According to Andy Pforzheimer, food is only 50 percent of the experience at his restaurants. The rest comprises intangibles like ambience and conversation with the staff. To ensure consistent quality across the board, Barcelona uses five “feedback loops” that gauge restaurant performance: a “secret shopper” program, credit card rewards for customers who complete surveys, customer comment cards, emails, and surveillance cameras. In addition to these loops, the owners and general managers walk the floor constantly to advise waitstaff and gather feedback from customers. 

Discussion Questions:

1. How do managers at Barcelona control the company’s financial performance?

2. In what ways does Barcelona use the balanced scorecard approach to control?

3. Describe an instance where Barcelona followed the feedback control model to improve its performance.