1. Emma Bisset – Cupcake restaurant owner – hand crafted cupcakes.

2. Café opened in 2009-Comapany sold designer cupcake recipes and flavors to grocery stores
and selected restaurants.
3. Went back to look at how good the company had grown never had imagined a success like
this.
4. Davis was business partner in Café cupcake for almost 8 years made it successful.
5. Dr Johnathan Patel expert in organizational behavior.
6. Because of his focus the company reached to new new heights.
7. Bisset was scared of the next steps of the business and growth part.
8. Dissatisfaction amongst the employee’s managers were vocal about it and front-line workers
complained about the working conditions.

Background of the café

 Inspired by the commo some they share they decided for a southern sandwich café and
became equal partners
 Advantage of the “CASUAL DINING NICHE”. Avg sales per location was in record
numbers
 By 2018 the company boasted 35 locations with 700 employees.
 Create experience for our customers and employees need to be embodied with ethos.
 Quality affordability and service were the key parameters.
 Success flowed from their practices.
 Favored employee development and advancement from within the ranks.
 Core was service not to be treated like just another company, southern hospitality
philosophy and commitment thrive here.
 Performance measures were communicated through a handbook with graphics and
testimonials.
 Goals were reinforced with incentives rewards and promotions.
 They emphasized on leadership sent substantial time on running down the cafés now
they have to rely on the local area managers to embody the culture of the company.
 Even after fine tuning the offerings the main aim of it was to keep the menu distinctive
and indulgent – staple southern style sandwiches and rotating selection of handmade
cupcakes.
 Ice tea infusion – upsurge of new enthusiastic customers.
 Carry out or order at the counter

Industry

Cupcakeries from single product bakeries to online only – enterprise also served meals with
cupcakes.

They harnessed the desire for affordable indulgences and recession wary consumers< no breaking
the budget customers>

Full serviced restaurants captured for the largest revenue highest growth was fast casual
restaurants.

Demand fluctuations were affected. Consumer driven shift towards fresher and healthier foods.

Employee turnover was high in the food industry- low pay, stressful working conditions work
schedules that changed in a short notice
Private equity – 1992- moved into commercial real estate financing in 2000. She launched
entrepreniual ventures and tapped to grow her small business

In 2007 she sold a successful meal kit delivery that offered monthly selection of recipes and pre-
portioned ingredients direct to home within 20-mile radius. She watched shows and got inspired.

She used her real estate skills and that of her research about industry and started

Anesiha Davis always had entrepreneurial mindset – paid her own bills at young age – due to an
event when she saw people were fed up with hot dogs and other stuffs, she started selling deserts
and then worked as a manager in fast growing chain of coffee shops and then opened one of her
own

Made her visualize her vision of high quality national casual restaurant chain.

When there were some problems in 2012 both of them worked on the issues before they added new
cafes.

Staff reorganization crafted new operations strategy centralized bakery production in one location
and only 3 skilled labors eliminated redundant staff overhead expenses

They visited each café giving views

Increased compensation and crew management level. Created a comprehensive crew manual. Sales
and profit increased rapidly

2013-2016 growth

Added layers of management and each responsible for one café

Separate baking division

Main highlight was family wheel

Formalization of policies could stifle the wheel. families don’t have rule book.

Manager bonus or promotions were based on product service and consistency so handbook became
a tool for 85% of employees who were crew waitstaff and managers.

Noticed red flags by 2016

Procedures were more than customer satisfaction

Made it diff for ppl to respond to dynamic market

No balance btw operational efficiency and flexibility

Worrying of losing distinctiveness if become so structured