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MEUWLY’S: SCALING SUSTAINABILITY IN A START-UP

Andre LeBlanc, Kylie Heales, Carol Wong, Jared Bateman, and Zeid Rijeb wrote this case under the supervision of Professor Joel
Gehman solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling
of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality.

This publication may not be transmitted, photocopied, digitized, or otherwise reproduced in any form or by any means without the
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University, London, Ontario, Canada, N6G 0N1; (t) 519.661.3208; (e) cases@ivey.ca; www.iveycases.com. Our goal is to publish
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Copyright © 2021, Ivey Business School Foundation Version: 2021-10-04

On a brisk, sunny morning in November 2019, Peter Keith strolled along Edmonton, Alberta’s celebrated
124th Street on his way to open his retail storefront for the day. Branded as an artisan food market,
Meuwly’s Ltd. (Meuwly’s) carried a variety of local food products and was known for its house-made
sausages and other specialty meat products, pickles, and preserves.1 Keith felt both personal and
professional pride in the company’s business philosophy: selling accessible and high-quality food that
showcased Albertan producers and farmers and built resilient community ties across the province. 2
Meuwly’s had a burgeoning reputation for consistently delivering on this philosophy and offering value to
existing and new customers alike without compromising its house-made specialties. The company had also
built and maintained robust relationships with many of Alberta’s producers and farmers.

Keith felt that he had achieved the first stage of his sustainable business strategy, but he still had a long way
to go to achieve the sustainability he envisioned for Meuwly’s. As he considered the variety of sustainability
strategies available to the company, Keith reflected on the difficulties related to scaling sustainability. What
should he do next? Financial profitability was important, but Keith was passionate about advancing a triple-
bottom-line philosophy. Now that the business was established and had developed traction, Keith wondered
whether he and his partners should activate the second stage of the sustainable business philosophy. If so,
where should they start?

Despite the recent enthusiastic market shift toward sustainability, research suggested that most small, local
businesses remained reluctant to accelerate their business models and strategies toward wholly sustainable
development due to scarce human resources and little room for financial miscalculations.3 This was the case
at Meuwly’s, where Keith struggled, as the owner of a small, local business, to balance profit creation against
environmental and social commitments. As a cofounder, Keith found it difficult to make budgetary decisions
based on criteria that were not explicitly related to revenue.4 As he reached the storefront and unlocked the
front door, Keith reflected on the critical choices he faced, which would have far-reaching consequences for
Meuwly’s, the Edmonton customers he sought to serve, and the agricultural producers he valued.

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COMPANY BACKGROUND

Meuwly’s was founded in 2016 by three business partners: Glendon Tan, Will Kotowicz, and Keith.5
Initially, the cofounders launched the business as a subscription food-box service. Then, in 2018,
encouraged by customer demand, they opened a retail storefront. As the business grew, the cofounders
diversified their business model and capitalized on four different revenue streams: retail, wholesale, special
events, and subscription services. Their new wholesale business generated revenue by servicing popular
local and artisan restaurants, including Meat, District Café, Baijiu, Three Boars, Woodwork, and
Clementine.6 While house-made meat products accounted for the majority of the products Meuwly’s sold,
the company expanded its product offerings to include cheeses, spices, preserves, and pickled items.

The Meuwly’s brand was inspired by the family name of Kotowicz’s great-grandfather, Joe Meuwly, a
butcher who began his career in Switzerland and later immigrated to Canada.7 Evoking this heritage of
high-quality food and essential community ties among immigrant families, the three business partners built
a brand around the Meuwly name. The company’s website noted that “Meuwly’s believes that a strong
community is centred around good food.”8 Given this focus, cofounders Kotowicz and Keith qualified as
Red Seal chefs, acquiring nationally recognized certification for their trade. Kotowicz also specialized in
preparing charcuterie and sausages, faithfully documenting the recipes and processes to ensure consistently
high-quality products.9 Faced with competition from outside vendors who sold imported meats, pickles,
and preserves but lacked the in-house expertise necessary to prepare charcuterie and sausages locally, the
Meuwly’s team focused on attracting consumers who preferred quality over quantity.

