Why have they been successful? What are the major components of their magic recipe?

eBulli case questions: (one team submission, 2-3 page response, 12 point, Times New Roman, double spaced by Saturday, August 5th)

1. Why have they been successful? What are the major components of their magic recipe?

2. How does Ferran Adria instill creativity in the organization?

3. What can other businesses outside the restaurant sector learn from eBulli’s team?

4. If IDEO was hired to advise eBulli’s team, what do you think they would say?

Requirements: 2-3 pages

This case was prepared by Professors Mª Julia Prats and Javier Quintanilla, and Jordan Mitchell, Research Assistant, as the basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. April 2008. This case was written with the support of the CEFIE (Center for Family-Owned Business and Entrepreneurship), IESE. Copyright © 2008, IESE. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact IESE PUBLISHING via the website, www.iesep.com. Alternatively, call +34 932 534 200, send a fax to +34 932 534 343, or write IESEP, C/ Juan de Alós, 43 – 08034 Barcelona, Spain, or [email protected]. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise – without the permission of IESE. Last edited: 10/13/08 1 IES214 0-608-017 elBulli’s Magic Recipe “In the end, what matters is the magic.” 1 – Ferran Adrià Introduction In early 2008, Juli Soler and Ferran Adrià, co-owners of one of the world’s most renowned restaurants, elBulli, located at Cala Montjoi outside Roses on Spain’s Costa Brava, were weeks away from opening for another season. As usual, the reservation lines had immediately flooded for the 2008 season. Each year, elBulli served 8,000 people from half a million reservation requests.2 What explained such extraordinary demand? Perhaps the endless media coverage declaring Adrià the “best chef in the world”? Maybe the fact that all respected food guides placed elBulli at the top of their ratings? Did it have to do with elBulli’s menu, which featured startling creativity such as a paella made from Rice Crispies or foie gras ice cream? 1 Gosálvez, Patricia, “Striking the right recipe for a restaurant,” El País – English Edition, International Herald Tribune, May 14, 2005, p. 5. See Appendix A for additional quotes. 2 Jeffries, Stuart, “Art of cooking”, The Guardian, May 6, 2006, p. 31. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

2 IESE Business School-University of NavarraIES214 elBulli’s Magic Recipe Whatever the answer, it was undeniable that Adrià and elBulli represented the Spanish vanguard. The venture had grown to include countless books, a catering service, cooking training sessions around the world, a hotel, a franchise fast food concept and collaborations with 15 multinationals marketing products from specialty cutlery to potato chips. Many outsiders were shocked that while elBulli had spawned a universe unto itself, the elBulli restaurant was not that profitable (see Exhibit 1). Adrià commented: No [we make no money]. And, what’s more, we don’t want to. We really don’t want to. […] For two years, from 1998 to 2000, we did … I think. But since we decided to close for lunch, nothing. And yet, yes, the requests we receive for tables ― it’s madness! There’s no end to it. So, sure, there is an obvious capitalist solution: raise the prices. We could do so perfectly easily and make four, five million euros profit a year.3 What was elBulli’s magic recipe? What made the restaurant a central piece of the Ferran Adrià mythology? In thinking about the 2008 season, the question for Soler, Adrià, and others on the team was: What next? From French Bulldogs to The World’s Best Restaurant After falling in love with Cala Montjoi, German nationals, Doctor Hans and Marketta Schilling purchased a piece of land in 1961 and promptly opened up a mini-golf course. The business was christened as “El Bulli” in reference to the couple’s French bulldogs. Operating as a mini-golf course for just over a year, the Schillings opened up a beach bar to cater to scuba divers in 1963 and a year later, built their first restaurant. Doctor Schilling’s fascination with gastronomy led the pair to import recipes and foodstuffs from other European countries. After reading the Nouvelle Cuisine,4 elBulli homed in on French cuisine, which received a boost when French cook, Jean-Louis Neichel arrived at the restaurant in 1975. Along with the Schillings, Neichel dined in Europe’s finest restaurants and trained under an acclaimed French cook, earning elBulli its first Michelin star5 in 1976. In 1981, Juli Soler, an entrepreneur with a keen interest in music (he had run his own record shop) and years of experience in hospitality, travelled to Cala Montjoi for a weekend getaway. At a local café, he met Marketta Schilling, who explained that elBulli’s chef, Neichel, was thinking of leaving for Barcelona and that the team would be undergoing changes. Soler expressed an interest in the restaurant’s future and was offered the job of elBulli’s manager. Soler recalled: [I first met Dr. Schilling on December 24 and] while we were eating, I soon realised that what Dr. Schilling was interested in, more than the business, was gastronomy 3 Carlin, John, “If the world’s greatest chef cooked for a living, he’d starve”, The Observer, December 17, 2006, p. 45. 4 Nouvelle Cousine was seen as a revolutionary cooking philosophy born in France in the 1970s that emphasized presentation, freshness and innovation. 5 The Michelin star refers to a rating by the Michelin guides, which is considered to be one of the foremost authorities on restauranting in the world. The guide assigned stars to only high-quality establishments. The highest rating was three stars, which was held by only 56 restaurants in the world in 2007 (http://www.3starrestaurants.com/michelin-restaurants-star-guide.asp, accessed March 26, 2008). For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

3 IESE Business School-University of Navarra IES214elBulli’s Magic Recipeitself, focusing on enjoyment at the table, accompanied by exhaustive knowledge, seeking at all times to offer the diner moments of intense pleasure […] The doctor seemed to like my plain-speaking explanation of how, as far as I was concerned, the most important thing was for people to have a good time, and that they also knew how to do so. However, my worldly wisdom and experience of fine food and wines, and even knowledge of the trade, were not up to par, even for a beginner. So I told him, and the Doctor suggested I do two months of intensive travelling, visiting the best restaurants in France, Belgium and Germany. On my return, in the middle of March 1981, I was ready to face my first season as manager.6 Paying out of his own pocket, Soler travelled around Europe, often returning two or three times to establishments to understand what he should and should not do. As Soler said, “travelling and dining at the finest restaurants almost ruined me financially – but, it was a vital part of my training!” One of his training sessions included a short assignment at a Michelin two-star restaurant in Germany to inculcate a culture of “making eaters happy”7 back at elBulli. Along with head chef, Jean-Paul Vinay, elBulli was awarded its second Michelin star, placing the restaurant within a small elite Spain. Soler sought to make the kitchen staff equal to the dining room waiters: “Traditionally, the kitchen had always been seen as a filthy profession whereas the waiters were seen to be refined. I wanted to break that perception from the very beginning and ensure that there was an equal level of respect for the kitchen staff.” Ferran Adrià, born in 1962, had left school in 1980 for “no particular reason,” with dreams of vacationing in Ibiza. To pay for the trip to the island, Adrià got a job as a dishwasher outside Barcelona where he was first introduced to classic cooking. The following year, he made it to Ibiza, later returning to Barcelona to work in a number of restaurants. He began his military service in 1982 in Cartagena where he was put to work in the captain general’s kitchen staff. Adrià’s kitchen mate suggested that Adrià spend his one-month summer leave working at elBulli. Adrià reflected: [My mate] told me it was one of the best in Spain, and that it had two Michelin stars. Little did he know that at that time I had no idea what that meant. However, I took note of what he said and perhaps began making plans to spend a pleasant summer at the beach; in fact this is probably what influenced my decision, rather than the idea of going to work in a restaurant during my month’s leave […] There I met the alma mater of the restaurant, its manager, namely Juli Soler, with whom I have shared the history of elBulli ever since. […] That [first] month was highly intense in all senses of the word. From a personal perspective, there was the work itself, stimulating and new, but also the nights out in Roses. Professionally speaking, the stint in elBulli was a real immersion in the world of haute cuisine, since it was the first time I had heard of all the trappings of this world: the critics, the running of a restaurant, gourmet guides, and so on.8 After the first summer, Adrià agreed to return the following season. He joined the staff full-time in 1984 and within a few months, was given the duty of co-head chef with 6 elBulli website, History, www.elbulli.com, accessed February 19, 2008. 7 elBulli website, Team Profile, www.elbulli.com, accessed August 14, 2007. 8 elBulli website, History, www.elbulli.com, accessed February 19, 2008. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

