Starting and running a fast food pasta restaurant with drive-through

¶ … start and run a successful fast food pasta restaurant with a drive through?

Nature of problem to address

Specific research questions

Key definitions of terms

Stream one: Opening a business

Stream two: The fast food pasta industry

Stream three: key success factors in the fast food business

The steps to opening a fast food pasta restaurant

The characteristics of the fast food pasta sector

Key success factors to operating a fast food pasta restaurant

A personal reflection

The society of today is undergoing a wide array of changes, some present at the economic level, others at a political level, or others at a demographic level. Regardless of the nature of the change, the fact remains that the population itself is undergoing numerous processes of change and adaptation to the dynamic contemporaneous society.

One important feature in this sense is represented by the eating habits of the population, which are now more focused on cost effectiveness and ease of consumption. The fast food industry is as such flourishing, but the negative impacts upon the health of the consumers are beginning to show. In such a setting, a fast food restaurant serving pasta products would represent a still easily accessible, cost effective solution, but one which better safeguards the health of the population.

The current project starts at these premises, and also recognizes the threats that would be faced in the opening and running of such an establishment. In this order of ideas, it sets out to assess the current literature and reveal some of the most important aspects to be considered in the successful opening and running of a fast food pasta restaurant with a drive through.

The current chapter revolves around the introduction of the topic, with emphasis on several aspects, such as the setting of the background, the importance of the topic, the explanation of the problem and the issuance of the research questions. Additionally, emphasis is placed on the research approach to be implemented, the limitations of the study, as well as the key definitions of the terms used throughout the project.

1.2. Background of the topic

Demographics in today's society are shifting at a dramatic rate, causing a multitude of changes in the modern day society. The struggle for gender equality is tighter than ever, as more and more women choose to work outside the home, and many become highly successful in their career efforts.

The population comes to focus more on education, and uses its free time for leisure activities. The household chores become less present in the daily activities of the population, meaning also that cooking in the home is less common. This feature is explained by the changing demographic characteristics, but also by an increased access to more cost effective alternatives to foods. These alternatives normally include microwave dinners and lunches, but also a multitude of fast food products.

The alternatives to traditional cooking and eating are widely accessible to consumers of all social and economic backgrounds, as they can be found virtually everywhere, and at affordable prices. Still, they are not as healthy as the traditional foods. They, for instance, are filled with additives, which are damaging for the health of the consumer. Additionally, they are high in calories, but weak in nutritional value; for the body, this means that it gains fat, but not the necessary vitamins and energy. In time, this leads to negative impacts upon the health of the consumer.

1.3. Importance of the topic

In this era of rapid change and evolution, shifting demographics and fast pace of life, the need for more efficient alternatives to traditional cooking and eating is evident. Still, the current fast food alternative is not viable for those who also wish to be health conscious. In such a setting, a new market contours, namely that of healthier and still cost effective food products. In this market, a fast food pasta restaurant would stand increased chances of success.

At the level of the current study, its importance is a dual one. On a first note, there is the theoretical importance, through which information relevant to the topic is searched in the available literature and centralized in a single project, in order for it to be more easily accessible to readers and other researchers. On a second note, the study is important for practitioners in the restaurant industry, who can use it as a source of relevant information.

1.4. Nature of problem to address

Within the identified market place, the need for a new fast food pasta restaurant would be increased, meaning that the opening of such a facility would represent a valuable business opportunity. Nevertheless, it would also face a multitude of challenges, which would all interact to determine the final success of the newly established facility.

The location of the restaurant could for instance pose challenges, in the meaning that it would have to be cost effective, as well as central and easily accessible by the customers. Then, the restaurant would have to possess or generate the necessary funds to open and run the business. It would have to attract customers, satisfy them and reinvest the profits in a financially sustainable manner.

All in all, the opening and running of the fast food pasta restaurant in a successful manner is challenged by the existence of several business specific necessities. The aim of this project then is that of researching the available literature and forwarding several means in which the primary aspects of the restaurant opening and running would be addressed.