This persistent focus on accessible, high-quality foods received overwhelmingly positive media coverage
(see Exhibit 1), which was accelerated by the launch of the retail storefront in 2018. Online consumer
reviews of Meuwly’s were positive, generally praising the food quality, selection, and customer service. In
the 18 months after the retail launch, the business had been doing well. Unlike other food industry start-
ups, which often took years to become profitable, Meuwly’s was breaking even on a monthly basis and had
diversified revenue streams across its business model (see Exhibit 2).10 This profitability encouraged Keith
to persist in building Meuwly’s as a sustainable business, including paying employees a living wage, despite
well-established norms within the industry. The company also adopted a proactive approach to regulatory
compliance, adapting its internal practices to evolving food-industry regulations and standards concerning
issues such as allergy alerts, licensing for food businesses, importing foods, and consumer information, as
required by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.11

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

The “Eat Local” Movement

While Meuwly’s focused on building a local brand, its activities formed part of a larger shift within the
global food industry: the “eat local” movement, which aspired to reduce the aggregate global ecological
footprint of commercial food production, support local businesses, and positively engage the local
community in healthy food consumption.12 Advocates, supporters, and allies of the movement established
certification programs, encouraged consumers to increase the proportion of locally sourced groceries in
their weekly household shopping, and connected local producers and suppliers.13 The hospitality industry
had been influential in establishing an “eat local” focus in Alberta, which was originally focused on the
promotion of local beef. It had also led to increased demand for locally sourced food, and this had opened
the local wholesale market to small-scale farmers who could supply farm-to-table-style eateries.14

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Italian Centre Shop

The Italian Centre Shop, a family-owned deli, bakery, café, and grocer, was Meuwly’s largest competitor.
In 2019, the business had celebrated its 60th anniversary, and with strong links to the local Italian
community, it was well-loved and supported in Edmonton. Due to this enduring community support, the
Italian Centre Shop operated four physical locations in Edmonton and Calgary, and it was moving ahead
with expansion plans to open two new locations in the next two years.15 The Italian Centre Shop had built
a reputation for providing high-quality food at reasonable prices, sourcing European specialty foods, and
making fresh baked goods. It strengthened this reputation by creating a very distinct atmosphere with the
aim of providing patrons with a cultural experience. Staff were trained to offer customers samples and
recommendations from the hundreds of meats and cheeses available. The Italian Centre Shop also operated
as a caterer and partnered with local organizations for civic events. While the Italian Centre Shop
specialized in supplying European rather than locally sourced products, it retained the advantage of “local”
branding through its status as a landmark family business in Edmonton. Although it sold products from
other countries, its customers viewed their purchases as supporting a local business.16 In 2019, the Italian
Centre Shop began working to reduce its environmental footprint by eliminating plastic cutlery and
shopping bags and seeking partnerships to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.17

Specialty Meats in Edmonton

In 2019, the deli market in Edmonton was highly saturated. More than 30 delis operated in the Edmonton
area, and most large chain grocery stores in the city also had in-house delis that offered affordable specialty
meats and cheeses with fast and efficient service.18 Delis typically served a loyal, geographically proximate
customer base, and they earned that loyalty by becoming trusted sources of high-quality and ready-to-eat
products. Other factors considered important by deli customers included atmosphere, customer service,
cleanliness, price, and convenience. Chains had an additional advantage of conveniently offering deli meat
products in the same location as other staple foods.

In response to the saturated local deli market, Meuwly’s adopted an integrated approach that included
selling select products made by its competitors, for example, spice blends created and used by the Drift
Food Truck on 124th Street. This allowed both parties to increase their revenues and form mutually
reinforcing strategic partnerships. Such partnerships provided Meuwly’s with a large network of supporters
in the Greater Edmonton area.

