“Restaurante Lisboa” began operations on May 10, 1961, in a neighborhood in the northern part of Lisbon.
It specialized in three dishes: a fish dish “Boiled Stone Bass with All the Trimmings,” a meat dish “Black Pork Loin with Migas,” and, for vegetarians, the “Alfacinha Salad.” It also offers a daily “Dish of the Day” at an affordable price, which depends on the availability of fresh seasonal ingredients.
Its strategy consists of maintaining the three signature dishes as house specialties to attract new customers and a dish of the day with “novelty and freshness” to retain customers, making them feel at home.
Despite having survived approximately 50 years, the business has been declining and the results (see Appendix 1) have not been satisfactory. The month presented, May 2009, can be considered a typical month.
Lunches are typically sought by executives and professionals working in the neighborhood where the restaurant is located, and for dinner, mainly senior couples and foreign guests—English and Spanish—staying in 4-star hotels. One of the managers said, “In our restaurant, foreigners feel very comfortable. I enjoy serving the English. You can see they leave satisfied and they consume well. They like our food.”
