Pies Bros ResearchProject

Background

Pie Bros was a new restaurant located in Arkansas, USA that served a variety of sweet and savory pies. The owners needed us to conduct rigorous internal and external research so that they could better understand their customers and target market, internal strengths & weaknesses and competitive market environment (i.e., competitors or substitutes). They also needed us to create a customer satisfaction survey and a strategic marketing plan for the restaurant based on the findings of our research.

Research Methodology

• Interviews: We conducted phone and in-person interviews with the restaurant owners and workers.

• Secondary Research: We gathered internal and external research data primarily from various sources including government databases, industry databases, trade journals, customer reviews sites, news sites etc.

Key Findings

• Pie Bros serves 80-100 customers a day
• Customer purchase motivation: word-of-mouth referral, convenience, curiosity, marketing ads etc
• Company strengths: Unique food concept, diverse menu options, good customer service, access to a large customer base etc.
• Company weaknesses: Lack of reputation, inadequate business experience, financial problems, customer service issues etc.
• Opportunities: online delivery, charity program etc.
• Threats: high labour & training costs, food costs, fast-food restaurants.
• Pie Bro’s ongoing training and internal communication system enhanced employee motivation.
• The company’s top three competitors: Big Orange Burgers, Midici Neapolitan Pizza Company, Savoy Tea Co.
• Its top three target market segments: Northwest Arkansas diners, Promenade Mall shoppers, and Altruistic Supporters.

Recommendations

• Focus and market to only those top three market segments for the next year.
• Implement the prescribed marketing plan
• Implement the prescribed pricing strategies for different occasions and customers
• Improve customer service and implement the

Impact

The restaurant owners used our research insights, recommendations and marketing plan to increase their employees’ productivity, improve their customer service, enhance their marketing strategy and reach more customers with their unique products.

Here is a link to the full report and marketing plan: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZPztaHUrMbKsquRPMZwqB29mhd4Yn3YS/view?usp=sharing