NA0497

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Wil’s Grill
Leonard R. Hostetter, Northern Arizona University

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Nita Paden, Northern Arizona University

In January 2017, John Christ needed to make some decisions about his business, Wil’s
Grill. Not long ago, his dad had said, “Son, passion has gotten you here; not the

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money.” Now, John needed to focus on “the money” – but which path should he
take? He could expand his “street food” business, add a catering business, or do
something else. John, who loved to make customers happy by serving them great
healthy local food, recognized that he also needed to do so profitably.

BACKGROUND
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John grew up on a ranch in Cave Creek, AZ, a small community northeast of Phoenix
Arizona. His parents had food service and restaurant experience, and cooking and
entertaining were an integral part of spending time with them. “By age 10,” John
recalled, “I could cook.”
As a teenager, John bussed tables at a restaurant where his dad Wil worked. He
also spent many mornings with his dad at a clay-bird sport shooting range near Cave
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Creek. When done, they needed to go elsewhere for lunch, since the range did not
offer food or beverages. So, father and son worked out an agreement with the range
owner to open a small food booth on-site, which they named “Wil’s Grill.” On a single
grill they cooked burgers, fries and served beverages. Wil taught his son the nuts and
bolts of running the business: obtaining necessary permits and licenses, ordering food
and supplies, shopping, transportation, inventorying, cooking, cleaning and most
importantly, “treating customers as friends.” Hospitality-driven service was a core
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value.
To celebrate his high school graduation in December 2009, John went on a 30-day
backpacking excursion with the National Outdoor Leadership School in Wyoming,
where he later recalled, “I honed my leadership skills there and this would serve me
well in managing my future business.”
In August 2010 Wil closed Wil’s Grill when John enrolled at Northern Arizona
University (NAU), in Flagstaff, about 120 miles north of Phoenix. At that time NAU

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Copyright © 2017 by the Case Research Journal and by Leonard R. Hostetter, Jr. and Nita Paden. This
case study was prepared as the basis for classroom discussion rather than to illustrate either effective
or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. The authors wish to thank John Lawrence,
Brent Beal, Gina Grandy, Janis Gogan, Kathryn Savage, Lance Rohs, Joseph Anderson and the
anonymous CRJ reviewers for their helpful suggestions on how to make this a more effective case.
An earlier version of the case was presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the North American
Case Research Association in Las Vegas, NV, United States.

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 t
enrolled about 23,000 students. John majored in Environmental Studies, and also took
classes in other areas, driven by “my inquisitive nature to learn as much as I could

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about the world around me.” At the NAU School of Hotel and Restaurant
Management John learned about the “clean food” movement – characterized by locally
produced, organic foods and sustainable practices.1 Clean food was healthy for both
the planet and for people through production of efficient amounts of food, provision
of leftovers to local shelters, and minimization of waste via biodegradable products

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and recycling practices.

WIL’S GRILL FLAGSTAFF

On a visit to Costa Rica in 2013, John and another NAU student – Karl Shilhanek
observed a vibrant “street food” community.2 The “chicken lady,” “kabob guy,” and
many other vendors served tasty, locally sourced and ready-to-eat fresh foods to local

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residents on the street, in the market, at a fair or other public place. Vendors sold
“street food” from a portable stall, cart or food truck. John and Karl were inspired to
start their own business, and the flames of Wil’s Grill were reignited when they founded
their own Wil’s Grill in Flagstaff, AZ in January 2014.
The young men worked hard to get Wil’s Grill off the ground. They wrote a
business plan, secured the required permits and licenses, and set up as a general
partnership. The two partners each invested $500 to get the business off the ground,
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and John’s parents provided a $2000 low-interest loan to help them purchase grilling
equipment.
“We earned our stripes in the first year,” John recalled. “We were hands-on with
every aspect of the business.” Karl focused on business strategy, marketing and social
media. He created a website that included their “clean food” menu, a mobile app and
a social media presence (on Facebook). John focused on operations and food
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preparation. He established relationships with five local food sources -- including

