Final MBA Thesis: Graucob's Store - Case Study, Dubai

This MBA thesis presents a comprehensive business plan and feasibility study for establishing a gourmet food store, specifically Graucob's Store, in Dubai. It includes a detailed market overview, mission statement, and project objectives, followed by an extensive literature review covering healthy eating trends, local sourcing, and market analysis. The thesis outlines a complete business plan with SWOT and PESTLE analyses, a time plan, product and service descriptions, and marketing strategies. It further incorporates primary and secondary market research, including questionnaires and interviews, to assess demand and gather insights. The data analysis chapter discusses planning, market research findings, and financial forecasts. The thesis concludes with recommendations on how to develop the business idea, supported by references and appendices containing questionnaires and interview questions. This work provides a valuable case study and business model for aspiring entrepreneurs in the food industry.

Running head: FINAL MBA THESIS
Final MBA Thesis:
Setting up a Gourmet Food Store- Case study of Graucob's Store in Dubai
Name of Student:
Student ID:
Name of University
Author’s Note:

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FINAL MBA THESIS
Acknowledgement:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those people who have been a great help in
completing the dissertation/business plan. These people had led me and helped me to know my
hidden potential and strength and utilize it in the best possible way in the undertaken research. I
would like to express my deep gratitude towards supervisor for his constant monitoring and
commendable and exemplary guidance, which has led me to complete the dissertation in the due
course of time. The guidance and unconditional support provided by him not only helped me a
lot during the thesis completion but also will remain with me for a longer time period on the
journey of my life. I would like to express my deep gratitude to all the participants who lend
their valuable input to develop an understanding about the ground realities of initiating a new
business in Dubai and the factors that has been having an impact on its set-up. Moreover, I
would like to thank my family and friends who have remained a constant source of
encouragement and support without which this task could not be completed.

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1:.........................................................................................................................................6
1.0 Introduction:..........................................................................................................................6
1.1 Overview of Project:..............................................................................................................6
1.2 Market Overview:..................................................................................................................7
1.3 Mission Statement:................................................................................................................8
1.4 Overview of Business Plan:...................................................................................................8
1.5 Project Aims and Objectives:................................................................................................8
1.6 Strengths/Weakness of Research:..........................................................................................9
1.7 Structure of Research Study:...............................................................................................10
Chapter 2: Literature Review:.......................................................................................................12
2.0 Introduction..........................................................................................................................12
2.1 Healthy Eating.....................................................................................................................12
2.2 Local Sourcing.....................................................................................................................14
2.3 Market Analysis and Demand.............................................................................................15
2.4 Market/Industry Issues.........................................................................................................16
2.5 Significance of Small Business:..........................................................................................16
2.6 Food Hygiene:.....................................................................................................................17

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2.7 Summary:.............................................................................................................................18
Chapter 3: Business Plan...............................................................................................................20
3.1 Business Plan:......................................................................................................................20
3.2 Business Planning & Structure:...........................................................................................22
3.3 Business Name:...................................................................................................................22
3.4 SWOT and PESTLE Analysis:............................................................................................23
3.5 Business Time Plan:............................................................................................................27
3.6 Products and Services:.........................................................................................................30
3.6.1 Suppliers:......................................................................................................................31
3.6.2 Unique Selling Points:..................................................................................................32
3.6.3 Service:.........................................................................................................................33
3.6.4 Strategy of Pricing:.......................................................................................................33
3.6.5 Policy of Stock Holding, Capacity and Quality:..........................................................34
3.7 Market Strategy:..................................................................................................................36
Advertising Strategy:.............................................................................................................36
3.8 Legal Requirements:............................................................................................................39
3.9 Funding:...............................................................................................................................40
3.10 Future Developments:........................................................................................................40
3.11 Contingency Plan...............................................................................................................41
4. Market Research:.......................................................................................................................42

