Kudler Fine Foods

Kudler Fine Foods

Kudler Fine Foods an upscale specialty food store located in the San Diego metropolitan area was founded by Kathy Kudler and her passion for gourmet cooking and her frustration at having to travel all over town to gather the ingredients for one simple meal.

Kudler Fine Foods' management structure consists of three department and they are responsible for the following:

1. European style bakery who is responsible for creating fresh breads and pastries including fruit tarts, table loaves, flat bread and the flakiest croissants; and making sure they are made from old world recipes and the finest ingredients - Irish butter, organic eggs and unbleached flour.

2. Meat and seafood department who is responsible for procuring products from organic producers; assuring the meats and seafood are fresh; and has no preservatives in them. All the stores carry the same products-- dry, aged beef, varieties of poultry including turkey, duck, pheasant, quail and chicken, lamb, homemade sausages, wide variety of local seafood, and live lobsters.

3. An Exotic produce department who carries over 350 different types of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices from around the world and a staff of European cooks who are assist customers with herbs, and spices selections.

4. A gourmet wine and cheese department who carries over 250 varieties of cheese from 21 countries, a wide variety of wines from all over the world, and stores carry a wide variety of spirits and at prices that will meet any budget.

When, Kathy Kudler founded her company she followed the primary functions of management:

1. Kathy, and whoever assisted her with her business plan, did panning and strategizing.

2. Kathy and her business advisors organized her business structure, the departments she would have, and the financing of her business.

3. Kathy as the owner took the leading role in all business matters.

4. Kathy has placed the controlling role of each department in the hands of the department managers.

Kathy and Kudler Foods have readily embraced technology and the Internet through the following means:

1. Products orders are done via the Internet.

2. Customer orders are done via the Internet.

3. Historical Data and sales are all kept on computers.

4. Prepared purchase orders are sent via E-mail.

5. Weekly meetings between Kathy and her store managers are held through Video Conferencing.

6. Inventory at the stores and at headquarters are kept on computers.

Some excellent examples of Kudler Foods use of Porter's Model of the five forces are as follows:

1. Bargaining Power of Buyers: The Kudler stores are no different from any other store in that business success is