Strengths and weaknesses of Cafe restaurant operation and requirements for transformation into a fine dining restaurant

This article discusses the strengths and weaknesses of Cafe restaurant's current operation, the requirements for its transformation into a fine dining restaurant, the gaps that need to be bridged to complete the transformation, and the kind of approach it should take to transform itself. It also explains whether this transformation would be feasible and profitable.

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Strength and weaknesses of Cafe restaurant current operation
As a restaurant serving breakfast dishes and burgers only, Café restaurant in Sydney has
had both strengths and weaknesses out of its decision to operate on a single meal basis. First of
all, this company has been in a position to narrow its focus on preparing awesome meals. This is
in consideration to the fact that the organization has been experiencing minimal distractions of
preparation, selling and management of multiple meals, hence been able to get into hone and
finer details of its main meal to make it much better than any others in the market (Goldratt,
2017). The specialization has also enabled the organization to razor-sharp focus on its marketing
tactics, by picking the highest quality channels of advertisement and sourcing traffic that has
quickly converted into happy customers.
The organization’s razor-sharp focus on breakfast meals has also built its efficiency in
delivering quality meals. This is in consideration of the fact that the organization has been
targeting customers at specific times, hence being able to develop quality meals rather than
splitting its efforts across multiple meals. This has enabled it to get to know its customers and
becoming more sensitive to their fluctuating needs. At the same time, this has enabled the
organization to become responsive enough to reiterate its meals to cater to the customer needs
(Visnjic, Wiengarten, and Neely, 2016, p.36).
This specialization on one type of meal has also had its own weaknesses in Cafe
restaurant. The organization has not been able to multiply its revenue through cross-selling
complimentary meals to its existing customer base. This has denied it an opportunity of
increasing its average order size and lifetime, hence remaining stagnant as far as cash flow and
increasing its marketing budgets are concerned.

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The organization has also faced it hard when trying to incentivize the customers to return.
This is in consideration of the fact that customers are rarely pleased by so much of the same
products (Uhl and Gollenia, 2016). This has forced the organization to constantly keep on
innovating and updating its meals offering to make them different and better each day which has
also been costing the organization heavily. This weakness has limited the maximum revenue
which the organization has been making from its customers when compared to other restaurants
which offer different kinds of meals mutually.
The single meal operation of Cafe restaurant has also limited its marketing opportunities.
Despite the fact that the organization has been running under the single meal, it has been hard for
it to get opportunities to market to its customers as a grown organization (Schaltegger, Lüdeke-
Freund, and Hansen, 2016, p.265). Although there have been many quality channels where it
could tap into to target its niche effectively, it has always been forced to engage in more general
marketing techniques in order to reach its full market capacity and which are both inefficient and
costly.
Requirements to be met by the restaurant to become a Fine dining restaurant
Fine dining restaurants are totally different from mere restaurants like Café restaurant.
They are characterized by attention to details, perfect service executions, and exceptional
services. In addition, today’s fine dining restaurants have evolved into an eclectic blend of
cuisines and other dining concepts. For that matter, it is clear that Café restaurant will have a
heavy task in its transformation from a mere restaurant into a Fine dining restaurant (Pucihar,
Ravesteijn, Seitz and Bons, 2018).