There was a growing market across Canada for specialty foods, including gourmet and high-quality meats,
due to increased affluence, consumer education, and multiculturalism.19 In addition, daily meat consumption
in Canada had increased consistently between 2004 and 2015.20 Despite meatless diets trending in the news,
research showed that the number of Canadians following vegan or vegetarian diets had not changed
significantly since 2008.21 Moreover, consumers in the prairies were three times less likely to follow meatless
diets than Canadians living in coastal provinces.22 Furthermore, during economic downturns, customers
typically chose to purchase cheaper alternatives from chain grocery stores, including Save-On-Foods, Sobeys,
and Real Canadian Superstore. Although Meuwly’s had benefited from the provincial economic recovery
experienced since 2016,23 the 2019 stagnation in provincial economic growth had created uncertainty
regarding the company’s aim of establishing a resilient, locally sourced food market in Alberta.

Farmers’ Markets

In addition to making purchases from retail storefronts, Edmonton customers also purchased speciality
meats from popular local farmers’ markets, at least one of which operated in the downtown area five days

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a week.24 At these markets, local products were typically sold by the individuals who had produced them,
which increased the significance of the products and the experience of locally sourced food for the loyal
customer base. The popularity of farmers’ markets in Edmonton was growing with the concurrent rise of
the “eat local” food movement. In Canada, farmers’ markets were increasingly respected as vital
contributors to locally resilient economies, benefiting from sales of almost CA$1.5 billion in 2019.25

Online and Social Media Presence

Social media defined the food scene: 50 per cent of users who identified as foodies relied on such channels
to discover new ingredients, while 46 per cent relied on them to discover indulgent food content (i.e.,
#foodporn).26 One third of consumers who sought new ingredients read online reviews and compared sellers
to similar businesses prior to making online purchases. Consequently, online ratings had a significant
impact on food-related businesses. Meuwly’s quickly established a strong and positive online presence in
an effort to reach consumers, and it boasted healthy ratings of 4.8 out of 5.0 stars on Google (based on 63
reviews) and a perfect five stars on Yelp (see Exhibit 1). In addition, many customers posted photos of the
company’s products and its physical space.

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

Meuwly’s clientele wanted to know where its products were sourced and how they were prepared, and they
considered these criteria second only to the quality of the products. This was especially true in relation to
the premium deli meat market serviced by Meuwly’s, as meat packaging had historically been misleading
and confusing. More specifically, packaging could use general terms to make claims regarding the
healthiness of products. Meuwly’s faced a persistent challenge in terms of educating consumers about the
true nature of “nitrate-free” meat. Nitrates, which were essential to the preservation of meat products, had
been linked to cancer.27 Keith noted that some competitors were cashing in on consumer fears and using
marketing strategies to promote “nitrate-free” meat when, in reality, these suppliers were using celery root
extract (a natural source of nitrates) to preserve their meat products. Consistent with its business philosophy,
Meuwly’s educated consumers about the use of nitrates and their natural presence in both food and the
human body, and it encouraged customers to consume products in moderation.28 Keith believed in ongoing
education for new and existing customers, although he worried about the economic transaction costs of
behaving ethically in a broadly unethical market.

Despite Meuwly’s focus on putting sustainable practices into operation by educating consumers,
procuring local products, and supporting local suppliers, some aspects of the business were likely
unsustainable. A study by the University of Manchester comparing the environmental impacts of
homemade and pre-packaged sandwiches found that “the largest contributor to a sandwich’s carbon
footprint is the agricultural production and processing of their ingredients. Depending on the type, this
can account for around 37%–67% of CO2 eq. [carbon dioxide equivalent] for ready-made sandwiches.”29
Although the sale of pre-packaged sandwiches was not a primary focus for Meuwly’s, which sold only
around 25 sandwiches per day, the agricultural processing of sandwich ingredients, including the
company’s core products (i.e., processed meats), had large environmental impacts. The impacts identified
by the University of Manchester study were not just environmental, as human health-related impacts were
also noted. The study suggested that “reducing ingredients, such as cheese and meat, would also reduce
the number of calories eaten, contributing towards healthier lifestyles”30 and concluded both that
processed meats had a negative impact on the environment and that consuming less meat was healthier
for individuals. Despite pursuing sustainable practices, Meuwly’s was still having negative
environmental and health impacts on the local community. Keith and his cofounders were adamant that
the company could be environmentally sustainable and profitable, and they considered the sustainable
sourcing of material inputs to be a potential focus for the next stage of their sustainable business strategy.