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4.1 Secondary Research:............................................................................................................42
Key Findings:.........................................................................................................................42
4.2 Primary Research:................................................................................................................43
Questionnaire:........................................................................................................................44
Interviews:.............................................................................................................................48
Chapter 5: Data Analysis...............................................................................................................50
5.0: Discussion and analysis......................................................................................................50
5.1: Planning process and Time management...........................................................................50
5.2 Business Plan.......................................................................................................................51
5.3: Market Research.................................................................................................................53
5.3.1: Secondary research......................................................................................................53
5.3.2: Primary research..........................................................................................................53
5.4: SWOT and PESTLE analysis.............................................................................................55
5.5: Financial forecast................................................................................................................56
5.6: Entrepreneurship.................................................................................................................57
Chapter 6: Conclusions and Recommendations:...........................................................................58
6.1 Conclusions:........................................................................................................................58
6.1.1 Analysis of Objectives:.................................................................................................58
6.2 Recommendations:..............................................................................................................61
Reference:......................................................................................................................................63

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Appendices:...................................................................................................................................69
Appendices 1:............................................................................................................................69
Questionnaire:........................................................................................................................69
Appendix 2:...............................................................................................................................74
Interview Questions:..............................................................................................................74

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Chapter 1:
1.0 Introduction:
The reason for choosing this topic has been the sheer interest of the researcher for food
that has led to idea initially been developed during the course study. The knowledge that has
been gained during the course of the study helped the researcher in developing this idea of
setting up of a gourmet store in Dubai. If there is enough feasibility in the idea of the business, it
could also pave the career path of the researcher which he/she could follow in the coming years
after graduating from the college.
1.1 Overview of Project:
The main purpose of this project enterprise is in conducting a study of feasibility of
opening an outlet of sandwich that would be specializing in gourmet wraps and sandwiches. All
the wraps and the sandwiches would be prepared on fresh basis making use of the fresh breads
and meats that would be supplied by the local businesses (Schaper et al. 2014). The business
name would be Graucob’s Store and it would be positioned in Shaikh Zayed Road, one of the
posh areas of Dubai that craves for healthy food. The premise that has been selected for setting
up of the store is positioned on the high street and is stated to be at the heart of the town.
This project would be covering various facets that would facilitate the researcher in
establishing whether the business idea of Graucob’s store would be feasible in the days to come.
The overall objectives and aims of the research study would give this research a direction. A
literature review would be conducted for giving the author an impending on the industry of
hospitality along with the sandwich industry in Dubai (DeMicco 2015). This would also take into
consideration in gaining important information on the legal requirements which a food business

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needs to pursue in ensuring the business does not rupture the law. A plan of the business would
then be performed in ensuring all the features of the business is being covered. This would then
be assessed and certain recommendations would be made that would witness the end of this
project.
1.2 Market Overview:
It is often been stated that the food sector remains one of the uncertain blocks of the
national attention. This economic section has an infinite concealed proposal as UAE manufacture
not more than 40 per cent of the overall volume of the food that is being consumed. The volume
of the asset investment into this industry makes about 56 per cent of the entirety volume of
investments into the industry in common. The speedy growth in the domestic population of UAE
along with the increase in the market command for the food products lingers to be the key
prerequisite (Elsheshtawy 2013). The growth in the population has been directly stimulating the
improvement of the food industry along with ensuring the ever-increasing demand of the
consumers for the food products. The sociological nature of such transformations within the
country puts in to the growth of the markets along with searching for fresh ideas for the business
corporation.
Dubai does boast of certain gourmet sandwiches that have cropped up in other posh areas
of Dubai like Al Safa and Jumeirah Lake Towers. The sandwich industry is growing in Dubai
with many local and foreign companies selling them successfully. Gourmet sandwiches have
started finding itself on the plates of many as people are continuously becoming health
conscious.

