surrounding and the preferences of the people that may be hard to know.
According to Paskin (2011) if a pop restaurant uses already existing kitchen brigade, modification is required if the foods being cooked and served are complex and hot. Paskin (2011) note that food served is the most important thing and it should meet the expectation of customers.
Therefore, the dishes need to be delicious and tasteful. This markets a pop up restaurant and one can be hired for same if events or party is emerges. The other factor that is considered in pop up restaurant is the price of the menu. According to Paskin (2011) the prices need to the affordable and customer friendly as this captivates the client base.
For example, if one is pooping at a festival at the local area, passersby may be tempted to pop up if the prices are friendly. The prices can depend on the season and the locality of the restaurant. Beardsworth and Keil (1997, p. 102) eating together in a new environment symbolizes togetherness. People can collectively meet in pop up restaurants and experiment new foods with their friends or relatives.
Conclusion
The pop up restaurants are temporal restaurants that are short lived from a day, a week or a month. In most case, they are set during the festive seasons and they are currently dominating the hospitality sector. Like the traditional restaurants, the pop up restaurants are licensed and recognized by the laws.
They operate on low budgets and few employees. This makes them risk free to instances of bankruptcy and other related risks. They dont require rent and payment of benefits to employees. The dishes prepared by the chefs are innovative and chefs dont bother setting up a consistent menu. This is because the period of a pop up restaurant is a particular area is short-lived.
The target group of these emerging trends is the professional urbanites of the age 21 to 35 years. The chefs experiment with the food they cook and serve in the pop up restaurants. The interior of the pop up restaurants is well decorated and captivating to accommodate customers at the given timeframe. Marketing is achieved through the social net works that are also used in making reservations online.
The reasons why most urbanites eat outside is to experience new change, break from cooking, socializing, partying preventing hunger liking a particular food and having a treat. The dishes are usually appetizing, captivating, and tantalizing. The prizes at the pop up restaurants are pocket friendly and affordable.
Reference List
Barrows, C. W., & Powers, T. F., 2009, Introduction to management in the hospitality industry. Hoboken, N.J., John Wiley & Sons.
Baraban, R. S., & Durocher, J. F., 2010, Successful restaurant design. Hoboken, N.J., John Wiley & Sons.
Beardsworth, A., & Keil, T., 1997, Sociology on the Menu: An invitation to the study of food and society. New York: Rutledge.
De Certeau, M., Giard, L., & Mayol, P., 1998, The practice of everyday life Volume 2: Living & Cooking. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
According to Weber, an organization that is designed around specific rules and procedures, as well as control mechanisms, is an ideal type of bureaucracy (as cited in Volti, 2008). In order to have an ideal restaurant operation, it is important to establish an organizational structure with a clearly defined hierarchy. The organizational structure of a restaurant is dependent on a wide variety of factors such as size, a structure of ownership, type of service, and target customers (Mensah & Mensah, 2016). The functional framework for both small and large establishments in the food serving industry varies according to the individual needs and the policies of the particular enterprise, but it is basically the same. With the specific personnel needs such businesses have, it is important, then to design an organizational structure that would have a clear chain of command and would be in line with those needs to achieve effective operation of an enterprise. As noted by Altinay and Altinay (2004) proper organizational structure is a prerequisite for accomplishing any of the various tasks of entrepreneurship (p. 334). This paper will design an organizational structure for a small restaurant. It will also explain the relevance of hierarchical ranking to achieving the efficiency of the enterprise.
Front and Back of the House
The restaurant will be divided into two main departments: front of the house and back of the house (Hanly, 2016). The front of the house will be composed of the dining area, where food is served, and the bar area for serving beverages. The kitchen, where the food is prepared, along with the administration office, which is concerned with management, coordination, and accounting functions of the enterprise, will constitute the back of the housing department. Since its a small operation, managerial duties related to the operation of the front house will not be split up between two positions; only one manager will tend to both areas. For ensuring efficiency, they will report directly to the general manager.
Horizontal and Vertical Divisions of Labour
All labor will be divided horizontally into separate tasks to achieve the efficiency of the operation. Branching responsibilities in this manner will ensure the specialization of the workforce. Three main activities related to the horizontal division of labor of the small restaurant are the preparation of food, serving, and managing (Bratton, 2010; Mills, Mills, & Forshaw, 2007). For the separation of decision making, planning, monitoring and controlling activities, a vertical division of labor should be established (Bratton, 2010). Having such a separation will help regulate the power structure of the restaurant, apportioning authority for the running of the operation. The work of the head chef, the supervisor, and the head bartender will be regulated by the restaurant manager (Bratton, 2010; Hanly, 2016).
Conclusion
All labor of the small restaurant will be divided both vertically and horizontally into separate tasks and responsibilities to ensure an efficient operation. Such a division of labor, as well as relationship structure, will help regulate and coordinate work activities within the company.
References
Altinay, L., & Altinay, M. (2004). The influence of organisational structure on entrepreneurial orientation and expansion performance. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 16(6), 334-344.
Bratton, J. (2010). Work and organizational behaviour. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.