Buongiorno e Buonasera • food start-up

market analysis • business design • strategic planning • brand management

From defining the business idea to succeeding in the UK restaurant industry

For over 2 years I had the opportunity to support the creation of what would become Buongiorno e Buonasera, the all-in-one pizzeria, coffee shop and minimarket I designed from scratch for the British market.

Having gathered all my client’s wishes and wants, I led the market analysis that resulted in a business concept firmly rooted in data-driven insights as well as innovative and appealing.

I then personally created the business plan and it turned out to be a key element in securing a super-central location for the first “Buongiorno e Buonasera – Food Point” in Oxford [UK]. I also designed the launch strategy, coordinating and managing the opening event, as well as leading its marketing department for the crucial 6 months following the opening.

Buongiorno e Buonasera very soon became a landmark for the Oxford community, and a thriving food start-up [£694.6k – circa €957k – first year business turnover, with a gross margin of 59.3%].

N.B. To honour my non-disclosure agreement, I have omitted and hidden confidential information in this case study.
All information in this case study is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of Buongiorno e Buonasera Ltd.

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Project duration

2 years

Business goal

food start-up design & launch

Industry

Food & Beverage • Food service • Food retail • Ho.Re.Ca

Brief Analysis Business design Business concept Brand equity & Brand name Go-to-market strategy Test & Deliverables Results & Impact

Brief

Buongiorno e Buonasera was the result of the dream of one man, a visionary entrepreneur who wanted to diversify his investments by creating “a business where people feel happy, while eating”.
This was my brief. Just this. He told me this and asked, “Can you make it happen?”. I was thrilled.
Moments later, I was already beginning to create the eatery business from scratch, no specifications, no limitations: a dream.

Analysis

The discovery stage of this project was quite complex. I personally selected and supervised a small group of researchers, and managed this team in using a variety of analytical tools, such as:

Stakeholders and user interviews [iterate]
Service safaris [i.e. similar to mystery shopping] on selected restaurant, cafe, pizzeria, and deli
Stakeholder and target analysis, gathering data and statistics for each selected segment
Competitor analysis, selecting 16 businesses and studying their business model, their brand, communication, marketing, and pricing strategy, and their best practices
Food trend analysis
Market analysis, including virtual ethnography research on selected Oxford neighbourhoods in order to define the potential customer base the new eatery could aspire to reach and to estimate its market share projection

The analysis findings strongly influenced all subsequent phases, starting from the creation of the business concept and its service design.

Business design

The strategic plan was delivered in three steps. Firstly, using a combination of divergent and convergent creative thinking techniques, I defined the business design and presented to the enthusiastic owner the following:

a summary of all the trends, targets, and market analysis findings
a strongly data-driven brand and business concept
the business model, including competitive advantage and added values
the definition of brand values
the main features of the service design
the brand name proposals

After my client approved all those key points, I started the second phase of strategic planning:

developing the potential customer personas and their customer journey maps
detailing the business and service design
creating the business plan and business development strategy
defining the brand architecture and brand extension strategy
working with a graphic designer in creating the trademark and the first visual brand identity items

At this point I prepared a comprehensive report containing a synthesis of all of the analysis results and strategic decisions, as well as the visual brand identity items. The report proved instrumental in securing the ideal venue for the first Buongiorno e Buonasera.

Business concept

I designed the Buongiorno e Buonasera business concept by reimagining the Italian deli and restaurant model already popular in UK. The goal was to merge the culinary tradition of central Italy [a region relatively unfamiliar to Britons] with contemporary dining preferences and habits.

The culinary approach focused on food that required minimal preparation, always emphasising “freshness” and “quality”, as well as a notable “flexibility in the consumption model”catering to a variety of dining styles [dining in, taking food to go, enjoying it at home or in the office… ] and accommodating a diverse range of dietary preferences [energetic, post-gym, healthy, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free].

The venue location and layout were designed to ensure it could cater to customers’ needs throughout the day: breakfast, lunch and dinner, but also snacks. Buongiorno e Buonasera menu featured choices such as pizzas with a variety of toppings, sandwiches, bruschetta, salads, cured meats and cheeses, brioches, tarts, cakes and an assortment of Italian delicacies. To complement the food, the eatery offered a variety of beverages including hot drinks, juices, smoothies and soft drinks.