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The current employees of Café restaurant are automatically naïve and may not be in a
position to meet the standards demanded in a Fine dining restaurant. For that matter, the
organization will need to choose either to train its current employees to the standards of Fine
dining workers or acquire new employees who are up to Fine dining standards. Either of the two
options will be aimed at getting workers who can deliver perfect services to customers, can pay
attention to fine details and also who can offer exceptional services (Cowan, 2010, p.400). This
is in consideration of the fact that Fine dining restaurants are classic places where the customers
demand quality services.
Away from the workforce factor, the organization will have to acquire suitable assets,
expert chefs and professional healthcare officers. This is because these restaurants attract
prominent people who demand quality meals, unlike the initial café restaurant where low and
middle-class citizens can also afford to enter. The reason behind acquiring suitable assets and
professionals is to ensure that the meals conform to the standards of these places.
The organization will also have to increase the number of employees to meet the
increased demands of its new trend as a Fine dining restaurant (Nitiwanakul, 2014, p.10). This is
in consideration of the fact that the transformation will entail an expansion from its initial size as
a single meal restaurant. The number of positions will have increased and therefore demanding
new workers be filled.
Gaps that need to be bridged to complete the transformation
The current employees of Café restaurant who are not professionals will have to be
replaced or taken through training sessions in order to equip them with the necessary skills
required in Fine dining restaurant. This is because, unlike in the Café restaurant where prices of

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the meals play important role in consumer perception, in Fine dining restaurant quality is the key
factor attracting customers and capturing their loyalty to the organization. Professionals and
experts are therefore required to ensure that meals meet the expectations of the consumers
(Rozekhi, Hussin, Siddiqe, Rashid and Salmi, 2016, p.45).
Organization assets will also have to be upgraded to conform to the expected quality in
the restaurant. This touches right from the seats in the restaurant which must give customers the
necessary comfort while taking their meals. The utensils used in the restaurant must also be
upgraded to conform to these standards and make the customers more delighted while in the
organization premises.
The organization will also have to increase the number of employees to meet the
increased demands of its new trend as a Fine dining restaurant (Schjøll and Alfnes, 2017, p.580).
This is in consideration of the fact that the transformation will entail an expansion from its initial
size as a single meal restaurant. The number of positions will have increased and therefore
demanding new workers be filled
Kind of approach should it take to transform itself
The best approach for this organization to transform itself would be going for a full
makeover. This is in consideration to one of the main factors driving the reputation of Fine
dining restaurants, quality of products and services. Adopting a step by step approach will mean
that some stones will be left unturned at the initial stages of its transformation. The initial
customers are therefore likely to be scared away by the low quality products and services which
may make them shy away from the organization for life (Goldratt, 2017).

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This disqualifies step by step approach in this scenario because although it would have
been a cheaper and economical, its impacts would be severe as it will scare away customers who
are the main driving force behind the success of any business. The organization will, therefore,
be expected to achieve the full makeover approach through acquiring a huge bank loan to enable
it to set up everything into the required standard before being opened. This will enable the
customers to experience quality services and meals as expected and capture their loyalty to the
new organization (Jin, Goh, Huffman, and Yuan, 2015, p.460).
Explain whether this transformation would be feasible and profitable
Diversifying its operations to start offering a variety of meals enable the organization to
overcome some of the major weaknesses identified with its initial operations as a Cafe
restaurant. The organization will be able to multiply its revenue through cross-selling
complimentary meals to its existing customer base. This will give it an opportunity to increase its
average order sizes and lifetime, hence improving its cash flow and increasing its marketing
budgets.
The organization will also be able to easily incentivize its customer returns. This is in
consideration of the fact that customers will find pleasure in the variety of meals offered in the
new brand. This will enable the organization to save on innovating and updating its meals
offering since the customers will have a variety of meals to make choice (Amelia and Garg,
2016, p.100). This will help increase the maximum revenue which the organization makes from
its customers when compared to other restaurants which offering single meal like it in its initial
Café restaurant brand.

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Diversifying its operations will increase its marketing opportunities. Getting
opportunities to market itself to its consumers will be easier compared to when it was operating
on a single meal basis. A large number of quality channels available will enable it to tap into to
target its niche effectively, it will not have to engage in more general marketing techniques in
order to reach its full market capacity and which are both inefficient and costly because it will
have more options to secure market opportunities.
References
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Transformation with Enterprise Architecture.

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Rozek, N.A., Hussin, S., Siddique, A.S.K.A.R., Rashid, P.D.A. and Salmi, N.S., 2016. The
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