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Sustainable Packaging and Labelling

Meuwly’s had developed its original packaging strategy with the aim of enhancing the standard of its food
preservation and minimizing cost. It packaged its core products—snacks and dried meats—in single-use
vacuum-sealed plastic materials sourced from China, which could not be reused or recycled. Other products,
such as spices, preserves, and pickled items, were packaged in glass jars, which, with suitable cleaning,
could be reused or recycled by consumers. However, Meuwly’s did not have a return or redemption program
for the glass jars. Finally, its deli products and sandwiches were packaged in wax paper rather than plastic.
The wax paper effectively preserved product quality, although it could not be reused or recycled.

In addition to the on-site packaging of its products, Meuwly’s reinforced its branding through custom
product labelling. The labels included the company’s iconic winding “M” logo, the Meuwly’s name,
ingredients lists, nutritional information, and acknowledgements that the products were “Made with free-
range meat from Alberta farms.”31 To reduce its environmental impact, Meuwly’s experimented with
making labels from new raw materials. Unfortunately, suitable alternatives proved challenging to find, with
more sustainable labels tending to come off too easily, especially when placed on glass jars and refrigerated.

Sustainable Sourcing

According to its website, Meuwly’s was “passionate about local ingredients sourced from family-owned
farms and producers in our community. When you choose to shop locally, you’re supporting your
neighbours by putting money back into your community, reducing the impact of shipping & transportation,
and helping build up the food culture of the region. From Free-Range Pork used in our Salami to the Fresh
Veggies we turn into Gourmet Pickles - We believe you’ll taste the difference “local” makes!”32

Keith wondered whether selling meat products was sustainable in the long term. The trend toward the
consumption of meatless food products seemed to suggest that it was not, as meat production negatively
impacted the environment due to its large carbon footprint.

Another major sustainability challenge for Meuwly’s concerned its non-food merchandise, which included
baseball caps, T-shirts, sweaters, and water bottles featuring Meuwly’s branding. Keith believed that
Meuwly’s merchandise provided great exposure for the business and fostered the local community brand
identity. However, although such merchandise highlighted that Meuwly’s was local, it was manufactured
in China and Bangladesh. Keith wanted to find a more sustainable supplier to produce these products. Yet,
local sourcing was more expensive, and suppliers could not guarantee the use of fabrics and materials from
sustainable sources. One potential sourcing partner was Tentree, a Canadian Certified B Corporation that
produced materially sustainable, body inclusive, and functionally comfortable outdoor attire.33

POTENTIAL STRATEGIES

Keith had cofounded Meuwly’s as a sustainable firm by focusing on ethical practices such as sourcing local
products, paying employees a liveable wage, and educating consumers. It was now time to consider the
next step for the company’s sustainability strategy. The firm was breaking even, but it still had finite
financial resources for future investments in sustainability. The venture already demanded much of the
cofounders’ time and intellectual capital. As Keith reflected on the scarce resources at hand, he considered
four options for advancing sustainability at Meuwly’s.