My business design incorporated the convenience of a well-stocked deli: in the refrigerated counter, in the fruit and vegetable counter, as well as on the shelves, customers could discover products ready-made, and the ingredients for use in their own recipes, so that Buongiorno e Buonasera could become part of their daily shopping trip.

Brand equity & Brand name

With Vincenzo Bernabei, I co-created the brand name for the new business concept. We provided 3 hypothesis, each rooted in the brand values closely tied to the business idea, and all with available web domains.

Buongiorno e Buonasera was chosen, because it perfectly communicated:

Italianness – The use of two universally understood Italian words, particularly “buongiorno”, conveyed a sense of Italian heritage and authenticity.

Duality – The name reflected the company structure which was formed by two partners.

Temporality – “Buongiorno e Buonasera” indicated the full span of the day, from morning to evening, opening to closing, signifying the ability to cater to the needs of the customer throughout their entire day.

Hospitality – This name emphasised one of the most essential characteristics of the catering industry, the warmth and care welcoming potential customers from the sign, inviting them to enter and linger, permeating the atmosphere with friendliness and conviviality from the very start.

Go-to-market strategy

Once we found the perfect location for the first “Buongiorno e Buonasera – Food point” in Central Oxford, I could start the third phase of strategic planning, providing the branding plan and go-to-market strategy.

The strategic plan report included:

the detailed business marketing strategy, including pricing
the detailed communication strategy, including the development of a loyalty plan
more input regarding the brand identity concept, and the marketing materials and communications tools
the website architecture and marketing materials content strategy
the launch strategy and the main concept for the opening event

Test

The business model was tested “on paper” creating cash flow simulation.

An expert financial advisor and a variety of food industry experts assessed and evaluated the whole project: from business concept to business plan, from visual brand identity to the brand and marketing strategy. All agreed regarding the sustainability and the potential success of the food start-up.

User tests and interviews had been organised for each item of the visual brand identity and the marketing materials.

The menu was tried, tested and perfected with the collaboration of all the staff, two highly experienced baristas, and two very talented and expert pizza chefs. The last round of tasting were conducted involving a select group of stakeholders and potential customers. On this occasion, the feedback received was unanimously positive.

Deliverables

Brand and marketing strategy report
Business plan
Ongoing strategic consulting and creative direction
Brand name and trademark
Visual brand identity and brand guideline
Marketing materials [photoshoots included]
Menu philosophy, organisation and pricing
Loyalty programme, strategy and cards
Website and corporate blog [web architecture and SEO copywriting included, both in English and Italian]
Opening event organisation and management

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Buongiorno e Buonasera - postcard & business card

Buongiorno e Buonasera - opening event - team

Buongiorno e Buonasera - opening event - pizza

Buongiorno e Buonasera - opening event - cafe

Buongiorno e Buonasera - opening event - outside

Buongiorno e Buonasera - opening event - deli

Results & Impact

I supported Buongiorno e Buonasera food start-up from initial idea and pre-seed stage up to 6 months after the launch of the first store, once all the processes, marketing materials and strategies were put in place, tested and validated.

I love so many aspect of this project. The fact Italian food was the leading actor, the fact I had carte blanche regarding the business model to be adopted, the fact I had to build it from scratch and it was challenging. I was so excited at the prospect of applying my design thinking skills to create a small Italian oasis in the middle of the iconic English city of Oxford.

I had the opportunity to work on this project from the very beginning. Guided by in-depth data collection and analysis I created the business concept, designed the business model, defined its service design and business strategy, ideated and managed its marketing, brand and communication strategy. I also contributed to other determinations including where to locate the first shop and how to manage its communication. I was also responsible for thecreative direction of the entire project, supporting and supervising a team in creating the visual brand identity and implementing the marketing strategy in a variety of media.

I supported the owner – an entrepreneur from the construction sector – in every phase and in every decision, from the business design to the brand name, from market and target research to brand strategy and identity, from the layout of the premises to the launch as well as overseeing ongoing management decisions through the initial trading period.

The first “Buongiorno e Buonasera – Food Point” opened in central Oxford.

The business concept, so strongly supported by evidence and data, and the business plan report, were crucial elements in securing the venue, as well as the captivating brand identity and the appealing business model.

The opening event, thanks to the participation of hundreds of curious people, was a success. The food start-up immediately became a landmark for a large and very diverse part of the Oxford community, this included Italians [of course], but also the English and people from all over the world: from students to professionals; from tourists to locals; from foodies to simple enthusiasts.