Kick-Off Breakfast Case Study

Kick-Off Breakfast!
Donna A. Mack
July 21, 2014
Strayer University
Professional Communications
Dr. Lee Murphy

Table of Contents

Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………3
Problem Statement……………………………………………………………………….3
Terminology………………………………………………………………………………..3
Report Overview…………………………………………………………………………...3
Overview of Alternatives…………………………………………………………………..3
Five criteria…………………………………………………………………………………4
Methods……………………………………………………………………………………4
Evaluation of Alternatives………………………………………………………………....4
Findings and Analysis……………………………………………………………………….5
Charts of findings……………………………………………………………………………5
References…………………………………………………………………………………..11
Addendum/Customer Survey and Taste Test……………………………………………….12

Executive
Summary
Starvation is not a major risk factor for the women of Randall Chapel Baptist Church.
The main landscape is a celebration of the human appetite, exploring diversity, and at the same time making healthy choices. The truth is that supermarkets satisfy a deeper need. In the past, our ancestors were hunters and farmers who had to struggle for food. Every meal they enjoyed was the result of skill, hard work, and often danger.
Supermarkets have learned to reproduce the thrill of the hunting experience. Customers enter with hope and anxiety, and if the hunt goes well, they exit through the automatic doors with the feeling of exhaustion and exultation.
On the other hand, making a living from organic farming is another matter. While many farmers have switched to organic farming, they report it can be a costly and complicated process. In return, the cost of buying organic products from these farms can be very expensive for the customers. What has really jumped out is how valuable the science of nutrition is. These farmers are aiming for a substantial agriculture that takes a holistic, integrated look at the environmental, economic, and community impact of
agriculture.

Problem Statement The ladies of Randall Chapel Baptist Church have a problem: the annual kick-off breakfast for our Warriors in Pink is rapidly approaching. Unfortunately, the ladies cannot decide on whether or not to have a buffet style breakfast or single servings. Our regular vendors are making offers of coupons, discounts on bulk items, fast delivery, and organic fruits and vegetables. We have 60 women with different taste buds and dietary restrictions. We have a budget of $1,000. Mrs. Washington is the Chairperson of the Women’s Group. The Warriors in Pink are a group of women who walk in marathons for the American Cancer Society each year to raise money for that charity.

Terminology

“BOGO (Buy One Get One)” – a sales promotion wherein the consumer gets two gallons of juice for the price of one.

“Organic Goods Double Dose” – double discount coupons when you buy in bulk at this organic farmers market.

Report Overview

This report was created to help the ladies of Randall Chapel Baptist Church choose which style of serving breakfast would help them to get the most for the amount of money in their budget. Mrs. Washington asked us to investigate two alternatives to determine the best price option; Alternative A (Harris Teeter’s) or Alternative B (Mom and Pop’s Organic Farm). Mrs. Washington’s criteria by which we were asked to judge the alternatives were as follows: cost, sales promotions, diet restriction options, and delivery time. Research methods included Internet research, surveys (to determine preferences), and in-person visits to both places of business. With the evaluation completed, Mrs. Washington decided on Alternative A (Harris Teeter), since it offered three more advantages that Alternative B (Mom and Pop’s Organic Farm) did not: a larger variety in fruits and vegetables, double coupons up to $1.00 (meaning $2.00 off), and discount on bulk.

Overview of Alternatives

Two alternatives were considered in this report meeting Mrs. Washington’s initial approval:

Alternative B - Mom and Pop’s Organic Farm – located 3 miles away in rural North Carolina is a new establishment with a growing reputation of having very good produce. Although the produce is fresh and tasty, the owners cannot guarantee on time delivery since Pop is the only one who does all the deliveries. Mom and Pop’s Organic Farm prices are too expensive for our budget. Although organic foods are the new rave today, some of the women do not care if it is organic foods or not. We will not need to buy in bulk in order to use the double dose coupons.

Alternative A – Harris Teeter’s – is located just 1 mile away in the North Hills Shopping Center.
Harris Teeter is a well-established Supermarket. In business for over 20 years, Harris Teeter has a lot to offer such as online shopping, gluten free and diabetic products, parties to go, and delivery in 25 minutes. Weekly specials are offered when ordering fresh foods, and special items request.

Criteria

Mrs. Washington stressed that following these 5 criteria would be used to judge each alternative: 1. Cost – How much will the fresh produce and food cost? Mrs. Washington does not want to spend more than $200.00 on breads/rolls, and no more than $300.00 on breakfast meats and eggs. Mrs. Washington does not want to spend more than $200.00 on beverages and no more than 200.00 on fresh fruits and vegetables for all the ladies attending (60 plus 1 guest).
2. Variety Options - Some ladies have dietary restrictions and would like to have gluten free and diabetic products.
3.
Delivery time – How long will it take to deliver the food to the banquet hall? Mrs. Washington mentioned that since it is a breakfast, shorter delivery time is required and early morning delivery is essential.
4. Sales promotions – What good promotions are running? Mrs. Washington is regular coupon shopper and is always looking for ways to save money.
5. Taste- Mrs. Washington wants the fruit to be sweet, and the breads to be fresh. Her goal is to have a tasty breakfast with variety for the ladies.

Methods

Research methods included Internet research to determine which business was the closest for delivery time. Internet research also covered how long each business had the most promotions to offer. In person visits to both establishments allowed taste-testing so that the quality of the food could best be determined. Surveys were done to determine preferences. The ladies of the church were surveyed along with customers of both establishments.

