Chris Harami's Jack Sprat Restaurant

Assignment 1: Jack Sprat Case

Chris Harami's Jack Sprat restaurant, in this case the opportunity for success is neither promising nor a complete failure. As we most of us already know restaurants are an extremely popular business for entrepreneurs, we also know that many if not most restaurants fail, so this case starts out questionable from the very beginning.

The concept of a health focused restaurant or QSR is not a new concept, but I will have to agree that the health food industry is still a strongly growing market and that I too am extremely health conscious and always on the lookout for new places to eat that accommodate my dietary needs. Also from experience, I helped a heath conscious restaurant open on the Big Island, considered to be a very health conscious place. This restaurant is still going, but not excitingly so where more of them will open up all over the world or country. It is difficult to maintain and grow the ideal image that a entrepreneur has for a new health restaurant, because if not executed properly the restaurant usually cut back on the original vision, for example skimpy portions. Another observation that I had made is that most of the restaurants that Chris researched are very far away from the Boston area, like California, he should not be comparing a new venture between two very different places. So I feel that Chris should focus on one restaurant to be able to achieve the quality/quantity that he feels is above his future competitors. I have not been to Boston, however it does not strike me as a very healthy place. If Chris's plan/desire were to create a chain of heath food restaurants then I would say that he should start with a single flagship store, and if it is a success then he can consider more locations. However, rarely have I seen a health food chain actually maintain a high quality of health in their products, for example Jamba Juice. Jamba Juice has the appearance and reputation to as a healthy option but unfortunately most of their drinks have too much sugar in them, like ice cream. Now if his brand will focus on low-fat/fat-free there are many ways that the food he is serving could still be considered unhealthy, such as to much sugar, sodium and preservatives because health food is more than trying avoid all fats. Overall his competitive positioning is not very bright, but if Boston is in demand and has little healthy choices then there could be a potential success.

As for the entrepreneurial team that he is creating, I agree with his father about not having to hire a consultant. Looking at Chris's resume filled with excellent education, restaurant experience and consulting experience as well it seems that he already possesses the tools to create a quality business plan. This would also indicate a lack of confidence in the business as well, because there is only so much a business plan can say. If Chris is lacking even a small amount