John’s parents’ Happy Mountain Farms. John believed his relationship with farms and
producers “allowed me to have a unique understanding of the local supply chain.”
Wil’s Grill was highly portable, and targeted two main markets: 1) NAU students
who were tired of chain-based fast food and wanted good, reasonably priced, late night
food, and 2) community events, where organizers and customers wanted reasonably
priced, clean, high quality street food (in contrast, many street food vendors served
manufacturer prepared and processed food). Operations included procuring food,
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preparing main courses and sides, transporting food to venues, and hiring temporary
labor for serving and clean-up. Wil’s Grill leased excess kitchen space in non-
competing Flagstaff restaurants and bars, for prepping or cooking some food. Once
the food was prepared in these locations it was served on tables with warming trays.
For outdoor events, an event management company assigned Wil’s Grill and other
vendors to specific locations for specific hours. Most food (e.g. burgers, vegetables)
was prepared on site, in view of customers.
Within four months John and Karl were able to pay off the $2000 loan; since then,
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they had taken no further loans. The business was not profitable and they did not pay
themselves a salary. John and Karl both worked second jobs to cover basic living
expenses in 2014 and 2015, and their parents paid their college tuition. John lived a
simple lifestyle with minimal financial obligations. They did not invest in a brick-and-
mortar operation. Their “office” was as portable as the business.

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 In May 2014, Karl decided to relocate to Bellingham, WA to be closer to his family.

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The breakup was amicable. John reestablished Wil’s Grill as a sole proprietorship.
Without his partner, at first John relied on “gut instinct” to run his business. Summer

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2014 was tough, especially interviewing and hiring people. John felt this “was
challenging. I didn’t know what I was looking for.” To hire temporary employees for
street events he posted ads and networked with local bar owners. In June John hired
what he referred to as “my first permanent part-time employee, Cody McCrae, a Hotel
and Restaurant Management student.” Cody had also “grown up in the kitchen.” On

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his first day John gave him some instructions and left for another commitment.
Working alone, Cody prepared sliders and coleslaw and proved himself. John placed a
lot of trust in Cody, his first assistant manager. Cody flexed his hours and worked as
business levels demanded.
Preparation and cooking was fast paced, whether in a leased kitchen or on the grill
at an event. There were many 18 to 20 hour work days. John believed that he treated
his temporary employees fairly, and therefore they were customer focused and wanted

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to work for him again. John also learned that he needed to define routines and flow-
chart responsibilities for some job positions, and to calculate staffing based on the
estimated number of plates/day to be served.

STREET FOOD EVENTS

Street events involved lots of guess work, since both weather and attendance were
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unpredictable. John told a friend, “It’s like rolling the dice to try and guess what food
people will want.” During the Flagstaff Pro Rodeo, Wil’s Grill served 425 plates
of barbecue per day, whereas for most events, 200 - 300 plates/day was typical. During
the Rodeo, one employee quit. John recalled: “Lines formed quickly; everyone came
to the booth around lunch time, hungry. We performed well -- though there’s always
room for improvement.” Getting food out quickly was most important, and food
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quality was more important than presentation or quantity.

Customers enjoyed watching food preparation, including the employee chatter.
Pricing was customized for each event client (Exhibit 1 includes sample menus), so
event revenue varied. A 200 to 300 plate day could gross $2,000 to $3,000, enough to
sustain operations. Ongoing grill maintenance and food purchases were the main
operating costs. Other expenses included liability insurance, permitting, licensing and
payroll. John lived modestly, paid bills in cash and avoided debt. He used his personal
pick-up truck to transport food, and budgeted for fixed costs, irrespective of ebbs and
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flows of revenue. He estimated that profit margins averaged 18% - 25% -- good for
the street food business. 2014 to 2016 revenues totaled $129,000 (Exhibit 2).
John had “learned on the fly;” he worked hard and wasn’t discouraged by
challenges. Feelings he experienced when customers told him how much they enjoyed
his street food and his passion for clean food outweighed any discouragement. Street
food was fun and fast-paced. John loved it.

