Case Study

Gastón Acurio: Bringing Peruvian cuisine to the world

18 pages
July 2016
Reference: IMD-7-1741

From 2009 to 2015 was a crucial expansion period for Gastón Acurio and the holding company Acurio Restaurantes under which he combined the creation and day-to-day operations of his Peruvian restaurant empire. The case gives an overview of Peruvian cuisine and of how Gastón, starting from a single restaurant, built a food empire. Between 1994, when he founded his first restaurant Astrid y Gastón in Lima, and 2005 Gastón Acurio quietly established himself as a star chef and a leader in the international culinary scene. He also gained experience not only running a restaurant but also establishing a local supply chain and working with producers and suppliers. In 2005, Acurio Restaurantes began expanding internationally – first in Latin America and then overseas, creating different restaurant concepts for different customer segments and dining experiences. The case describes the challenges associated with expanding to new markets each with its own culinary specificities and practices, the need for local partners, and the financial aspects of an aggressive expansion strategy. Gastón Acurio is the central figure, with his quest to replicate for Peruvian cuisine the global expansion that Italian cuisine had enjoyed a few decades earlier. His strong values and leadership style contributed significantly to the success of the past 10 years. After stepping back from running his flagship Astrid y Gastón in Lima, how could he continue to realize his vision for Peruvian cuisine and facilitate access to the world markets for Peru’s farmers and manufacturers?.

Learning Objective

The case provides superb opportunities to discuss entrepreneurial skills, launching and growing new ventures, and the concept of story-telling and audience engagement in building a portfolio of brands linked by the strong values and social objectives of its founder.

Keywords
Entrepreneurship, Culinary Food, Culture, Internationalization, Expansion, Growth Management, Leadership, Transition, Food Culture, Creativity, Hospitality, Growth Financing, Partnering
Settings
Latin America, Peru
Acurio Restaurantes, Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage, Travel and Leisure, Hotels and Restaurants
1994-2015
Type
Field Research
Copyright
© 2016
Available Languages
English
Related material
Teaching note
Case clearing houses
IMD case studies are distributed through case clearing houses. In order to browse the collection and purchase copies please visit the links below.

The Case Centre

Cranfield University

Wharley End Beds MK43 0JR, UK
Tel +44 (0)1234 750903
Email [email protected]

Harvard Business School Publishing

60 Harvard Way, Boston MA 02163, USA
Tel (800) 545-7685 Tel (617)-783-7600
Fax (617) 783-7666
Email [email protected]

Asia Pacific Case Center

NUCB Business School

1-3-1 Nishiki Naka
Nagoya Aichi, Japan 460-0003
Tel +81 52 20 38 111
Email [email protected]

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Discover our latest research
IMD's faculty and research teams publish articles, case studies, books and reports on a wide range of topics