Introduction.
Baker's Crust Artisan Kitchen is a business with eight locations distributed throughout southern and northern Virginia. The company first opened its doors in 1993 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. They are a small restaurant chain that produces and sells European style breads, pastries, and desserts. They focus on providing fresh and flavorful food to consumers in their local communities. The brand’s slogan is “Eat Well. Be Happy.” In this SWOT analysis I will primarily focus on their Ghent Location.
Below is their mission statement:
Our Mission and Guiding Principles are the components that make up the foundation of our culture at Baker’s Crust. Our guiding principles are the values that support our mission… Eat Well. Be Happy. Our values represent our philosophy of how we treat each other and how we conduct our business. Our attitudes and behaviors define our culture. All of these combined are based on our passion and true concern for our guests.
Strengths
1. High Quality Products. (Internal) Baker’s Crust promotes “farm to plate” dining meaning most of their products and ingredients are locally grown. The company has a farm (Smart-Basil Farms) in Suffolk, Virginia where they harvest micro greens, lettuce, and other fresh produce that is strictly distributed to their local restaurants. The company's commitment to serving only fresh produce that is free from GMOs and pesticides is extremely attractive to the health conscious consumer.
2. Customer Knowledge. (Internal) Many of the customers who eat at Baker’s Crust Ghent have been doing so for as long as twenty years. Baker’s Crust places a large emphasis on the importance of a friendly and casual dining experience. The company’s strong value of a welcoming environment is what keeps customers coming back. Their employees have a strong knowledge of the local community. Much of the customers at the Ghent Location are Old Dominion University students, EVMS students and doctors, and military families; this is reflected in the diversity of the restaurants staff.
3. Skilled Workers. (Internal) In order to work at Baker’s Crust, employees are required to go through extensive training. The company uses an online program called “Wait Trainer,” to ensure that potential employees are being adequately informed about company policies and expectations. Trainees are also required to train for days before working on their own. Once the trainee has completed the online course and passed the online examinations, they are given a final exam which they have to pass with a score of 90% or higher.
Weaknesses
1. Inconsistency Of Goods. (Internal) Baker’s Crust Ghent often runs out of ingredients or liquor products that are needed for many recipes. This means that that cannot make certain dishes or cocktails that are listed on the menu consistently. The unreliability of products and menu changes has a negative influence on customer satisfaction.
2. Low Press Coverage/Social Media Presence. (Internal) Despite the company being around for nearly 30 years, many people have never heard of it. Those who are aware of the business consider it to be a gem in Ghent, so why do so many locals not know about the location? The low social media promotion of Baker’s Crust has a huge impact on the popularity of the business. There is one Instagram page for all eight locations, they should have one for each.
3. Dated Interior. (Internal) The restaurant clearly needs renovating. The bar is outdated and things seem unorganized. With a little renovations, the restaurant could provide customers with quality food AND a charming atmosphere.
Opportunities
1. Change In Consumer Demand. Thanks to the digital age, consumers have become much more aware of what is in their food. Younger generations are more health conscious than ever. The farm to table dining experienced at Baker’s Crust paired with the right marketing strategy could bring in many new customers.
2. Location. The Ghent location provides service to many military families, EVMS students, and local health care professionals. If the company offered special discounts or strives to connect with these groups they could promote their community involvement and gain loyal customers.
3. Local demographic. There is a wide range of diversity in Ghent. Baker’s Crust could cater to their wide-range of demands by adding a bakery sector to the location. Many people go the Baker’s Crust looking for kosher breads, challah, rye, and baklava. By creating a bakery sector, a new customer base would naturally emerge.
Threats
1. Intense Competition. Threats of larger corporations with similar products and customer base, like Panera, could be a threat to the artisan kitchen.
2. Bad Weather. The rapid rate of global warming and bad weather could play a role in the company's ability to provide adequate agricultural products from local farms.
3. Aging Population. Most of the customers at Baker’s Crust are elderly people.
Event Recommendation:
I recommend that the company host or sponsor a charity event in their community. To be more specific they should host a charity run in Ghent, Norfolk to raise funds for a local hospital like St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. The company could charge $50 dollars to register for the run in Ghent. It would be a short run between 3k-8k, if 100 people were to register for the event that is 5,000 towards the charity. People would also be allowed to make donations if they choose. The company could write posts and promote the event on THEIR Instagram page. They could hand out small flyers or information cards when customers leave the store. After the race, participants could enjoy food and drinks in the palace shops providing by Baker’s Crust. To create an even larger event, Baker’s Crust could partner with other local businesses located in the palace shops and close off the parking lot the day of the event. The other businesses would likely lead to more participants and more promotion which means more donations. This type of event could bring awareness to this gem of a restaurant tucked away in the corner. Not only would an event like this generate revenue for those is need, but it would also create a brand image for Baker’s Crust as one that cares about it’s community.
References:
Ashe-Edmunds, S. (2019, February 12). SWOT Analysis of Events. Retrieved from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/swot-analysis-events-61095.html
Contributor, P. E. S. T. L. E., & Contributor, A. T. A. P. E. S. T. L. E. (2016, June 21). How to Do a SWOT Analysis Perfectly. Retrieved from https://pestleanalysis.com/how-to-do-a-swot-analysis/
Eat well: be happy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bakerscrust.com/
Jurevicius, O. (2013, February 16). IKEA SWOT analysis 2013. Retrieved from https://strategicmanagementinsight.com/swot-analyses/ikea-swot-analysis.html
Jurevicius, O. (2020, January 8). Apple SWOT analysis (5 Key Strengths in 2020). Retrieved from https://strategicmanagementinsight.com/swot-analyses/apple-swot-analysis.html
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