THE WIL’S GRILL MARKET

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By 2015 Wil’s Grill primarily served Flagstaff, along with Prescott and Sedona to the
south, Williams to the west and most of Northern Arizona (with a combined
population of about 275,000 people3). Winter weather limited the number of street
food events in Flagstaff, given its 7,000 foot elevation. Sedona, Prescott and the Verde
Valley (all within 100 miles of Flagstaff), at lower elevations, were warmer. Collectively,

Wil’s Grill 3

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 each of these communities held almost 50 events that featured street food. For special

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events John sometimes traveled as far as Phoenix or Page (both within 150 miles of
Flagstaff); he included fuel costs in his pricing. Phoenix was the 12th largest

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metropolitan area in the U.S. with a population of 4.57 million people and a vibrant
street food scene.4 Wil’s Grill had received excellent reviews from local writers, food
critics and customers, and was featured in the July 2015 issue of Flagstaff Business News.
More food trucks were also appearing on the scene, and some new entrants served
healthier fare. John’s promotional marketing budget for 2016 was $2,100, although he

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believed he should spend $5,000.
As for catering, large competitors included Big Foot BBQ and Satchmo’s (local
barbeque restaurants that also offered catering), as well as Main Street Catering and
Thorneger’s Catering. Some competitors had been in business for twenty years or
more, and were well-established in the local catering market. Wil’s Grill had the
strongest focus on clean food, and John received referrals from caterers for specialties
Wil’s Grill was known for -- smoked meats and barbeque.

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Various studies conducted in the United States indicated a growing interest in
“clean food” and this was beginning to influence some customers’ food and beverage
purchase decisions. Consideration for healthy choices had reportedly increased from
61% in 2012 to 71% in 2014, and in 2015 67% of respondents had given thought to
environmental sustainability, 72% had given consideration to how food was produced
or farmed, and 26% regularly purchased locally sourced items.5 John believed that the
demographics and psychographics of people in Northern Arizona aligned well with the
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national clean food movement.

THE CATERING MARKET SEGMENT

In fall 2015, John coordinated with NAU marketing research students on an
exploratory survey to learn more about customer perceptions of the Wil’s Grill brand,
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food offerings, the clean food movement and the catering market segment. He realized
that with just 79 respondents, the survey results were directional at best.6 The survey
indicated that 56% of respondents were willing to spend at least $11/person on a
catered event, of which, 24% were willing to spend about $16/person and 78% were
willing to spend an additional $1 to $6/person for clean food. 72% of respondents
had never heard of Wil’s Grill. Regarding the decision to use a caterer, barbeque beef
and pork, Mexican, Italian, Asian and vegetarian were the most desired catered event
food options. A caterer’s reputation, customer reviews, service, food selection and
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price were critical factors in selecting a caterer, and 63% indicated that locally sourced
food would influence their decision.
To keep current on trends and opportunities, John was a voracious reader of food
trade journals. One article stated that “farm to fork has been a trend emerging in
weddings.”7 Catered events could have margins of up to 40%. Catering customers
were typically older, more affluent, and included both individuals and businesses. The
business model was somewhat more predictable than street food vending, with a pre-
determined number of guests, food type, pricing, and event specifics. Catering
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opportunities were available year-round in the Northern Arizona market.

Catering could be labor intensive. John estimated that a buffet-styled catered event
required one staff member for every 30 guests, and a “plated, waited and served” event
would need up to twice as many staff members. New job descriptions and training
would need to be developed. John expected that he would need to expand his menu

4 Case Research Journal  Volume 37  Issue 4  Fall 2017

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 and improve the food presentation, based on what clients wanted. Customers also

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often asked caterers to provide décor, entertainment, etc.
John would need to invest in new kitchen equipment, logistics, and a cargo trailer

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to store, maintain and transport food. The required investment would increase if John
planned to cater multiple events simultaneously. John realized he’d need to get out of
his comfort zone and assume debt to expand into the catering segment. He would have
to figure out a way to secure financing.
John estimated his annual catering marketing expenses would be $7,500. He

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believed he would realize synergies with his existing street food segment marketing
investment, but a catering client base would need to be developed. John saw his brand
as “Wil’s Grill and not Wil’s Barbeque, offering a wide assortment and variety of foods
and flavors off the grill. We can be so much more than barbeque.” In street food,
John focused on smoked meats and barbeque because it was easily prepared and sold
at a reasonable price. Wil’s Grill stood for street food among those who were aware
of the brand. His motto “Have grill will travel” reflected that he traveled to various

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street food events. He had never copyrighted this motto, but he had trademarked the
Wil’s Grill name.
John developed high-level ballpark estimates for future cash flows and investment
associated with the options under consideration for growing the business (Exhibit 3).
He strongly believed that the Wil’s Grill brand was defined by “our reputation among
those we’ve served, and those who have heard about us. Our reputation is one of
sincerity, transparency, consistency and quality.”
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John needed to make a strategic decision: how to move forward with Wil’s Grill
and his livelihood?

NOTES
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1Feine, Suzy. Green, The New Color of Love. CaterSource, 1 May 2009. Web. 24 July 2017.
http://www.catersource.com/green-catering/green-new-color-love.
2"What Is Street Food?" The Street Food Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 July 2017.

http://www.streetfoodinstitute.org/what-is-street-food/.
3Arizona Cities by Population. (2015, May). Retrieved July 24, 2017, from

https://www.arizona-demographics.com/cities_by_population; United States Census

Bureau/American Fact Finder.
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4Theobald, B. (2015, March 26). Census: Phoenix area population grew rapidly. Retrieved

July 24, 2017, from

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/politics/2015/03/26/census-
phoenix-area-population-grew-rapidly/70507534/.
5http://ljournal.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/a-2017-023.pdf. (2016). International

Food Information Council Federation - Food and Health Survey 2015, (10), 69-77.
doi:10.18411/a-2017-023.
6Survey Monkey September 2015 – Wil’s Grill Case Author and MKT 439 Marketing
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Research Students; 79 respondents to a 20-question survey.

7Jacobs, A. S. (2016, March 29). Relaxed Luxury: New Farm-to-Fab Wedding Inspiration.

Retrieved July 24, 2017, from http://www.instyle.com/news/relaxed-luxury-new-farm-

fab-wedding-inspiration.

Wil’s Grill 5

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 Exhibit 1 – Wil’s Grill Sample Menu Items

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Marinated Chicken & $5.00 Pork & Brisket $12.00*

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Veggie Kabob Sandwich
Grass-fed Hamburgers $10.00 Grilled Chicken Legs $5.00
Beer Brat with Sauerkraut $8.00* Loaded French Fries $6.00*
Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw, $3.00* Gatorade $2.00
Beans
Bottled Water $1.00

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*Price varied based upon the vendor fee charged by event management.
Note: John targeted a minimum avg. ticket order of $10.00 and a 25%-35% food cost.
Source: John Christ – Owner, Wil’s Grill (July 2017) – Sample Street Food Menu

Example – BBQ Lunch Garden Party for 30 people;

Buffet Service Sample Catering Menu

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Quantity Unit Price Line Total
Appetizer – Garden Fresh 1 tray $120/tray $120.00
Bruschetta
Salad – Mixed Field Greens 30 cnt 3.50/cnt $105.00
Entrée – Slow Smoked Brisket 8 lbs 22.99/lb $183.92
Entrée – Slow Smoked Turkey 8 lbs 22.99/lb $183.92
Side – Buttermilk Cornbread 3 trays 4.99/dzn $37.50
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Side – Mama’s Tater Salad 7.5 lbs 9.99/lb $74.93
Side – Cowboy Beans 7.5 lbs 7.50/lb $56.25
BBQ Sauce 0.75 gal 20.00/gal $15.00
Beverage – Unsweetened Tea 1.5 gal 5.50/gal $8.25
Beverage – Fresh Squeezed 1.5 gal 10.00/gal $15.00
Lemonade
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Services – On-site Buffet 1 hour 125.00/hr $125.00

Sub-Total $924.77
Tax at 10.95% $101.26
Grand Total $1,026.33
Notes: Menus available on Wil’s Grill website.
Clean food discussed on website and menu boards at events.
Source: John Christ – Owner, Wil’s Grill (April 2017)
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 Exhibit 2 – Profit and Loss Statement (2014-2016)

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Ordinary Income/Expense ($ US) – Accrual Basis January through December

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2014 2015 2016 Comments
Income
Food Sales 18,000 24,568 86,921
Total Income 18,000 24,568 86,921 2014: 8 special public events &
seasonal weekend street service;

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2015: 15 special public events;
2016: 40 special public events
Cost of Goods Sold
Food Purchases 12,533 32,401 Goal: = 30% of Food Sales thru
purchasing efficiencies and
sourcing co-operative
Direct Labor Payroll (Cody paid 4,937 10,675 2015: Cody (450 hrs) & sub-

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$3,613 (2015) and $6,470 (2016)) contract labor
2016: Cody (650 hrs) & sub-
contract labor
Business Licenses/ 1,434 4,005
Permits/Insurance Per event basis
Total COGS 6,000 18,904 47,081
Gross Profit 12,000 5,664 39,840
Operating Expense (Fixed)
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Advertising & Promotion 1,105 2,131
Automobile Expenses 369 4,700 Fuel and maintenance
Bank Service Charges 287 210
Computer and Internet 228 1,000
Expenses
Office Supplies 283 53
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Professional Fees 2,043 2,300 Client meetings, Legal, Acct, R&D

Propane 286 555
Reimbursement 109
Rent Expense 1,412 1,500 Leased kitchen space
Repairs and Maintenance 92
Restaurant Supplies 1,454 549
Supplies 382 1,239
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Uniforms 73
Utilities 255
Total Operating Expense 15,000 7,849 14,766 2014 Operating Expense not
itemized
Net Ordinary Income (2,185) 25,074
Other Income/Expense
Ask My Accountant 33 1,604
Total Other Expense 33 1,604
Net Operating Income (3,000) (2,218) 23,470 John paid himself a salary from
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Net Income after reinvesting back

in business (2016)
Source: John Christ – Owner, Wil’s Grill (July 2017)

Wil’s Grill 7

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 Exhibit 3 – Estimated Investment Levels and Future Revenue Projections (rounded)

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2016 Actual Revenue Est. 2017 Total/ 2018 Total/ 2019 Total/

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Investment YOY Rev. YOY Rev. YOY Rev.
(A) Expand Street Food: $9,000 $122,000/$35,000 $162,000/$40,000 $212,000/$50,000
$87,000
(B) Add Catering and $25,000 $147,000/$60,000 $217,000/$70,000 $307,000/$90,000
Maintain Street Food:
$87,000

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John research assumed:
 20%-25% (A) & 40%-45% (B) profit before taxes
 discount rate range 5%-18%
 20% YOY “normal” growth rate for street food revenue (2016-2019)
 +2% YOY inflation rate; +3% YOY contingency expense
 $3,500 revenue per catering event (2017)
 5% YOY higher operating expenses for (B) vs. (A)

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 2017 COGS 50% (A) and 52% (B) of Total Income bef. inflation/contingency
 “Est. Investment” primarily kitchen equipment
Source: John Christ – Owner, Wil’s Grill (July 2017)
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