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Appoint a Corporate Sustainability Lead

One potential strategy involved hiring a corporate sustainability lead to oversee the company’s sustainability
practices. Previously, the cofounders had relied on their own experience to develop the company’s
sustainability approach, although it appeared that area-specific expertise would be necessary to align the
company’s organizational structure with its long-term goals and secure sustainable resources. Prioritizing
sustainability through talent acquisition was also expected to provide both short- and long-term marketing and
promotional opportunities that would help Meuwly’s acquire new customers and strengthen its relationships
with existing patrons. However, as a growing young business, Meuwly’s was operating under financial
constraints. While Keith valued the contributions of content experts within the business, his review of
information available on Glassdoor indicated that the average salary for a corporate social responsibility
manager in Canada was between $45,000 and $54,000 per year.34 Such a cost would be a significant line item
for Meuwly’s and could compromise the company’s financial health. Furthermore, the costs of implementing
any special projects and recommendations proposed by a corporate sustainability lead were unclear, as was
the cultural fit of a person in such a role with the cofounders and other employees.

Pursue Sustainability Certification

Pursuing third-party sustainability certification would help legitimate the company’s existing sustainability
efforts and provide Meuwly’s with recommendations for improvement. Certification would also provide
access to marketing and advertising materials that could be incorporated into existing channels. However,
Keith had learned from a local Certified B Corporation that achieving third-party certification involved a
costly and time-consuming process. The costs of the certification process varied and included a US$150
submission fee plus an additional US$2,000 fee for firms with annual sales of up to US$10 million.35 These
costs did not account for the intense human capital that would be required to complete the certification process.
Once a company was certified, the annual B Corp certification licensing fees began at US$1,000, scaled to
the business revenue.36 The costs related to certification concerned Keith as he sought to manage the financial
sustainability of his young firm. Furthermore, recent surges in third-party certification practices and corporate
“greenwashing” scandals had devalued the returns from certification and increased consumer confusion
regarding what such certification actually meant.37 Finally, Meuwly’s core brand was built around quality,
expertise, and local sourcing, which were already sustainable choices. As such, it was unclear how much
additional business value the company would derive from third-party sustainability certification beyond an
affirmation of its values as distinct within the local market.38

Develop a Sustainability Policy or Framework

Sustainable decision making represented one way to genuinely deepen Meuwly’s commitment to its
beloved local community and rural Alberta. The results of a study by researchers at Canadian universities
indicated that developing local policies around food sustainability increased collaboration with local
government, food producers, processors, restaurateurs, food media, non-governmental organizations, and
private sector agencies.39 Typically, the establishment of a creative food network involved customized
policies for each organization and its supply chain, in addition to third-party audits, value statements, and
evaluations. Keith had informally discussed this possibility with local food suppliers and restaurateurs, but
there were significant concerns about the possibility that the effort required to initiate a policy, negotiate
terms, comply with, and enforce that policy within the network could represent hundreds of hours of work.
For small businesses such as Meuwly’s, sustainable decision-making frameworks risked not being followed
or being circumvented if they were not effectively and consistently championed by management or if
procurement was not properly aligned with decision making.

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Deploy Sustainability Procurement Tools

Deploying sustainability procurement tools would enable Meuwly’s to coordinate and track raw materials,
products, and inputs within its supply chain. Meuwly’s already recorded and reported the sustainable
sources of its core meat products. Due to its robust tracking practices, Meuwly’s confidently advertised its
own products as “Proudly made in Edmonton.” However, it was not possible to track other materials as
transparently or accurately, which undermined the company’s ability to leverage similar advertising for
other products and to accurately measure and track its overall sustainability scores. Sustainability
procurement tools were designed to help companies track, measure, and score sustainability performance
simply and accurately. Keith knew of two such tools: THESIS Key Performance Indicators (created by the
Sustainability Consortium)40 and EcoVadis.41 Although Keith thought such tools could help Meuwly’s
enhance its sustainability tracking and reporting, the costs and scope of such tools, as well as the
marketability of their outputs, remained unclear.

