Innovation at play: the case of high-end cuisine

This case deals with the idea of an experienced young chef to create a new venture, namely a restaurant in the Milan area. The case describes a series of phenomena characterizing the general and the geographical context. First, four general phenomena are described, ie: (1) the increase in competitive pressure; (2) the intensification of issues related to the protection of intellectual property and hence sustainability of competitive advantage; (3) the introduction of technological innovation in the kitchen; and (4) the changing demand landscape that is discovering value for money as well as alternative food and way of enjoying it. Second, restaurants in the specific geographical area are described according to their innovation strategy and positioned on a continuum ranging from 'cautious' innovators to the avant-garde cooks. The case gives instructors the chance to teach a variety of topics related to innovation and entrepreneurship. In particular, it makes it possible to deal with concepts like product and process innovation, incremental and radical innovation, niche / market creation and disruptive innovations. The case can also be used to conduct market and competitor analysis, providing an example of the type of analyses that an entrepreneur should carry out before starting up his new venture