Wil’s Grill

1. Discuss the resources and capabilities of Wil’s Grill and identify its core competencies in the
street food market segment using VRIN framework.
2. What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for Wil’s Grill? Identify various
strategic options for Wil’s Grill by creating a SWOT matrix.
3. You have identified the resources, capabilities and core competencies of Wil’s Grill developed in
the street food market segment while answering question 1. Now, discuss the transferability of
those resources, capabilities and core competencies to the catering market segment in terms of
the following:
a. Which of those resources, capabilities and core competencies are transferable to the
catering segment?
b. What gaps exist in terms of resources, capabilities and core competencies if Wil’s Grill
enters the catering segment?
c. How will Wil’s Grill acquire and or/develop the missing resources, capabilities and core
competencies if it decides to enter the catering segment?
4. Based on the analyses done for the previous questions, advise Wil’s Grill whether it should
expand its operations either by entering the catering market segment or by doing something
else.

Answer 3
a) The following resources, capabilities and core competencies can be transferred to the catering
segment:
 Clean Food
Wil’s Grill had a strong focus on clean food at reasonable prices. Suppliers: Relationships
that John had established with the local supply chain gave them a competitive advantage in
the external sector. Hence, the suppliers Wil’s Grill have can be transferred to use in the
Catering segment effectively.
 Brand Equity
Catering business needs more familiarity of the brand name which needs to be worked upon
as most of the respondents of the survey had never heard of Wil’s Grill.
Pricing strategy: Since, the catering segment is not as price sensitive as street food
consumers, hence the pricing strategy of street food business can be transferred to catering
industry by slightly increasing the prices to increase profit margins.

b) The gaps exist in terms of resources, capabilities and core competencies if Wil’s Grill enters the
catering segment are:
 Employee Involvement
In the current scenario, employees in street food business typically worked for normal hours,
while during events occasionally they are even flexible to work for ~18 hours, but while
expanding to catering business which requires routine high working hours, the same
employees might find it difficult to work. This gap exists when Wil’s Grills enters the
catering segment.
 Customer Preferences
In the street food business, Wil’s Grills understands the customer preferences through the
“clean food” movement. It also knows the serving mass i.e. mostly students and public
events. But the same can’t be predicted for a catering business since it is of a large scale and
mostly premium foods are favoured in parties and functions than “clean foods”.
c) Wil’s Grill can acquire and/or develop the missing resources, capabilities and core competencies
if it decides to enter the catering segment, through:
 Employee Involvement
To develop the missing core competencies with respect to employee involvement,
i. Hire hotel management students/trainees who have prior knowledge and experience
with catering industry.
ii. Hire more labours and manpower, and schedule optimized work hours equally so that
the employees have utmost job satisfaction.
 Customer Preferences
To develop the missing core competencies with respect to customer preferences,
i. Understand the customer demand and ask more details pertaining to the event and
crowd’s eating preferences.
ii. Suggest new variety foods to attract the guests so that they will refer to future
events.
iii. There is always be a scope of improvement, to capitalize this, obtain feedback from
customers after the event and try to work on the suggestions provided.