Case Study
Masters in Hospitality Management
FND 502 : Hospitality and Tourism Information Technology
CASE STUDY :BETTER BITES
PART 1
‘Maybe we should start our own business.’ As soon as Paul said it, his two friends put down their coffee and stared at him. Paul Clermont, Sarah Odell and Christina Healy were second-year hotel and restaurant management degree students and they were looking over the business and travel news and lamenting the sluggish job outlook in their chosen field. They had always joked about starting a business together, but this time Paul was serious. With few prospects in the job advertisements, the three friends were worried that travel and entertainment wouldn’t pick up by the time they graduated. They’d begun their job searches in the autumn but weren’t interested in the available positions. So, like many other young people, they considered heading out on their own and becoming entrepreneurs.
‘Well, you know that I’ve always wanted to open a restaurant eventually, Paul,’ said Sarah. ‘I love being a chef. But aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves? How could we get enough cash together to rent a place and staff it? Rental space is really expensive locally and we don’t have the funds to pay anyone right now. We still have student loans to pay off when we graduate.’
‘What about a pushcart in the university concourse?’ suggested Christina. ‘We could start small and take turns manning it ourselves. That’d keep our labour costs and store rental low. Besides, you’re always complaining about the greasy food at that burger place, Sarah. We could offer better alternatives to burgers and fries. The student concourse has been improved recently with new benches and tables, too. It’d be a perfect spot to open a small lunch business. All we would need is permission from the University Director of Services.’
‘We’d still need a business plan to get a loan for start-up,’ Paul advised. He was excited about organizing a new firm, but knew they needed a
FND 502 : Hospitality and Tourism Information Technology
CASE STUDY :BETTER BITES
PART 1
‘Maybe we should start our own business.’ As soon as Paul said it, his two friends put down their coffee and stared at him. Paul Clermont, Sarah Odell and Christina Healy were second-year hotel and restaurant management degree students and they were looking over the business and travel news and lamenting the sluggish job outlook in their chosen field. They had always joked about starting a business together, but this time Paul was serious. With few prospects in the job advertisements, the three friends were worried that travel and entertainment wouldn’t pick up by the time they graduated. They’d begun their job searches in the autumn but weren’t interested in the available positions. So, like many other young people, they considered heading out on their own and becoming entrepreneurs.
‘Well, you know that I’ve always wanted to open a restaurant eventually, Paul,’ said Sarah. ‘I love being a chef. But aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves? How could we get enough cash together to rent a place and staff it? Rental space is really expensive locally and we don’t have the funds to pay anyone right now. We still have student loans to pay off when we graduate.’
‘What about a pushcart in the university concourse?’ suggested Christina. ‘We could start small and take turns manning it ourselves. That’d keep our labour costs and store rental low. Besides, you’re always complaining about the greasy food at that burger place, Sarah. We could offer better alternatives to burgers and fries. The student concourse has been improved recently with new benches and tables, too. It’d be a perfect spot to open a small lunch business. All we would need is permission from the University Director of Services.’
‘We’d still need a business plan to get a loan for start-up,’ Paul advised. He was excited about organizing a new firm, but knew they needed a