MOVING FORWARD

As Keith prepared to open the Meuwly’s storefront for business that day, he knew that a decision about
moving to the second stage of the company’s sustainability strategy was imminent. Keith and his
cofounders had launched Meuwly’s to offer premium-quality, locally sourced food products to residents of
Alberta. By procuring locally, Meuwly’s also supported resilient agricultural production and food security
in the province. The local market had responded positively to the company, and Meuwly’s had quickly
expanded from subscription services to a physical location. However, the market for “eat local” and
sustainable products had matured, and Keith had a bigger vision for Meuwly’s sustainability offerings. He
believed that Meuwly’s should remain true to its local food roots, its loyal customers, and the cofounders’
values. He also felt that the company should build on the success of its strategy to set a new standard for
start-up sustainability practices.

As Keith considered four different strategies for moving the company to stage two, numerous questions
arose. Could Meuwly’s really continue to embrace an advanced triple-bottom-line philosophy? What should
he and his cofounders do? How could Meuwly’s respond to changes in consumer expectations regarding
sustainable practices? Would certifications or transparent procurement reporting practices be sufficient to
improve sustainable practices, or was Meuwly’s out of its depth and in need of an expert corporate
sustainability lead to set it on the right path? Keith considered these questions as he flipped over the “Open”
sign swinging on Meuwly’s front door.

The authors thank the Canadian Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility at the Alberta School of Business
and a University of Alberta Campus Sustainability Grant for supporting the development of this case study.

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EXHIBIT 1: MEUWLY’S MEDIA MENTIONS, REVIEWS, AND FOLLOWERS, 2018–2019

SELECT PRESS

Edmonton Journal, June 28, 2018:

A long-anticipated business has arrived on 124 Street, and it’s a valuable contribution to the
area’s already hopping food scene. . . .
Lots of Meuwly’s products were showcased at the launch, including the best pork rillettes I
have ever sampled, topped off with a tartly sweet rhubarb berry compote. . . .
Do check out Meuwly’s next time you are hankering for sausage or are in the mood to compose
a charcuterie board. The shop carries its own specialty condiments, such as mustard, but also
promotes products from other local businesses, such as Fruits of Sherbrooke.

The Tomato, March 1, 2019:

“How to best cure charcuterie meat is a complex and open-ended question because the
variables are endless, but it all starts with a high-quality meat selection,” says Meuwly’s
charcuterie master Will Kotowicz. . . . Will points out that, in addition to several fermentation
and curing variables, the diet of the animal is an important consideration, often overlooked by
many. “The diet of an animal will change the consistency of its fat. Depending on what the
animal eats, they may produce a softer fat that can liquefy faster in the curing process. In this
case we would use that pork in cured whole muscles like prosciutto, where soft fat is desirable.
Other farms we work with produce meat with a firmer fat, which is perfect for dry-cured salami
or smoked bacon.”
. . . the people at Meuwly’s truly are the masters when it comes to curing meat.

Edmonton Sun, April 30, 2019:

Food: 4 of 5 Suns
Ambience: 3.5 of 5 Suns
Service: 4 of 5 Suns

While the butcher who makes cold-cuts is now a “charcuterie master” and any small
independent food processor is an “artisan,” what’s available today by way of locally-made cold-
cuts is so much more interesting and varied than in the past.
For which Edmonton owes much to Meuwly’s two “charcuterie masters,” Will Kotowicz and
Peter Keith. (A third partner, [Glentdon] Tan, handles the business end.) Through Meuwly’s,
the deli-meat duo have introduced a new range of “charcuterie” meats to the city. . . .
Meuwly’s is an innovative presentation of an “artisan” specialty product.

Source: Liane Faulder, “Meuwly’s Artisan Food Market Newest Hip Addition to 124 Street,” Edmonton Journal, June 27, 2018,
https://edmontonjournal.com/life/food/meuwlys-artisan-food-market-newest-hip-addition-to-124-street; Curtis Comeau, “Aging
Gracefully: The Art and Science of Charcuterie,” The Tomato: Food & Drink, March 1, 2019, https://thetomato.ca/2019-march-
april/aging-gracefully-the-art-and-science-of-charcuterie; Graham Hicks, “Hicks’ Weekly Dish: Meuwly Makes Magnificent Meats,”
Edmonton Sun, April 30, 2019, https://edmontonsun.com/life/food/hicks-weekly-dish-meuwly-makes-magnificent-meats.

