What market segment(s) should this unique restaurant target?

Youlou Kabasella and his wife opened Kinshasa Abroad, a restaurant in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Because of the diversity of the city and the restaurant’s proximity to Ohio State University, Mr. Kabasella had expected immediate success. However, turnout and revenue have fallen well short of his projections. To help him understand why performance has been below expectations and identify some possible ways to turn performance around, he has hired a marketing research consultant, Bill Christianson.

Immediately after his initial meeting with the Kabasellas, Mr. Christianson reflects on what yet must be learned in order to properly define the marketing problem and then later address it with appropriate descriptive or causal research. The key general questions that still need to be answered are listed below:

1. What market segment(s) should this unique restaurant target? 

a. What segments would be most inclined to frequent Kinshasa Abroad?

b. What groups would be most interested in African food and beverages?

c. Would these same groups be the ones most interested in African music?

d. Are there groups interested in dancing in a restaurant environment?

2. What thoughts and associations have the restaurant’s general ad slogan (Kinshasa Abroad – African Cuisine and Culture) evoked in the minds of prospective customers?

a. What comes to mind when they think of African food, beverages, or music?

b. How consistent are these thoughts with what the food, beverages, and music are really like?

c. Among consumers who have not tried Kinshasa Abroad, what would their reactions be if they sampled African food, beverages, or music?

d. Are there more effective ways to communicate the nature of an African restaurant to people in Ohio?

e. Are there some “hot button” advertising themes that could be employed if certain consumer groups were better understood?

3. What is the perceived quality of the menu items at Kinshasa Abroad?

a. Have previous patrons been satisfied with their dining experiences?

b. How satisfied have previous patrons been with the restaurant atmosphere?

c. What has motivated previous patrons to try Kinshasa Abroad – cultural curiosity, a more basic search for novelty, or something else?

d. Was this a one-time only experience, or do they see Kinshasa Abroad as a viable dining alternative in the future?

4. At a broader level, what are people in the area seeking when they dine out on different occasions?

a. What types of food and entertainment are they seeking when they go to restaurants on these occasions?

b. Does Kinshasa Abroad provide an experience that is consistent with what is being sought on any of these occasions?

c. What changes might Kinshasa Abroad make in its concept to make itself more attractive to consumer groups in Columbus, Ohio?

1(a). What secondary sources are available that might provide useful information for this project? (5 points). (Note: If you simply answer internet search, no points will be earned. You have to provide the specific source and the purpose of using that source. The Internet is definitely an important source but there are more sources.)

1(b). Sort through the issues Bill Christianson identified above and any others you think may be relevant. Which ones would be best addressed using exploratory research and which ones would be most appropriately investigated with descriptive or perhaps causal research? Please specify which specific method you would use for each type of research (20 points).