In Pursuit of the
By Stacy Ward, Managing Editor fedastacy@ver izon.net
A Lesson in Model Creation & the Story Behind Chain Restaurant Solutions
W 1 0 FEDA News & Views
hen RapidsWholesale Equipment wanted to diversify into the multiunit market, co-owner Joe Schmitt turned to a consultant and a customer for help.The consultant researched themarket,produced a detailed assessment of his competitors' services, and advised
him to match their offerings. And his customer, a longtime friend and owner of 20 Panera Bread Bakery-Cafes,he simply shared his pain. Schmitt chose to follow the pain, intuitively sensing that itwould lead to his competitive advantage. "If we were going to make a dent in the market,
" he says,
"we needed to understand our customers' heartburn and build a business to meet that need, so I asked my friend to share his wisdom. I said don't think about equipment, don't continued on page 12
