Peppis Greek Gourmet Hummus and Greek Freez was a small business located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, run by my father. His business model focused on selling a wide range of hummus and vegan ice cream flavors at local farmers’ markets, grocery stores, and occasionally catering for large parties. His small business was known and loved throughout the city of Pittsburgh. 

Some of the major financial concerns he faced were large investments with a lack of return, competition from other hummus brands, and the detriments of the COVID-19 pandemic. My father decided to create a vegan ice cream using chickpea juice to eliminate food waste, but, due to a lack of publicity and strategic marketing, there was a very small return on his investment, and he decided to discontinue it. The other major challenge he faced was competition from the grocery stores. While the large grocery stores he supplied to, such as Whole Foods and Giant Eagle, claimed to make him a priority because he was a local business owner in Pittsburgh, they favored larger brands on their shelves such as Sabra or 365 by Whole Foods. This, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in a major sales drop. 

The major stakeholders were my father, his customers, and his employees. Without enough revenue and profit, my father would not be able to continue his business and expand into other fields of interest. Secondly, without customers, his business would not succeed and there would be no support from the Pittsburgh community. Lastly, his suppliers relied heavily on my father’s business. Although he was a one-man show, he had a large reach within the food industry. If his sales plummeted or increased, his suppliers will feel the same effects.

A large business also in the food industry that faces complex environments is Sysco Foods. Their objective is to supply restaurants and small businesses all over the country with high-quality ingredients. A company like this must ensure that they are providing consumers with premium ingredients while navigating inflation and the changes within supply chains. If their consumers feel that the quality has decreased, they will switch suppliers.