Question :

3.

Elaborate on the type of research you think would be more appropriate, (experimental/non-experimental),

and why?

Case:

Samouel's Greek Cuisine

Samouel's Greek Cuisine restaurant is located in New York City. Phillip Samouel,

owner of the restaurant, is

a successful manager and bu

Elaborate on the type of research you think would be more appropriate, (experimental/non-experimental),

and why?

Case:

Samouel's Greek Cuisine

Samouel's Greek Cuisine restaurant is located in New York City. Phillip Samouel,

owner of the restaurant, is

a successful manager and businessman. He came to New York about fifteen years ago and has owned several

other businesses but is relatively new to the restaurant industry. He and his brother opened the restaurant about

four years ago. The decor and menu are similar to those of a restaurant they remember from their early days in

Greece. The concept of the restaurant was to feature traditional dishes with the freshest ingredients, an informal

and festive atmosphere, and a friendly and knowledgeable staff. In making the initial decision to open the

restaurant, Phil and his brother talked with several friends but did not conduct a formal feasibility study. Also,

they chose the location based on the fact that a restaurant had previously been in operation there, and the cost of

renovation would be much less than if they had selected a location where another type of business had been.

About two blocks from Samouel's location is an Italian restaurant owned and managed

by Gino. Gino's Italian

Ristorante has been open at its current location for about ten years and has a southern Italian menu. Gino and his

family emigrated from Sicily and started the restaurant. His mother runs the kitchen using family recipes gathered

over the years and makes sure the food is properly prepared.

When Phil and his family were starting their restaurant, their background research suggested that many

restaurants collect information on the characteristics of their customers, such as the following:

1.

Age

7.

The role of social media and Internet for deciding

2.

Income

where to eat

3.

Location where customers live and work

8.

Social media patterns and habits

4.

Ethnic background

9.

Typical amount spent when they eat out

5.

Gender

10.

Kinds of food they eat most often when dining

6.

Frequency of eating out, for lunch, for dinner

out

11.

Most appealing type of atmosphere

They have been so busy since starting the restaurant that there has been no time to collect any of this data.

Last week when Phil Samouel was passing by Gino's, he noticed a crowd of customers

waiting to be seated.

He believes Gino's is his major competito

r because both restaurants cater to the same lunch and dinner clientele.

This started him thinking

about the competitive positioning of his restaurant relative to Gino's. Phil's opinion

is

that Gino's has the advantage of being located in a higher traffic

area with greater visibility and that the length of

time Gino's has been in business has resulted in a

larger, more loyal customer base. In addition, Phil and his

brother believe that Gino's is

able to charge higher prices without sacrificing business. Phi

l's informal research

has

shown that the entres at Gino's are all $14 to $15, whereas his entrees are $10 to $11.

Satisfied customers

may be willing to reward the restaurant by paying higher prices and are likely to be more frequent patrons.