1. Evaluate Zagat using the competitive forces and value chain models.
2. Compare Zagat’s and Yelp’s e- commerce business models. How have those models affected each company’s Web strategy?
3. Why was Zagat’s content well suited for the Web and for the mobile digital platform?
4. Do you think Zagat’s decision to use a pay wall for its Web site was a mistake? Why or why not?
5. Will Zagat’s acquisition by Google make it more competitive? Explain your answer.

Founded by Tim and Nina Zagat, the Zagat Survey has collected and published ratings of restaurants by diners since 1979. Zagat publishes surveys for restaurants, hotels, and nightlife in 70 major cities. Zagat has come a long way from its roots in the early 1980s, when the food-loving Zagats started compiling lists of their favorite restaurants for personal use and to share with their closest friends. But with the rise of the Internet, e- commerce, and mobile technology, Zagat has strug-gled to find a business model that stayed true to the company’s origins. To generate their first survey, the Zagats polled 200 people, and increased that number over time. Executives, tourists, and New York foodies alike found the list to be indispensable. Spurred by this success, the Zagats decided to publish their survey themselves. The few booksellers that took a risk in stocking the book were rewarded with sales so robust that the Zagat Surveys became best sellers.