NSU Research Contributions

Title : "Cilantro: The case of shared platform-fueled growth"

Authors : Tanya Ahmed, Umme Hani Meem

Abstract : One fine evening of March 2021, while sitting and sipping a latte in Cilantro’s buzzing restaurant atmosphere the Managing Director of Cilantro, Mr. Ashik Rahman, recalled the experience of how he, along with some partners, started this restaurant and the turmoil it had gone through. Dhaka city's dining scene is challenging; therefore, to compete, quality and service must be top-notch. He also recollected memories of their second branch, which unfortunately did not operate for long enough. Furthermore, what hit the restaurant business hard was the Covid-19 pandemic that pushed the restaurant towards a closure path. Cash inflow was continuously lesser than the outflow, creating a massive deficit for Cilantro. Management was enormously vexed and thought of winding down the entire operation as it became increasingly challenging to manage the situation. However, resilience and effort turned the scenario in the opposite direction. Through interviews with the manager, I learned what measures were taken by Cilantro to survive. It has been found that sometimes it might be wise to take further risks than shut down an ongoing business. Risk reduction is a better approach than closing, if a company is willing to try it. The expansion strategy of partnering with Chef's Table, implemented by Cilantro, ultimately led to its survival; however, the management is worried whether, in this process, the restaurant will lose its unique identity and be seen as any other meal provider in a food court. This real-life case study sheds light on the needs of the diverse market opportunities and how to think strategically

Journal : Sage Business Cases	Volume :	Year : 2022	Issue :
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