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1.3 Mission Statement:
A mission statement is stated to be an unambiguous statement of the organizational
values. This statement would show people the organizational purpose and things that the
organization aims to attain. A mission statement has been thought of for facilitating the public in
seeing the values of Graucob’s Store.
“Graucob’s Store aims at offering its customers remarkable gourmet knowledge and to develop
into the best sandwich outlet in Shaikh Zayed Road, Dubai”.
1.4 Overview of Business Plan:
The business plan is stated to be an essential tool in the stages of planning for the
business as it would also focus on the financial features of the business. A business plan would
be designed for Graucob’s Store for planning of the business and to see whether the idea is
feasible or not. The business plan would be taking in all the facet of Graucob’s Store, from
sketching the strategy for marketing to the conducting of PESTLE and SWOT on the business
front (Abushelaibi et al. 2016). A financial forecast would also be generated for researching the
investment mandatory in launching the business and also investigating the cost that would occur
during the process of trading.
1.5 Project Aims and Objectives:
The aim of this project is to evaluate the possibility of setting up of a gourmet sandwich outlet
within Shaikh Zayed Road, Dubai.
There are definite objectives which would be used for accomplishing the total aim of this project
which are being stated below:

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a. Conducting detailed primary research in the Shaikh Zayed Road, Dubai for investigating the
demand for sandwiches and its outlet through the use of the interviews and questionnaire.
b. Conducting a secondary research on the demand of the market. Reports would be used from
several sources for gaining of explicit statistics.
c. Studying of the legal requirements for the business of catering. This will take into account the
legislations by the UAE government along with the legal requirements by the local
establishments of Dubai.
d. Compiling of a business plan for Graucob’s Store in establishing the feasibility of the idea of
the business. This would take in a comprehensive forecasting of the financial characteristic of the
business.
e. Evaluating the possibility of opening of a gourmet sandwich outlet in Shaikh Zayed Road,
Dubai using the plan for business along with the generation of the financial documents.
f. Conclusion and suggestion of the way the idea of the business can be developed.
It is important in monitoring these objectives and referring back to same throughout the
course of the project work. Once these objectives are being attained, it would provide the
researcher ample information on the establishment of the business idea and whether it would be
feasible or not.
1.6 Strengths/Weakness of Research:
There exist a vast amount of literature that is being published over the years on the
industries of catering and sandwiches, but very little has been done in the Dubai market. Thus,
the research would find it difficult in gaining admission to the industry data in this region that is

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in turn making it difficult for the researcher in evaluating the demand of the market in local area.
The information of the local area would be of top most priority in the process of primary
research undertaken by the researcher.
1.7 Structure of Research Study:
This research study would be taking into account 6 chapters:
Chapter 1:
This is generally the introduction chapter of the research study or the business plan where
the researcher introduces the subject matter to the reader. This also comprises of the overview of
the whole study, the market on which the study would be focusing on along with the research
objectives and questions.
Chapter 2:
Chapter 2 would be dealing with the literature review part where journals and articles of
the imminent scholars would be taken in, reviewed and evaluated on the same subject matter.
Various other factors like food hygiene, business significance have also been taken in to
understand the market along with the certain other factors.
Chapter 3:
Chapter 3 is all about the business plan and an in-depth analysis of the ways of setting up
of the business in a particular area and the things to be considered mostly as it mainly would be
catering with the health related factors of human beings. Every little detail about the business
would be discussed in this chapter.
Chapter 4:

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Chapter 4 would be dealing with the primary and the secondary research factors. The
questionnaires and interviews that have taken into consideration to understand a few factors
would be evaluated in this segment.
Chapter 5:
Chapter 5 would be analyzing the factors, information and data gathered over a period of
time about the starting up of the new business. Certain analytical tools have been used in
verifying the results of the data and discussed on what has been evaluated.
Chapter 6:
This is the last chapter of the research study which would be dealing with the overall
summary of the business plan, linking the objectives to the findings of the data along with the
recommendations on how the study could have been bettered.