1.5. Specific research questions

As it has been mentioned previously, the scope of the current project is that of researching the available literature, in an effort to identify several of the most important aspects of opening and running a fast food past restaurant. In this order of ideas, several specific questions for research are raised. These refer to the following:

(1) What are the steps to opening a fast food pasta restaurant?

(2) What are the particularities of the fast food pasta industry?

(3) What are the key success factors in operating a fast food pasta restaurant?

1.6. The research approach

There are generically two types of research approaches -- the inductive approach to research and the deductive approach to research. The inductive approach is characterized by the fact that it starts of with observations of the assessed phenomenon and then it builds through to create a final theory. This research approach often implies the usage of qualitative data, which is collected through various methods by researchers, and it is then used to formulate conclusions.

In the case of the deductive research approach, the methodology used is often a quantitative one, through which numeric data is collected and then statistically processed. The deductive research approach is characterized by the development of an initial theory, which is then broken down into hypotheses; the hypotheses are tested throughout the research process. Based on the testing of the hypotheses, a conclusion is drawn of whether or not the initial theory is valid (Oriesek, 2004).

In the assessment of the current topic, the more suitable approach is represented by the inductive theory, coupled with the usage of qualitative research methods. This selection best applies to the nature of the topic studied, as well as the nature of the research questions.

1.7. Key definitions of terms

Research process = a sustained effort concentrated around a topic or subject of study aimed at generating new findings, and characterized by identification and labeling of variables, research design, collection of data, analysis of data and evaluation of the problem (Shinde).

Qualitative research = Research method through which researchers address the studied phenomenon by observing it in its natural environment and strive to make sense of it (Klenke, 2008).

Drive through = a window or another open and easy access facility, through which business can be conducted, and the customer does not have to leave their car (MacMillan Dictionary).

Startup business = a business that finds itself in the first stages of business operations (Investopedia, 2012).

Target market = the group of people to which an economic agent has decided to market and sell its products and/or services (Preddy, 2004).

1.8. Chapter 1 summary

In a changing social climate, the eating habits of the population are changing. This leads to the creation of several business threats and opportunities for the operators in the food industry. At this level, an identified opportunity is that of opening and running a fast food pasta restaurant with a drive though. The success chances of this establishment are given by the healthy feature of the foods, as well as the increased convenience in purchasing them.

Still, from a business perspective, the endeavor is faced by countless challenges, and the scope of this current project is that of reviewing the literature in order to identify these challenges, and also forward means in which they can be addressed. In this specific order of ideas, emphasis would be placed on the following:

The steps to be undertaken when opening a restaurant

The features of the fast food pasta sector

The key success factors in operating a fast food pasta restaurant.

The research approach to answering these research questions is represented by the inductive mechanism, through which observations are completed and a conclusion is formulated. The study is important due to its centralization of available data, as well as the provision of insight for the practitioners, but it is limited by the exclusive reliance on secondary data and the usage of the qualitative research methodology.

Chapter 2: Literature review

2.1. Overview of literature review

The scope of the current research is that of identifying several important pointers in ensuring the successful launch and operation of a fast food pasta restaurant. This endeavor is highly intricate and its success is pegged to a multitude of features. This project then strives to identify the key success factors and as such support the practitioner in developing a successful business operation, as well as support the theoretician in better understanding the topic.

Still, the very objective of the project is complex and has to be approached in a composite manner. This manner of approaching the research objectives and questions is represented by the very literature review section. In other words, the current section represents a solid starting point in answering the three research questions previously posed. Based on the research completed, an analysis would be conducted to further detail the specifics of the findings and the means in which they manage to answer the initially posed questions.

2.2. Outline of approach

The literature review section could generally be organized by two important criteria -- the nature of the findings presented and the nature of the sources used. Specifically, by the nature of the sources used, the streams in the literature review section could be organized as follows: