Managing in Troubled Times Case Study

Yoshinoya: Managing in Troubled Times

OR

Abstract:
By 2003, 'Yoshinoya D&C Co. Ltd', (Yoshinoya), which started as a small restaurant in Tokyo in 1899, had transformed into a global fast food chain. It was famous for its beef bowl and had 1,156 restaurants in the US, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. It was also planning to expand into Asia and Australia. However, due to the report of mad cow disease in the US in December 2003, Yoshinoya faced a major crisis, as 99% of its beef was imported from the US. Despite the ban, Yoshinoya announced that it would continue to use US beef for its products till the stocks lasted.

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To discuss the strategy adopted by Yoshinoya to tide over the crisis of mad cow disease in the US.

Keywords : Yoshinoya; Mad cow disease; US beef; Beef bowl; Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE); Prions; Managing in Troubled Times Case Study; vCJD; McDonald's; Australian beef; Japanese beef imports; Major exporters of beef in the world; Foot and mouth disease; Sukivaki; Kyotaru sushi shops

Contents:

• A brief overview
• Mad cow disease in the us and Yoshinoya
• Tomorrow's Yoshinoya