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EXHIBIT 1 (CONTINUED)

SOCIAL MEDIA REVIEWS

Source Rating
(as of November 14, 2019)

Google 4.8/5.0 based on 63 reviews

Yelp 5/5 based on 10 reviews

Facebook 5/5 based on 19 reviews

SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS

Platform Followers
(as of November 14, 2019)

Twitter 709

Instagram 4,160

Facebook 1,654

Source: Created by the case authors based on “Meuwly’s Artisan Food Market,” Google Reviews, accessed November 29, 2019,
https://www.google.com/search?q=meuwly; “Meuwly’s,” Yelp, accessed November 29, 2019, https://www.yelp.ca/biz/meuwlys-
edmonton; Meuwly’s (@muewlys), “Meuwly’s,” Facebook, accessed November 29, 2019, https://www.facebook.com/meuwlys/;
Meuwly’s (@meuwlys), “Meuwly’s,” Twitter, accessed May 16, 2021, https://twitter.com/Meuwlys; Meuwly’s (@meuwlys), “Meuwly’s,”
Instagram, accessed May 16, 2021, https://www.instagram.com/meuwlys/; Meuwly’s (@muewlys), “Meuwly’s,” Facebook, accessed
May 16, 2021, https://www.facebook.com/meuwlys/.

EXHIBIT 2: MEUWLY’S REVENUE STREAMS BY SOURCE, 2019 (%)

15%

Wholesale
40%
15% Retail
Subscription
Special Events

30%

Source: Created by the authors based on information from personal communications.

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ENDNOTES
1
“Our Story,” Meuwly’s, accessed November 30, 2019, https://www.meuwlys.com/our-story.
2
“Our Story.”
3
Sarah Burch, Sustainability Innovation in Canadian Small Businesses: What We Need to Know, Centre for International Governance
Innovation Policy Brief No. 96 (Waterloo, ON: Centre for International Governance Innovation, 2017), 1–8,
https://www.cigionline.org/sites/default/files/documents/Policy%20Brief%20No.96.pdf.
4
Burch.
5
Peter Keith (cofounder, Meuwly’s), in discussion with the case authors, November 1, 2019.
6
Keith.
7
Keith.
8
“Our Story.”
9
Keith.
10
Keith.
11
Canadian Food Inspection Agency, “Food Safety for Industry,” Government of Canada, accessed November 28, 2019,
https://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/eng/1299092387033/1299093490225.
12
Emily Hotton, “Eating Local: Why You Should Bother!,” Food Services, University of Toronto, June 2, 2016,
https://ueat.utoronto.ca/eating-local-bother/.
13
Jessica Leeder, “Local Food Movement Goes National,” Globe and Mail, July 1, 2011,
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/local-food-movement-goes-national/article585262/.
14
Keith.
15
Mary Bailey, “The Italian Centre Shops Celebrate Sixty Years,” The Tomato: Food and Drink, September 1, 2019,
https://thetomato.ca/2019-september-october/sixty-years.
16
“Who We Are,” Italian Centre Shop, 2019, accessed November 30, 2019, https://www.italiancentre.ca/.
17
“Who We Are.”
18
“The Best 10 Delis in Edmonton, AB,” Yelp, accessed November 30, 2019, https://www.yelp.ca/search?cflt=delis&find_loc=Edmonton%2C+AB.
19
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This document is authorized for use only in Prof (Dr.) Neha Gupta's MBA Division -3 1st Trimester 29.07.2022 at Somaiya Vidyavihar from Jul 2022 to Jan 2023.