4 IESE Business School-University of NavarraIES214 elBulli’s Magic Recipe Christian Lutaud. Adrià and Lutaud sought inspiration from other leading restaurants in Europe and Doctor Schilling set up training internships for both in France. “Creativity Means Not Copying” By mid-1985, the restaurant welcomed Adrià’s younger brother, Albert, as well as Xavi Sagristà in the kitchen and Lluís Biosca in the dining area. Amidst the personnel changes, Michelin removed a star, pushing the team to continue learning from other restaurants; one such encounter involved eating a partridge in an up-scale Madrid restaurant, which they later recreated at elBulli, becoming a defining dish in their repertoire. By 1987, Adrià assumed the role of sole head chef when Lutaud left to open up his own restaurant. Adrià had a moment of epiphany when, during the same year on a visit to an important restaurant on France’s Côte d’Azur, a leading chef stated: “Creativity means not copying.”9 The quote propelled Adrià to rely less on cookbooks and seek a unique identity through gastronomic creations. Adrià and Soler also developed what became the lynchpin of their philosophy: “To commit to creating a substantially different restaurant with one sole objective: passion and respect for gastronomy, oriented at surprising the customer even if it requires breaking tradition.” The restaurant closed for the first time for a five-month period (as opposed to the previous two-month closure) during the slow winter season to preserve cash flow. The break gave the team an opportunity to experiment and develop a number of new recipes. The period between 1987 and 1989 became known amongst the team as the modernization and the “Mediterranization” of its dishes, opting for regional favourites opposed to French derivations. As Soler stated: “We wanted the innovation to not only occur with the food, but with the entire concept including how the team was organized and how each member of the team interacted.” See Exhibit 2 for historical photos of the restaurant. Despite the rediscovered Mediterranean focus, the team still looked north to France for conceptual inspiration – for example, the team ascertained that “everything is possible” from one leading French chef and discovered from another culinary virtuoso that the true meaning of cooking was based on purity. The result was a plunge into more avant-garde experiments and as such, an award for Soler as the best Chef de Salle from the National Academy of Gastronomy and the recovery of the second Michelin star. When the Schillings retired, they sold the restaurant to Soler and Adrià – elBulli was incorporated and the shares were split evenly between the two men. They embarked on a three-year renovation project including both exterior and interior changes. The largest change was the installation of a modern kitchen costing 200 million pesetas (approximately €1.25m). Occupying 325m² (the previous kitchen was 50m²), the kitchen was complete with modern cooking equipment and extensive stone and woodwork. 9 elBulli website, History, www.elbulli.com, accessed August 14, 2007. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

5 IESE Business School-University of Navarra IES214elBulli’s Magic RecipeThe Technique-Concept Cuisine The team documented their recipes in a 1993 book entitled El Bulli. El sabor del Mediterráneo (El Bulli. The Taste of the Mediterranean), which focused on creative methods and food style as much as the recipes themselves. The book stirred up curiosity in Spain and observers believed that the book inspired young adults to pursue cooking as a career. By 1994, Adrià and the team were forming a new approach to developing new recipes. Spurred on by conversations with sculptor Xavier Medina-Campeny in the sculptor’s workshop, Adrià openly experimented with dishes in a manner akin to an artistic process. Adrià and Soler subsequently formed a creative team in 1994. The creative process was woven into the daily activities of running the restaurant. The team soon established what became known as the “technique-concept cuisine,” whereby new concepts and cooking techniques became the central crux. For example, in one session, Ferran and Albert dumped a bunch of tomatoes on the floor and inflated the tomatoes with a bicycle pump until the tomatoes burst. By tasting the result of the blown up tomato spume, the brothers stumbled upon the idea of preparing tomatoes in other forms.10 From the technique-concept, the team began using foams, new types of pasta and novel caramelization processes. In 1994, Adrià was the first chef to be invited to the prestigious Documenta art festival in Kassel, Germany. Adrià described his attendance as pivotal in his development as an artist. He commented: I was the first chef to be invited to Kassel and that was enormously important for me. I could see how I could make cooking into a more creative place where I could be provocative, ironic and even humorous. Each dish was then photographed and archived. They do that for Picasso – why not for me?11 In the 1994 off-season, the team also hosted gastronomic courses at elBulli, which forced the team to develop theories and lessons on cooking and analyze their own cuisine. To open up the restaurant to a broader audience, the team established elBullicatering in 1995 in the kitchen of Barcelona’s Aquarium. The idea was to make certain snacks and dishes available for large events. elBulli continued to receive praise, both on Spanish soil with the highest rating from Lo Mejor de la Gastronomía (The Best of Gastronomy) and in France’s Gault & Millau guide with a score on a par with leading French restaurants. elBulli’s restaurant received a boost when one of the world’s most prominent chefs, Joël Robuchon, named Adrià as his “heir” declaring Adrià as the best chef in the world. The adjudication created a flurry of international attention. In 1997, elBulli was honoured with the coveted three stars by Michelin (at the time only two other restaurants in Spain had three stars). Two years later, Spain’s national paper’s weekly magazine, El País Semanal, named Ferran Adrià as the world’s leading chef, making him a household name in Spain. Many observers also felt that the article and attention helped to change the perception of the cooking profession from a low-level job to that of an artist. The team continued its experiments by first using a restaurant in Barcelona’s Olympic Port as a creative workshop for three hours a day between lunch and dinner in 1995 and then moving into a workshop in elBullicatering’s space in the Aquarium in 1997. 10 Paterniti, Michael, “Ferran Adria”, Esquire, July 1, 2001, Volume 136, Issue 1, p. 116. 11 Jeffries, Stuart, “Art of cooking”, The Guardian, May 6, 2006, p. 31. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

6 IESE Business School-University of NavarraIES214 elBulli’s Magic Recipe Albert Adrià and Oriol Castro were dedicated full-time to the workshop to develop new techniques and processes and Ferran Adrià split his time between elBulli and the workshop. Through creative sessions, the team worked with young Barcelona designers to conceive tableware based on origami shapes. The range became known as “follies” and added a new dimension to the elBulli experience. Given that the technique-concept cuisine was developed between 1994 and 1998, the team wanted to share the philosophy and the style. They explained their recipes in terms of techniques and concepts in Los secretos de El Bulli (The secrets of El Bulli) in 1998. Further publications followed, such as Albert Adrià’s book on sweets and desserts and Ferran Adrià’s book on modern tapas. Adrià also began collaborating with the monthly lifestyle magazine, Woman, to publish occasional recipes. The Expanding Girth of elBulli In addition to sharing cooking techniques in written form, the team instilled the elBulli philosophy in Hacienda Benazuza, a hotel outside Seville. elBulli eventually bought into the hotel. Two more restaurants in the area were established (the restaurants received two Michelin stars in short order). The team expressed its aim with the hotel: “Our dream is to transfer the three hours of delight that we wish to impart in a dinner into the 24 hours of a day’s stay in the hotel.”12 Along with the ideas of transferring the elBulli philosophy to more people through initiatives such as elBullicatering, the cookbooks and the hotel in Seville, the team was eager “to contribute something useful to everyday cooking.” Relationships with food brands included the chocolate maker Chocovic beginning in 1997 and then Borges oils in 1999. For the latter, the team developed aromas to be incorporated into oils, vinegars and other products. The collaboration led to working with several firms such as Kaiku gazpacho, Lavazza coffee, Lays potato chips, Diageo’s J&B whisky brand and cooking wear with fashion designer Armand Basi. To keep track of the burgeoning recipes, the team assigned a number and a date to each recipe creating what was dubbed as the General Catalogue. The team then constructed an “evolutionary map” to analyze how the recipes had emerged. The process had never been undertaken in the culinary domain before. In total, the analysis took five years and led to a trilogy of detailed publications outlining the team’s evolution. The analysis permitted the team to take stock of the past and plan for the future. The team grew out of the workshop premises at the Aquarium due to the success of elBullicatering and the expanding scope of activities of elBulli such as consulting to multinationals, training and publishing. In 2000, the team inaugurated a workshop called elBullitaller in central Barcelona. A year later, the team decided to close elBulli for the lunchtime session, allowing them to pursue creative exploration during the mornings in the serving season. Part of the creativity involved working with outside industrial designers to develop new utensils, which helped solve certain problems in preparing recipes. For example, a spoon with holes was developed for cereals so that 12 elBulli website, www.elBulli.com, accessed August 14, 2007. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

7 IESE Business School-University of Navarra IES214elBulli’s Magic Recipethe milk would not dampen the crunch. The team connected to the work of a local scientist, Pere Castells, in search of combining scientific knowledge with gastronomy at elBullitaller. The concept led to the establishment of the Alicia Foundation (a compound of the word alimentación (nourishment) and ciencia (science)) between elBulli, Manresa Savings Bank and the Catalan Government. International recognition continued to grow, most notably through cover appearances on The New York Times Magazine, Le Monde, and Time. All three magazines heralded Adrià as the best chef on the planet, with Time naming him one of the top 100 influential people in the world. Adrià’s appeal to the masses took a new turn when he filmed and released DVDs of cooking techniques. By 2006, the team had distilled its cooking philosophy into 23 main points (see Exhibit 3). Adrià conceived of the idea to “dignify fast food” via the concept Fast Good, a restaurant offering healthy, high quality food at reasonable prices. Fast Good was picked up by Spain’s largest hotel chain, NH Hoteles, who in turn offered franchises. Albert Adrià also opened up an inexpensive tapas bar called Inopia in a non-tourist area of Barcelona as much to promote a way of life as the food itself. As of 2007, all food guides continued to hand out exceptional marks to elBulli. The Restaurant Magazine took a poll from the top 500 critics, chefs and gourmets around the world, and elBulli came out on top in both 2006 and 2007. See Exhibit 4 for elBulli’s rankings compared to other restaurants. Ferran Adrià’s influence was felt in several sectors, illustrated by his exhibition at the Documenta art show in 2007 and the use of his voice in the Spanish language version of the Disney film, Ratatouille. The Theatre of elBulli “We are inviting fifty people into our home every night. It should be the greatest event of their lives.”13 – Ferran Adrià Dining at elBulli was more often associated with attending a theatrical performance than eating at an up-scale restaurant: This was much more than eating. This was Gaudí’s architecture brought to the kitchen. This was the culinary equivalent of the Cirque du Soleil, complete with acrobats, magicians and clowns.14 elBulli was located at Cala Montjoi, a small crescent shaped bay. To get to the restaurant, guests had to arrive by car (150km from Barcelona), taking a winding country road from the seaside resort town of Roses. Most visitors agreed that the location was far out of the way; one observer said: “The last 20 minutes of the trip consist of a tortuous and narrow mountain road designed more for goats than automobiles.”15 The trip cost substantial money and time to arrive in comparison to 13 Paterniti, Michael “Ferran Adria”, Esquire, July 1, 2001, Volume 136, Issue 1, p. 116. 14 Carlin, John, “If the world’s greated chef cooked for a living, he’d starve”, The ovserver, December 17, 2006, p. 43. 15 Carlin, John, “18 estrellas para seis fogones,” El País Semanal, November 25, 2007. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

8 IESE Business School-University of NavarraIES214 elBulli’s Magic Recipe other city restaurants, bearing in mind that out-of-town visitors usually stayed in nearby Roses at a hotel to avoid driving far after dinner. Adrià explained the rationale for the secluded location: “If we were more centrally located, people would come here more often. If people came once a week the surprise would be gone. They’d take the food for granted.”16 elBulli was housed in a white-washed villa, with the Mediterranean lapping on the shore directly in front of the building. In the interior of the restaurant, there were only 15 tables. Each table was fitted with two to eight large chairs upholstered in flowered fabric. In the dining area, the interior walls were fashioned in white stucco complimented by rustic stone columns. Red velvet curtains adorned the windows and it had traditional Spanish tiles floors. The ceiling had dark wooden beams, giving the room a traditional feel. Guests were invited to peer in at the 350m2 dark-grey granite kitchen through large glass windows. The kitchen’s centrepiece was a natural size sculpture of a bull’s head with sharp horns. See Exhibit 5 for photos of the restaurant. Reservation requests had grown to nearly half a million per year. The restaurant only provided 8,000 coveted dining experiences during its 160-day stint per season. Customers came from all over the world, some of whom spent tens of thousands of dollars in travel and accommodation. In 2007, elBulli charged €185 per person17 for the menu. Wines and other beverages were additional, with the minimum bottle costing €45. While many talked about how elBulli could charge thousands due to the high demand, Soler and Adrià were intent on keeping the prices accessible. Adrià commented: “I could charge a thousand euros for the meal and still book every seat. But that’s not the character of elBulli. We began serving fishermen. I want a fisherman to be able to eat here, even now.”18 elBulli operated from April 1 to September 30 each year. From April to June, the restaurant was open Wednesday to Sunday and the following three months, every day. The Daily Curtain Call The daily routine began in Roses at 7:00am where either Eduard Xatruch, sous chef, or José Mari López, head of logistics, took care of daily purchases from fresh food markets in Roses or Barcelona. At 11:00 am, the creativity sessions started, which typically involved any combination of Ferran Adrià, Albert Raurich, Eduard Xatruch, Albert Adrià, Oriol Castro, Mateu Casañas and four to five assistants (referred to in the profession as stagers). The creativity sessions were wrapped up by about 14:00, when the team took a quick break for lunch. At 14:30, the 20 to 25 stagers arrived to begin preparing the menu for the day. The restaurant employed more stagers in the second half of the summer to alternate with shifts given that the restaurant was open daily. In any given season, there were up to 40 stagers. The stages were broken down into Mundo Salado (Salty World) and Mundo Dulce (Sweet World). The two areas each had their own line chefs, who organized the 16 Friedrich, Jacqueline, “A Restaurant of Culinary Surprise ― Three-Star Chef Ferran Adrià Creates a Stir in Spain At the Isolated El Bulli,” The Wall Street Journal, August 10, 1999, p. A20. 17 The cost of dining had risen from €155 euros in 2005 to €165 in 2006 to €185 in 2007. 18 Matthews, Thomas, “Ferran Adrià and the Cuisine of Tomorrow,” Wine Spectator, December 2004, p. 36. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

9 IESE Business School-University of Navarra IES214elBulli’s Magic Recipeflow of the work for the day. After work orders were given out, preparations took place from 15:00 to 18:00. During the kitchen work, the waiting staff arrived to take care of a myriad of details from cleaning to reservation details. Waiting staff were assigned to certain diners depending on language ability or special requests. At 18:00, the entire staff sat down to eat. Members of the staff reflected on lessons from the previous evening and talked about the client list for the current night. Clean-up took place in 30 minutes and at 19:00, one of the three head chefs, explained the menu for the day and instructed the service staff on how each dish should be served and explained to the clientele. Between 19:30 and 20:30, diners began to arrive. Diners usually passed through the kitchen and were introduced to Adrià or the head chef personally. If the weather was suitable, the guests were greeted on the 80m2 terrace overlooking the sea and were handed the “menu de degustación” (the tasting menu) for the evening. See Exhibit 6 for a menu. Service staff promptly started with the first act, which was composed of cocktails and snacks. At approximately 20:30, all diners moved from the terrace to one of the three dining rooms. In total, the dining rooms added up to 250m2. On some evenings, special guests such as the Spanish royalty, heads of government or celebrities were granted permission to sit in the kitchen for the whole evening. The table had been placed in the kitchen to change the working dynamics of the chefs; unlike the chaos of many kitchens where shouting was commonplace, elBulli’s kitchen was a quiet place where the staff interacted and communicated in nearly inaudible voices. Each night, there were between 28 and 35 dishes served with some 170 to 200 ingredients. The evening was broken down into four acts: the first, comprising cocktails and snacks; the second, tapas and salty dishes; the third, avant postres (a bridge between salty and sweet) and desserts; the fourth, morphings (small creations that were served after desserts), coffee and drinks. On a typical night with 50 people in attendance, 1,300 dishes were served. Guests were not able to choose what food they wanted – the menu was served to all save exceptions for allergies or vegetarians, who had to inform the restaurant when they made the reservation. However, guests could select wines from an extensive digital wine list of 1,600 selections of which 45 per cent were from Spain. There were five sommeliers who advised diners on the best combinations. During the serving of each dish, the waiters explained to the diner how to eat the food. For example, diners were instructed to wave a sprig of rosemary under their noses as they ate a leg of lamb or listen intently to the crunch of a cereal. In The Secrets of elBulli, the team talked about how people reacted when given instructions on eating: When the server explains to a client the best way to consume a dish, you can hear the diner saying under his breath, ‘Now they’re going to teach me to eat?’ And of course, he’s at liberty to eat the dish any way he likes. He’s also free to gaze at a painting upside down, or listen to a symphony with the movements out of order. But that’s not the best way to understand what the artist is trying to convey.19 19 Matthews, Thomas, “Ferran Adrià and the Cuisine of Tomorrow,” Wine Spectator, Dec., 2004, p. 36. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

10 IESE Business School-University of NavarraIES214 elBulli’s Magic Recipe The service staff were dressed from head to toe in black. Waiting staff took turns delivering food. There was always one waiter present in the dining room to deal with any of the guest’s immediate needs. Waiters moved swiftly and lightly on their feet to avoid disturbing diners with their footsteps. On average, they covered eight kilometres per night.20 One journalist described the movement as: [When I was entering the restaurant], I passed the great lit window through which elBulli’s kitchen appears as a gleaming space-age chamber. On the other side, 40 white-coated chefs moved in a silent, surreal symphony, chopping and sautéing and mumbling to themselves, a ghostly machine. Black-coated waiters poured in and out with trays of strange, brightly coloured concoctions: glowing lollipops and wobbly gelatine cubes and a plate simply dusted with coloured spices.21 Another journalist described the experience as: To enjoy elBulli, you must be willing to play, to surrender to your senses, to be childlike. A meal here is an exercise in breaking down barriers, of confronting fears and insecurities, of trusting the kitchen, and the chef.22 See Exhibit 7 for a detailed timeline of a typical day. The Food: From Liquid Chicken to The Mummy elBulli’s food had been described as “molecular gastronomy,” “deconstructionist,” and “embodiment.” For example, instead of serving a regular chicken curry, the curry sauce was served as a solid and the chicken as a liquid. In another dish, the three main ingredients of the Spanish tortilla – eggs, potatoes and onions – were cooked separately. Served in layers, the potato was prepared as foam, the onion as a puree and the egg-white sabayon topped with deep-fried potato crumbs.23 Perhaps one of the most alarming was a dish called “the mummy,” which featured the skeleton of a red mullet24 deep-fried and wrapped in cotton candy. As illustrated by the name, all dishes were assigned monikers with irony and humour. Adrià believed that by using humour, shock, memory and intellect, he would evoke the “sixth sense” in the diner to experience food in a different way. At the same time, he had an unwavering commitment to taste: “We never stop believing that the most important, the essential component, of cooking, is taste, a sense we want to explore to its limits.”25 Other famous examples of past menu items included: paella made with Rice Crispies instead of regular rice, parmesan marshmallow, asparagus with cabbage foam and warm gin fizz atop a cold juice. 70 per cent of the ingredients were sourced within Spain. The other 30 per cent were products that came from outside of the country such as 20 Soler, Juli, Ferran Adrià, Albert Adrià, Josep Maria Pinto, Un dia en elBulli, Barcelona: elBullibooks/RBA, 2007, pp. 150-151. 21 Paterniti, Michael, “Ferran Adria”, Esquire, July 1, 2001, Volume 136, Issue 1, p. 116. 22 Matthews, Thomas, “Ferran Adrià and the Cuisine of Tomorrow,” Wine Spectator, Dec., 2004, p. 36. 23 Example taken from: Carlin, John, “If the world’s greatest chef cooked for a living, he’d starve”, The Observer, Dec., 17, 2006, p. 40. 24 Mullus barbatus, a species of goatfish found in the Mediterranean Sea, east North Atlantic Ocean from Scandinavia to Senegal, and the Black Sea. 25 Matthews, Thomas, “Ferran Adrià and the Cuisine of Tomorrow,” Wine Spectator, Dec., 2004, p. 36. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

11 IESE Business School-University of Navarra IES214elBulli’s Magic Recipedehydrated seaweed from Japan and caviar from Russia. See Exhibit 8 for selected photos of some of the food served at elBulli. Nearly all of the recipes were developed at elBulliTaller during October to April each year. Albert Adrià and Oriol Castro led the development efforts in the workshop and had three or four assistants. elBulliTaller was a modern workspace divided into the kitchen area and an extensive culinary library (see Exhibit 9 for photos). The workshop was equipped with an array of traditional cooking tools as well as high-tech contraptions including candy-floss machines, siphons, blow torches, liquid nitrogen and an encapsulating machine used in the pharmaceutical industry. The team had a number of different ways of experimenting, but at the core was the documentation of each process, temperature, ingredient, time and methodology. Adrià underscored the importance of writing everything down: “The same way you can understand Picasso and how his art progressed by knowing when he painted each painting, you want to be able to follow what happens with food. You have to write it down.”26 The creations could be anything as long as it was new, staying true to the 23-point synthesis, which had been documented in 2006. Adrià had also participated with the world’s leading chefs (Heston Blumenthal of the Fat Duck, Thomas Keller of the French Laundry and Per Se, and writer Harold McGee) in developing the international agenda for cooking, which promoted excellence, openness, and integrity as the central pillars in its approach.27 Adrià talked about the process of creating new food: “Nouvelle cuisine was creative. My approach is to investigate. It’s not the same. This takes a team, equipment, money, time. We have one rule here: It has to be new. It may be good, but if we’ve done it before, it doesn’t matter.”28 For example, the team strove to create seeming opposites such as “creamless creams” or methods for delivering hot and cold at the same time. Oriol Castro stated: “Talk is easy. Doing is hard. That’s why we’re here working like crazy people. Sometimes weeks go by and nothing comes. We think we’re idiots. Then we stumble on something like the hot gelatines. And it’s all worth it.”29 Out of 5,000 experiments per season, approximately 500 made it to recipes, which were then further boiled down to 50 dishes for the next season. It was usual that during the season, the team experimented and changed the dishes from one day to the next. At the end of the season, all recipes were documented and included into the General Catalogue. The team openly shared all recipes ― none were copyrighted or protected and other chefs or individuals were free to use them. The Team The key operating philosophy of the restaurant was unwavering respect for every team member regardless of their position or tenure. Soler and Adrià placed equal importance 26 Martin, Lydia, “Chef mixes food and science to create art,” Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, The Miami Herald, Feb., 19, 2006. 27 Adrià, Ferran, Heston Blumenthal, Thomas Keller and Harold McGee, “Statement on the ‘new cookery’,” Guardian Unlimited, Dec., 10, 2006. 28 Matthews, Thomas, “Ferran Adrià and the Cuisine of Tomorrow,” Wine Spectator, Dec., 2004, p. 36. 29 Ibid. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

12 IESE Business School-University of NavarraIES214 elBulli’s Magic Recipe on the waiters as on the kitchen staff since all members were seen to be fundamental to the elBulli experience. The team did not think of itself in a hierarchical formation, but did recognize that different members carried out distinct responsibilities. Furthermore, Soler and Adrià viewed their jobs as involving the education and training of young culinary and hospitality professionals. elBulli’s philosophy was to openly share all of their “secrets of success” including recipes, processes, use of machinery, suppliers, wine lists and service procedures. The relationship between Juli Soler and Ferran Adrià was often referred to as a marriage; each partner owned 50 per cent of elBulli restaurant and all related businesses. The two were equally in charge of all business decisions. During the season, Soler and Adrià met frequently throughout the day to talk about the hundreds of incoming business propositions30 and any relevant details of the serving day. In the off-season, Soler ran the business from the Barcelona office (elBulliCarmen). Adrià divided his time between business management, press appearances, elBullitaller, training and international dining. Lluís Garcia, one of the dining room managers who had worked at elBulli since 1990 described the role of both men: “Ferran is brilliant, tireless and at most, human. Juli gives life to elBulli and is one of the people I most admire because he knows how to create a team that is like a family. No one has the same capacity to take the helm.”31 Albert Adrià was seen as a unique and vital part of elBulli’s leadership. He was dedicated to elBullitaller, travelling to give training sessions, and patronizing leading restaurants. The relationship between the Adrià brothers was described as being a “perfect symbiosis.” Ferran commented on his brother: “[Albert] is, for me, one of the best five creative chefs in the world, and the very best food analyst there is. He stays cool, he keeps me in check. He is vital for me.”32 In addition to Soler and the Adrià brothers, five others – the three head chefs and the two dining room managers – made up the core of elBulli’s operational team. They were often described as the “central core” that held the project together. Most had over 15 years of experience working together at the restaurant. Not only had they logged many years working together, but from April to September, the core team lived together in a shared house outside of Roses. The head chefs were Albert Raurich, Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch and the dining room managers were Lluís García and Lluís Biosca. During the off-season, the three chefs worked at the workshop, developing new creations for the following season, while the dining room managers were involved in other elBulli projects. Leading elBullicatering were Marc Cuspinera, who had started as chef de partie at the restaurant in the early 1990s and Marc Puig-Pey i Boher. Eduard Bosch, former head chef of elBulli, led elBullihotel initiatives. Silvia Fernandez ran the administration at elBullitaller, Daniel Bardají Pinós, elBulliCarmen and Damián García Puig, 30 Daily, the team received several requests for business opportunities from opening up a restaurant in New York to participating in co-branding activities. 31Jolonch, Cristina, “La cocina con vocación de arte. Ferran Adrià” June 3, 2007, http://www.magazinedigital.com/ reportaje.php? cat_id=41, accessed August 17, 2007. 32 Carlin, John, “If the world’s greatest chef cooked for a living, he’d starve”, The Observer, Dec., 17, 2006, p. 47. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

13 IESE Business School-University of Navarra IES214elBulli’s Magic RecipeelBullimedia. See Exhibit 10 for a description of each team member’s background and Exhibit 11 for a chart of the elBulli world. Stagers and Chefs de Partie at elBulli The competition to enter elBulli’s kitchen as a stager was fierce. elBulli’s head chefs received 4,000 CVs for up to a maximum of 40 positions. CVs were submitted directly through the website, by email or via fax. The head chefs reviewed the CVs and based on past experience, candidates were selected and the references were called as a way to check the candidate’s personal energy level. After whittling down potentials, calls were made directly to the candidate whereby the head chef explained the conditions of working. Depending on the call, candidates were invited to Spain for an interview. For those outside of the country, candidates had to pay for all related travel expenses. In 2007, the 40 stagers represented 15 nationalities. Most were recent graduates from cooking schools with ages ranging from 18 to 30. Approximately half had worked the previous season at the restaurant. Each stager worked 12 hours, six days a week. They earned only board and lodging and lived together in a nearby apartment. While some did not speak Spanish or Catalan well, both languages were the official languages of the kitchen. The working conditions in the kitchen were often described as serious, arduous and quiet. At the end of each season, Ferran Adrià personally thanked each stager and told them they were now part of the “family.” Soler commented on stagers: “Many of the stagers that come to elBulli are quite young and usually without a lot of experience. While they work hard, we always make sure that they are treated with the utmost respect.” See Exhibit 12 for an organization chart of the restaurant. If stagers were contracted season after season, there was a possibility of being promoted to one of the seven chefs de partie. Chefs de partie were free to live in their own accommodation. Working hours were typically over 12 hours per day. Chefs de partie earned approximately 1,500 euros per month.33 Nearly all of elBulli’s top staff had at one time been a chef de partie at the restaurant. Also, several individuals (both stagers and chef de partie) had gone on to open or take over esteemed restaurants both in Spain such as Xavier Sagrista with Más Pau in Girona, Sergi Arola with Enoteca at Hotel Arts in Barcelona and abroad such as José Andres with Jaleo and other restaurants in Washington, DC. One chef who rose to prominence in Chicago, and had completed a stage at elBulli, admired Ferran Adrià stating: “At a time when he was doing food that no one else was doing, and a lot of his staff were stagers, that is to say apprentices who would leave, he gave them everything ―all the recipes, all the techniques. [Ferran] said, ‘The more people I share with, the more people will do this.’”34 Dining Room Staff There were nine waiters, two assistant dining room managers and two dining room managers. Training for new waiters lasted three weeks and covered details on service including the meticulous explanation of elBulli’s menu. Waiters were selected on their 33 Murphy, Anne, “Inside the mad professor’s lab,” The Syndey Morning Herald, Nov., 4, 2003, http://www.smh.com.au/ articles/2003/11/04/1067708209562.html, accessed August 14, 2007. 34 Ross Ryan, Nancy, “Interview with Grant Achatz: Fresh from the Laundry,” http://www.twofresh-twofold.com/writing/ localpalate/ trio.htm, accessed August 17, 2007. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

14 IESE Business School-University of NavarraIES214 elBulli’s Magic Recipe experience, attitude, respect for others and language ability. Each year, the majority of the waiters returned from the previous season. Soler talked about the importance of the dining room staff: “The waiters must fit in with the rhythm of the customer. They also need to show a high level of respect to one another and all of the kitchen staff and be adaptable as the menu is constantly changing.” Food for Thought into the Future Food enthusiasts and restaurateurs believed that culinary art was indebted to Ferran Adrià and the elBulli team for promoting technique-concept processes, molecular gastronomy, the popularity of the tasting menus, the ‘sixth’ sense and an unwavering focus on creativity. Joan Roca, the chef of the nearby Can Roca, who worked at elBulli said: “Ferran is a world leader. He’s influencing everyone. I think his most important influence is conceptual. He’s letting people know they don’t have to stay bound to the past, forcing them to rethink and reinvent.”35 The president of the Restaurant Guild of Barcelona credited the tripling of enrolment in 2006 in part to Adrià: “Ten years ago chefs were ignored, if not looked down upon. Now it’s a prestigious profession.”36 Many wondered what Ferran Adrià and the entire elBulli team would do next. Some believed that the restaurant was unnecessary considering that Adrià and several of elBulli’s chefs had cemented their worldwide reputation. Others believed that elBulli would continue well into the future given the team’s dedication to innovation. As the limelight on Ferran Adrià seemed to never fade, he commented on being the world’s greatest chef: “It is a great responsibility. I cannot bear to be out of the restaurant in the evening, because I understand what it is to honour our diners. They are intelligent, sensitive people who will have prepared for this event. We have to deliver. We can’t screw it up.”37 35 Matthews, Thomas, “Ferran Adrià and the Cuisine of Tomorrow,” Wine Spectator, Dec., 2004, p. 36. 36 Fuchs, Dale, “Fried cod and paella lose out to the parmesan marshmallow as la nueva cocina grips Spain”, The Guardian, August 21, 2006, p. 13. 37 Jeffries, Stuart, “Art of cooking”, The Guardian, May 6, 2006, p. 31. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

15 IESE Business School-University of Navarra IES214elBulli’s Magic RecipeAppendix 1 Ferran Adrià Quotes “The difference between a great chef and a magical chef is that a magical chef knows not just what he’s eating, but how to eat.” “Most restaurants are museums, but not elBulli.” “elBulli is crazy. It’s the drunkenness of all the new things that can be.” “Painting, music, movies, sculpture, theatre, everything ― we can survive without it. You have to eat, or else you die. Food is the only obligatory emotion.” “You must always eat with two hands.” Photo by Maribel Ruíz de Erenchun, www. elBulli.com “I prefer to spend my money on a bottle of champagne at the Ritz in Paris than on a pair of shoes. I’ll always remember the champagne. I’ll never remember the shoes.” “In the end everything already exists; we’re not inventors of anything. But this is the definition of creativity. It’s seeing what other people don’t see.” “Laughing brings out the good in food. It’s good to laugh. If you don’t laugh, you’re going to swell up. And if you swell up, you’re going to die.” “The dish is a song. If the harmony is too slow, the person who receives the dish isn’t receiving what the chef intended. There’s a rhythm that’s hard to explain, but it changes everything.” “Today you eat, tomorrow we’ll think.” “Anarchy is fine but only after logic.” Source: All quotes taken from: Paterniti, Michael, “Ferran Adria”, Esquire, July 1, 2001, Volume 136, Issue 1, p. 116. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

16 IESE Business School-University of NavarraIES214 elBulli’s Magic Recipe Exhibit 1 elBulli Financial Statements All figures in euros 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 Revenues 5,233,436 4,659,055 4,899,255 4,504,057 3,359,154 2,758,171 EBITDA 300,111 357,728 652,642 764,362 833,771 374,484 Net income before taxes 181,457 263,663 495,311 589,275 628,875 194,266 Net income 124,719 180,599 288,878 430,569 479,359 133,343 Total assets 3,924,347 3,539,981 3,705,031 3,596,702 2,540,293 2,080,243 Shareholders equity 2,435,410 2,310,690 2,130,091 1,841,213 1,410,644 931,285 Cash flow 226,642 280,682 436,899 578,591 624,171 247,152 Source: SABI, http://sabi.bvdep.com/, accessed April 4, 2008 Note: This does not include all activities related to elBulli, but only the restaurant ones. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

17 IESE Business School-University of Navarra IES214elBulli’s Magic RecipeExhibit 2 Historical Photographs Original Beach Bar, 1963 Jean-Louis Neichel Era – 1975-1980 1984: Ferran Adrià, Christian Lutaud, Crayfish Dish, 1984 Marketta Schilling and Juli Soler elBulli Postcard, 1986 Construction of New Kitchen, 1993 Source: www.elBulli.com For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

18 IESE Business School-University of NavarraIES214 elBulli’s Magic Recipe Exhibit 3 23-point Synthesis 1. Cooking is a language through which all the following properties may be expressed: harmony, creativity, happiness, beauty, poetry, complexity, magic, humour, provocation and culture. 2. The use of top quality products and technical knowledge to prepare them properly are taken for granted. 3. All products have the same gastronomic value, regardless of their price. 4. Preference is given to vegetables and seafood, with a key role also being played by dairy products, nuts and other products that make up a light form of cooking. In recent years red meat and large cuts of poultry have been very sparingly used. 5. Although the characteristics of the products may be modified (temperature, texture, shape, etc.), the aim is always to preserve the purity of their original flavour, except for processes that call for long cooking or seek the nuances of particular reactions such as the Maillard reaction. 6. Cooking techniques, both classic and modern, are a heritage that the cook has to know how to exploit to the maximum. 7. As has occurred in most fields of human evolution down the ages, new technologies are a resource for the progress of cooking. 8. The family of stocks is being extended. Together with the classic ones, lighter stocks performing an identical function are now being used (waters, broths, consommés, clarified vegetable juices, nut milk, etc.). 9. The information given off by a dish is enjoyed through the senses; it is also enjoyed and interpreted by reflection. 10. Taste is not the only sense that can be stimulated: touch can also be played with (contrasts of temperatures and textures), as well as smell, sight (colours, shapes, trompe l’oeil, etc.), whereby the five senses become one of the main points of reference in the creative cooking process. 11. The technique-concept search is the apex of the creative pyramid. 12. Creation involves teamwork. In addition, research has become consolidated as a new feature of the culinary creative process. 13. The barriers between the sweet and savoury world are being broken down. Importance is being given to a new cold cuisine, particularly in the creation of the frozen savoury world. 14. The classical structure of dishes is being broken down: a veritable revolution is underway in first courses and desserts, closely bound up with the concept of symbiosis between the sweet and savoury world; in main dishes the “product-garnish-sauce” hierarchy is being broken down. 15. A new way of serving food is being promoted. The dishes are finished in the dining room by the serving staff. In other cases the diners themselves participate in this process. 16. Regional cuisine as a style is an expression of its own geographical and cultural context as well as its culinary traditions. Its bond with nature complements and enriches this relationship with its environment. 17. Products and preparations from other countries are subjected to one’s particular style of cooking. 18. There are two main paths towards attaining harmony of products and flavours: through memory (connection with regional cooking traditions, adaptation, deconstruction, former modern recipes), or through new combinations. 19. A culinary language is being created which is becoming more and more ordered, that on some occasions establishes a relationship with the world and language of art. 20. Recipes are designed to ensure that harmony is to be found in small servings. 21. Decontextualisation, irony, spectacle, performance are completely legitimate, as long as they are not superficial but respond to, or are closely bound up with, a process of gastronomic reflection. 22. The menu de dégustación is the finest expression of avant-garde cooking. The structure is alive and subject to changes. Concepts such as snacks, tapas, pre-desserts, morphs, etc., are coming into their own. 23. Knowledge and/or collaboration with experts from different fields (gastronomic culture, history, industrial design, etc.,) is essential for progress in cooking. In particular collaboration with the food industry and the scientific world has brought about fundamental advances. Sharing this knowledge among cooking professionals has contributed to this evolution. Source: www.elBulli.com For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

19 IESE Business School-University of Navarra IES214elBulli’s Magic RecipeExhibit 4 elBulli Rankings Best Restaurants in the World as Rated by the Restaurant Guide: Top 15 1. El Bulli, Montjoi, Roses, Spain (Nr. Barcelona) — World’s Best Restaurant, Best Restaurant in Europe 2. The Fat Duck, Bray, Berkshire, U.K. (Nr. London) — Chef’s Choice (voted for by last year’s 50 Best) 3. Pierre Gagnaire, Paris, France 4. French Laundry, Yountville, California, USA — Best Restaurant in the Americas 5. Tetsuya’s, Sydney, Australia — Best Restaurant in Australasia 6. Bras, Laguiole, France 7. Mugaritz, Gipuzko, Spain (Nr. San Sebastian) 8. Restaurant Le Louis XV, Monte Carlo, Monaco 9. Per Se, New York, New York, USA 10. Restaurante Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain 11. El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain 12. Gambero Rosso, San Vincenzo, Livorno, Italy 13. L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Paris, France 14. Hof van Cleve, Kruishoutem, Belgium 15. Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark — Highest Climber Source: World Press.org, http://www.worldpress.org/2804.cfm, accessed June 20, 2007 Selected Three Star Restaurants in Europe Source: Andy Hayler’s Michelin Restaurant Guides, http://www.michelinrestaurantsguide.com/michelin-restaurants-star-guide.asp, accessed June 20, 2007 Country CityRestaurant200520062007Belgium Bruges De Karmeliet *** *** *** Bruges Hof van Cleve *** *** ***Netherlands Zwolle De Librije *** *** ***Sluis, Zeeland Oud Sluis – *** ***France*Paris Grand Vefour *** *** ***Paris LÕAmbroisie *** *** ***Paris Arpege *** *** ***Paris Ledoyen *** *** ***Paris Plaza Athenee *** *** ***Paris Guy Savoy *** *** ***Paris Pierre Gagnaire *** *** ***Paris Pre catalan ** ** ***Paris Meurice ** ** ***Paris Astrance ** ** ***Germany Bergisch Gladbach Dieter Muller *** *** ***Bergisch Gladbach Vendome *** *** ***Wittlich Waldhotel Sonnora *** *** ***Aschau Im Chiemgau (Munich) Restaurant Heinz Winkler *** *** ***Baiersbronn, Black Forest Schwartzwaldstube *** *** ***Perl Scholss Berg – *** ***Italy Florence Enotecca Piniciorri *** *** ***Canneto sullÕOglio, Milan Dal Pescatore *** *** ***Soriso, Milan Al Sorriso *** *** ***Robano, Padua (near Venice) Calandre *** *** ***Rome La Pergola ** *** ***Spain Rosa El Bulli *** *** ***San Celoni, Barcelona El Racode Can Fabes *** *** ***San Sebastian Akelare ** ** ***San Sebastian Arzak *** *** ***San Sebastian Martin Berasategui *** *** ***Sant Pol de Mar Carme Ruscalleda’s Sant Pau – *** ***Switzerland Crissier Hotel de Ville *** *** ***Brent Le Pont de Brent *** *** ***UK Bray Waterside Inn *** *** ***Bray Fat Duck *** *** ***London Gordon Ramsay *** *** *** ——- ——- ——- Total 3 star in the World505956*Note: There are several other Michelin 3 Star restaurants in France. Above, only 3 Star Paris restaurants are mentioned. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

20 IESE Business School-University of NavarraIES214 elBulli’s Magic Recipe Exhibit 5 Photos of the elBulli Kitchen Dining Room Terrace Terrace during service Source: All photos from www.elBulli.com . Photos by: Maribel Ruíz de Erenchun and Francesc Guillamet For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

21 IESE Business School-University of Navarra IES214elBulli’s Magic RecipeExhibit 6 elBulli’s Menu Source: Company documents. 26/07/0526/07/2005For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

22 IESE Business School-University of NavarraIES214 elBulli’s Magic Recipe Exhibit 7 Daily Routine at elBulli the mail and books from the Roses post office as well as purchases of meat, fish, vegetables, herbs and other supplies in Roses. 7:00am – Juli Soler arrives at his on-site small private office to review all business matters. 10:00am-11:00am – Ferran Adrià looks after business matters in his small on-site private taller at the back of the restaurant. 11:00am-14:00 – Creative team session. Starting with a morning coffee, the team moves into experiments, documenting the details and results of each experiement. The meeting could involve any combination of: Albert Raurich, Eduard Xatruch, Albert Adrià, Oriol Castro, Mateu Casañas and four to five assistant stagers. (Left): Creativity session with Albert Adrià and Mateu Casañas 13:05 – Albert Raurich or Eduard Xatruch verifies the specifications of each diner such as allergies or a vegetarian selection. 13:30 – Juli Soler and Lluís García work together responding to each email and phone call regarding reservations, new requests and cancellations. 13:45 – Creative team breaks for a 15-minute lunch break where they eat a sandwich. 14:30-14:45 – The stagers arrive for a meeting where the head chefs talk about how to improve service, errors made the previous day and any other issues. (See photos) 14:45-15:00 – The chefs de partie organize their areas. 15:00-15:15 – Meeting in each separate area (Salty World and Sweet World) to organize tasks. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

23 IESE Business School-University of Navarra IES214elBulli’s Magic RecipeExhibit 7 (continued) 15:15-18:00 – Preparation of food occurs. 15:30 – The dining room managers take incoming calls, review the menu, guest list and ensure that all of the table linen and place settings are ready. 16:00-17:00 – A three-person cleaning staff cleans the interior dining room and the patio ensuring that all cutlery and glassware is spotless and impeccable. 16:15-17:30 – The two sommeliers and their three assistant sommeliers arrive, taking stock, cleaning wine glasses by hand, analyzing which wines sold the best during the previous evening and tasting new selections. Meanwhile, a dedicated worker looks after the selection of cigars. 16:30 – Fresh seafood is delivered directly to the kitchen often directly from the sea. 16:30-17:30 – Members of the service staff do odd jobs such as checking on the restaurant’s electric generator, recycling and cleaning the exterior and parking lot. 17:30-18:00 – Line chefs and head chefs verify all prepared food to ensure quality and make adjustments as necessary. 17:30-18:00 – Three to four stagers prepare the meal for the kitchen and service staff. Meals vary from traditional roast with pureed potatoes to rosemary artichokes. 18:00-18:20 – Kitchen and service staff eat together. 18:20-18:30 – 10-minute break for all staff. 18:30-19:00 – Staff thoroughly clean the kitchen. Service staff get dressed and prepare final details. 19:00 – Parking is open. 19:00-19:15 – Meeting led by one of the head chefs to the service staff where they explain the menu and instructions on how to eat each dish. 19:30 – The restaurant door opens. 19:30-20:00 – First guests begin arriving. Juli Soler greets each guest and takes him or her to the kitchen to say hello to Ferran Adrià. Guests are served cocktails and snacks. 20:30 – Guests move from the terrace to the dining room. First act continues. 21:00 – Second act begins. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

24 IESE Business School-University of NavarraIES214 elBulli’s Magic Recipe Exhibit 7 (continued) 23:30 – Third act begins. Transition from savory to sweet. (Photo on left: Kitchen in service) 00:15 – Fourth act begins. 00:20-01:00 – Clean up in the kitchen begins. 1:00 – Lights off in the kitchen. 00:30-02:00 – Guests leave. During this time, guests can choose additional items such as coffee, liqueurs, wines and cigars. 02:00 – Restaurant closes. Source: By case writers based on: Soler, Juli, Ferran Adrià, Albert Adrià, Josep Maria Pinto, “Un día en elBulli,” Barcelona, elBullibooks/RBA, 2007. All photos by Maribel Ruíz de Erenchun. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

25 IESE Business School-University of Navarra IES214elBulli’s Magic RecipeExhibit 8 Photos of elBulli’s Dishes 2 m of Parmesan Spaghetto Pumpkin Oil Sweet Snails roasted in the pan Spherical Raviolo of Peas and Minty Pea Salad Flower Paper Alphabet Soup Source: All photos by Maribel Ruíz de Erenchun, www.elBulli.com For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

26 IESE Business School-University of NavarraIES214 elBulli’s Magic Recipe Exhibit 9 Photos of elBullitaller elBullitaller elBullitaller Library Source: www.elBulli.com . Photos by Francesc Guillamet. Exhibit 10 elBulli Management Profiles Ferran Adrià (1962): Co-Owner & Head Chef of elBullirestaurant – Born in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. In 1980, he left school for no particular reason, and worked as a dishwasher in Castelldefels, where he learned the basics of classic cooking. He later worked in Ibiza and a high-end restaurant in Barcelona before doing his military service. In the military, he was a cook. In 1983, he entered elBulli for the summer, where he met Juli Soler. He returned the summer after and stayed on full-time. Along with Juli Soler, he became co-owner in 1990. Juli Soler (1949): Co-Owner & General Manager– Born in Terrassa. Worked as an apprentice to his father, a maître d’hôtel in a small spa, during his childhood. At age 13, he entered the Gran Casino in Terrassa as a waiter in 1962 and then an up-scale restaurant in Barcelona at age 14. After working in various restaurants, he opened up a record shop, Transformer, which specialized on rock and jazz imports. In 1981, he entered elBulli as the manager. In 1990, he became co-owner. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

27 IESE Business School-University of Navarra IES214elBulli’s Magic RecipeExhibit 10 (continued) Albert Adrià (1969): Co-head of elBullitaller – Born in L’Hospitalet. In 1985, he joined elBulli’s staff. After a two-year apprentice period working in different kitchen sections, his interest focused more and more on pastry-making. He also spent several winters completing his studies in patisseries of prestige, such as Turull in Terrassa, Escribà in Barcelona and Totel in Elda, as well as taking courses in France. In 1997, he wrote his first book, Los postres de El Bulli (The Desserts of El Bulli). In 1998, along with Oriol Castro and brother Ferran dedicated the majority of the winter to developing new recipes. Oriol Castro (1974): Co-head of elBullitaller – From 1990 to 1995, studied in several cooking schools, winning first prize in the Spanish Pastrymaking Championship in 1995. He entered elBulli in 1996 as a stager in the pastry section and became a chef de partie in 1997. In 1998, he became part of the creativity team. He has been a visiting chef and a trainer in several high-end restaurants around the world. Lluís Biosca (1968): Co-manager of the dining room (elBullirestaurant)- Born in Terrassa. From 1982 to 1986, he managed a family tapas bar and joined the staff of elBulli in 1986. Lluís García (1966): Co-manager of the dining room (elBullirestaurant)– Born in Barcelona. Studied and gained work experience at several restaurants and began collaborating with elBulli in 1990. In 1992, he joined elBulli. Eduard Bosch (1970): Head of elBullihotel – Born in Girona. From 1984 to 1989, he earned a diploma in hotel management. He entered elBulli in 1988 for the summer. In 1991, he became chef de partie at elBulli after completing his military service. In 2000, he was put in charge of the collaboration with NH Hotels and the Hacienda Benazuza in Seville. Marc Cuspinera (1969): Executive at elBullicatering – Born in Barcelona. In the summer of 1983, he started working in restaurants and later earned a diploma in hotel management. He worked at a number of prestigious restaurants in Catalonia entering elBulli in 1990 and collaborating on the first book (El Bulli. El Sabor del Mediterráneo). In 1993, he became one of the sous-chefs at elBulli and in 1997, he was transferred to elBullitaller. In 2001, he became in charge of a number of aspects at elBullicatering. Marc Puig-Pey i Boher (1972): Executive at elBullicatering – Born in Barcelona. During hospitality school, he entered elBulli during the summer in 1989. After his military service, he gained experience at other restaurants and schools before beginning to collaborate with elBulli on offering courses in 1993. In 1995, he was made a pastry chef at elBullicatering and elBullitaller. Albert Raurich (1970): Head chef at elBulli – Born in Barcelona. In 1985, he began studying hospitality. By 1988, he had become a chef de partie at a well-known restaurant in Barcelona. After military service, he trained at a number of other major restaurants, becoming chef of El Café de la Academia in Barcelona in 1993. In 1998, he entered elBulli as chef de partie. For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