Evaluation of Alternatives
Cost

1. Alternative A – charged $150.00 for 6 bushels of fruits and vegetables. The coffee, which was purchased in bulk, came with a bonus of paper cups and plastic ware. The rolls and bread purchase came with spreads (sugar-free jams). Double coupons were offered for juices and water ($2.00 off) each case. Breakfast meats were purchased for $50.00 a case, per type; the eggs were $36.00 per case which came with a discount on skim milk (2 gallons) with every egg purchase.
2. Alternative B - using the double dose discount, the cost of 6 bushels of organic fruits and vegetables is $325.00. The cost for organic eggs per case is $55.00. Organic skim milk and juices cost $30.00-$37.00 per case without discounts. Alternative B does not offer breads and rolls or meats.

Sales Promotions

1. Alternative A – offers free condiments and paper products. The $2.00 off coupon is offered in their weekly specials. Discounts were offered on specialty items when ordered in bulk, and free vitamins were offered to the women because we bought in bulk.
2. Alternative B – offered double dose discounts when buying in bulk. Alternative B offers are different each week, and the farm is opened only from May to October.

Variety Options

1. Alternative A – provided diabetic, gluten-free, and vegetarian options. Organic foods alone cannot feed everyone, so it’s important to have a variety of sustainable and ethical options.
2. Alternative B – provided organic foods that are farmer’s market fresh. The ladies enjoyed visiting with the folks who grew, picked, packed, and handled the produce from the farm. Organic farming has been practiced for over 100 years. It combines nature, tradition, and science to produce crops and livestock absent of pesticides, and hormones.

Taste

1. Alternative A – according to the ladies group who taste tested said Harris Teeter’s ranked #2 in flavor, however, Alternative A did offer a variety of choices for the ladies to taste.
2. Alternative B – the ladies commented that the flavors of the fruits and vegetables were very good, and ranked it #1 in the taste test, however the choices were limited. It is a small farm.

Delivery Time

1. Alternative A – promised delivery time of 25 minutes. Reviews on the Internet say that the delivery time is 25 to 30 minutes (“Customer Review of Harris Teeter’s PP, 2014).
2. Alternative B – could not give an exact time and requested that every delivery is ordered at least a week in advance since Pop is the only one who makes the deliveries. Customer survey indicated that Mom and Pop’s delivery time is before noon when you order a week in advance.

Findings and Analysis

Although both Alternative A and B have very good choices in their foods, and the taste appealed to Mrs. Washington and the ladies of Randal Chapel Church, Alternative A offered more discounts and a variety of options. Alternative B ranked #1 in taste according to the taste test survey indicated by the ladies of the church. Alternative B did not offer gluten-free or diabetic foods which are a major concern for Mrs. Washington, due to potential health issues for some of the ladies. Delivery time was an easy win for Alternative A which is very important for a breakfast buffet.

For a graphic depiction of the findings and analysis, see Figure 1 below:

Criterion
Cheaper
More expensive
Cost
Alternative A (Harris Teeter)
Alternative B (Mom and Pop 's)
Variety Options
High
Moderate
Delivery Time
Speedy
Slow
Sales Promotions
Good
Some
Taste
Good
Good
Total Feasibility
High
Low-Moderate

Figure 2: Feasibility in Figure 1 Broken Down Further by Feasibility

Criteria
Alternative A (Harris Teeter)
Alternative B (Mom and Pop 's)
Cost
LOW
HIGH
Variety Options
HIGH
LOW
Delivery Time
SPEEDY
SLOW
Sales Promotions
GOOD
MODERATE
Taste
GOOD
HIGH

Introduction

Mrs. Washington had a dilemma; she had to decide which way to better serve her guest. The Kick-Off Breakfast is approaching and there will be sixty plus one guest with diverse taste and dietary restrictions. The budget is $1,000, cost, taste, and delivery time are essential to the success of the breakfast. In reading this report, terminology such as buy one, get one free (BOGO), double dose (DD), and genetically modified organisms(GMO) will be used.

After reading reviewing the report, Mrs. Washington chose Alternative A. The decision was made after seeing her criteria of cost, variety, delivery time, taste, and sales promotions were all satisfied. The scope of research included articles from magazines, customer surveys, internet research, and personal taste tests. The scope of research did not include surveys about the technological side of organic farming. Unless a person goes above and beyond to eat organic or locally grown foods, it is almost guaranteed that unhealthy genetically modified organisms, more commonly known as GMO will enter their foods.

Title Page

KICK-OFF BREAKFAST!

Donna A. Mack

August 24, 2014

Strayer University

English 315

Professional Communications

Dr. Lee Murphy

Transmittal Letter

5033 Sedgewick Drive, Suite B
Raleigh, North Carolina 27616

August 24, 2014

Mrs. Francine Washington
Chairperson, Women’s Group
Randall Chapel Baptist Church
Raleigh, North Carolina 27609

Good Morning to All,

Here is the report that was requested by Mrs. Washington, Chairperson of the Women’s Group at Randall Chapel Baptist Church.

Our research shows that although organic food is not just about the product; it is a philosophy in which the process of production is as important as the final result. Knowing this, Mrs. Washington choose to use Alternative A, the well know supermarket Harris Teeter. Our surveys show customers would rather have the stability and dependability of a well-established supermarket.

Sincerely,

Donna A. Mack
Review Officer

References

Blatt, H. (2008). America 's Food: What You Don 't Know About What You Eat. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.
Bouchier, D. (1997, Mar 09). At supermarkets, the hunter stalks prey. New York Times Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/430751209?accountid=30530
Mullins, J. (2012). Health Rocks! Skipping Stones, 24(2), 27.
Polacek, K., & Diekmann, F. (2013). Organic Farming. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 52(3), 197-204.
Ruopp, W. (2014, May/June) Farmers’ Market Fresh. Eating Well.