28 IESE Business School-University of NavarraIES214 elBulli’s Magic Recipe Exhibit 10 (continued) Sílvia Fernández (1971): Administration manager at elBullitaller – Born in Roses, Girona. From 1983 to 1988, studied vocational training in Roses. In 1998, she joined elBullicatering and elBullitaller. Daniel Bardají Pinós (1975): elBullicarmen – Born in Barcelona. Studied electronics. From 1993 to 1995, he worked at a local company in administration, before completing his military service. He worked at a graphics company and led the production department of PC Gràfic, where he published a book on Arzak and Adrià. In 2000, entered elBullicarmen. Damián García Puig (1956): General manager of elBullimedia – Born in Barcelona. Studied journalism and communications and market trading and technical analysis at HSBC. From 1982 to 2002, he worked at the publishing house Grupo Zeta reaching chief publishing executive at the end of the career. He met Juli Soler and Ferran Adrià in 1997, he began a collaboration with them for the magazine Woman. He also was a manager and shareholder of Studio 54 in Barcelona before joining elBullimedia in 2004. Source: Adapted by case writers based on profiles at www.elBulli.com elBulli Historical Management 1961: Minigolf. Hans and Marketta Schilling (owners until 1990) 1964: Otto Müller (Manager) 1967: Helga Lübe (Maîtresse d’Hôtel), Fritz Kreis (Chef de Cuisine) 1968: Manfred Hüschelrath (Manager and Maître d’Hôtel), Gabi Amann (Chef) 1970: Urs Müller (Manager and Maître d’Hôtel), Oki Bouillard (Chef de Cuisine) 1975: Urs Müller (Manager and Maître d’Hôtel), Jean-Louis Neichel (Chef de Cuisine) 1976: Jean-Louis Neichel (Manager and Maître d’Hôtel) March 1981: Juli Soler (Manager and Maître d’Hôtel), Yves Kramer (Chef de Cuisine) October 1981: Juli Soler (Manager and Maître d’Hôtel), Jean-Paul Vinay (Chef de Cuisine) October 1984: Juli Soler (Manager and Maître d’Hôtel), Ferran Adrià and Christian Lutaud (Chefs de Cuisine) March 1987: Juli Soler (Manager and Maître d’Hôtel), Ferran Adrià (Chef de Cuisine) 1990: Juli Soler / Ferran Adrià (present owners), Toni Gerez (Maître d’Hôtel), Xavier Sagristà (Chef de Cuisine) 1994: Lluís Garcia and Lluís Biosca (Maîtres d’Hôtel), Marc Cuspinera (Chef de Cuisine) 1996: Lluís Garcia and Lluís Biosca (Maîtres d’Hôtel), Eduard Bosch (Chef de Cuisine) 2001-present: Lluís Garcia and Lluís Biosca (Maîtres d’Hôtel), Albert Raurich and Oriol Castro (Chefs de Cuisine), Eduard Xatruch became a Chef de Cuisine in 2006. Source: www.elBulli.com For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

IES214 elBulli’s Magic Recipe 29 IESE Business School-University of NavarraExhibit 11 elBulli World Source: By case writers. Based on information on www.elbulli.com elBullicarmen Carme, 17, Barcelona Management Juli Soler, Ferran Adrià Coordination New Projects Marc Cuspinera Coordination Hotels Eduard Bosch Coordination Catering Marc Puig-Pey Coordination Daniel Bardají elBulli Media Damián García Puig Objectives and Philosophy That elBulli’s food reaches the widest audience To support the economic viability of elBulli Businesses and activities of elBullcarmen elBullihotel Hacienda Benazuza, Sanlúcar la Mayor (Sevilla) Management Guillermo Portella, Juli Soler Luis Cuesta, Eduard Bosch Edoardo Paissan Creative Team Toni Segarra, Ferran Adrià Coordination Ana Moreno, Esther Pérez Objectives and Philosophy Transfer the philosophy of elBulli to the hotel not solely on a gastronomical level The principal characteristic is sensitivityelBullitaller Portaferrissa, 7-9, Barcelona Director Juli Soler Coordinator Sílvia Fernández Creativity Ferran Adrià, Oriol Castro Albert Adrià Objectives and Philosophy To create the menus for elBulli restaurant Collaborate with businesses on technology and education Prepare and produce cook books Coordination and creation of gastronomy in articles Preparation of conferences, courses and demonstrationselBullirestaurant Cala Montjoi. Roses (Girona) Manager/Owner Juli Soler Head Chef/Owner Ferran Adrià Dining Room Managers Lluís Garcia, Lluís Biosca, Pol Perelló, Jesús González, David López Sommeliers Ferran Centelles, David Seijas Head Chefs Eduard Xatruc, Oriol Castro, Albert Adrià, Mateu Casañas Logistics José Mª López, Pilar García 30-40 in the kitchen 18-20 in the dining room Objectives and Philosophy Since 1990, elBullirestaurant focuses on fostering creativity. Innovationandcreativityaretheraisond’êtreofelBulli.elBullicatering Bonavista 3-5, Barcelona General Director Eduard Roig Management and Administration Ernest Laporte Coordination Gastronomy Marc Puig-Pey Coordination Service Ignasi Rosell Head Chefs Toni Morago CoordinationCristina MairalSome Collaborations and Projects I-Collaboration with Lavazza since 2002 II-Collaboration with NH Hoteles since 2001 III-Collaboration with Kaiku Gran Cocina since 2001 IV-Collaboration with Caprabo since 2001 V-Collaboration with Borges since 1999 VI-Collaboration with CIM since 2001 VII-Collaboration with I.C.C. since 1998 VII-Collaboration with Grupo Zeta since 1998 IX- Collaboration with Chocovic since 1997 X-Collaboraition with Cal Celdoni (“Compre una viña” Project) since 2005 XI-Collaboration with ALICIA Foundation since 2004 XII-Editorial for books and publications For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

IES214 elBulli’s Magic Recipe 30 IESE Business School-University of NavarraExhibit 12 elBulli – Organization Chart of the Restaurant Source www.elbulli.com For the exclusive use of X. Wang, 2023.This document is authorized for use only by Xiaoya Wang in Marketing Strategy– 3 Cases taught by ERICH TONCRE, Rutgers University from Jul 2023 to Aug 2023.

Collepals.com Plagiarism Free Papers

Are you looking for custom essay writing service or even dissertation writing services? Just request for our write my paper service, and we'll match you with the best essay writer in your subject! With an exceptional team of professional academic experts in a wide range of subjects, we can guarantee you an unrivaled quality of custom-written papers.

Get ZERO PLAGIARISM, HUMAN WRITTEN ESSAYS

Why Hire Collepals.com writers to do your paper?

Quality- We are experienced and have access to ample research materials.

We write plagiarism Free Content

Confidential- We never share or sell your personal information to third parties.

Support-Chat with us today! We are always waiting to answer all your questions.