Pacific Coffee operated several stores in Central Hong Kong, the heart of the city's financial district. One of these stores ("Store X") was situated on the ground floor and near the main lobby of a Grade A commercial building and a five-minute walk away from Lan Kwai Fong, a popular area for drinking, dining, and clubbing frequented by the city's professionals. Store X's opening hours were from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Profitability was constantly challenged by increased competition as well as pressures from cost inflation, including rent, labor, and raw material price increases. Jonathan Somerville, the group COO, had been contemplating a number of different strategies to optimize profitability at the store. Two other related cases in this series include: 1. Pacific Coffee Balanced Scorecard: Operationalizing Strategies 2. Pacific Coffee: Long Run Investment Decisions

Since China Resource Enterprise Ltd. (CRE) acquired a majority stake in Pacific Coffee in 2010, the coffee chain had experienced tremendous expansion particularly in mainland China. Yet, Hong Kong remained the core of the business, and Pacific Coffee could not afford to lose its leadership position in its home base. The competitive environment became more intense and Hong Kong coffee consumers became more sophisticated. Jonathan Somerville, the CEO, realized that while he needed to stay involved, and on top of the business in Hong Kong, he no longer had the capacity to be involved on a day-to-day basis. However, he needed to motivate his Hong Kong team and give them direction when implementing strategies. He decided the Balanced Business Scorecard would be an effective tool to link and align the company's strategy to its operations. Two other related cases in this series include: 1. Pacific Coffee: Making the Numbers Count. 2. Pacific Coffee: Long Run Investment Decisions.

Pacific Coffee had experienced a major expansion of its network in Hong Kong since CRE took control in 2010. By March 2018, most but not all districts in Hong Kong had Pacific Coffee stores. Yet, with turnover in leases and new potential markets, there continued to be opportunities to expand into new store locations. In March 2018, Pacific Coffee's business development and leasing team found two locations up for rent. One was a ground-floor space at a new building on the campus of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), while the other option was a street-level store in Central district. For Pacific Coffee's management, the investment process did not entail just only financial return. Other intangible factors, such as brand building, were essential for the chain's long-term growth strategy. Two other related cases in this series include: 1. Pacific Coffee: Making the Numbers Count. 2. Pacific Coffee Balanced Scorecard: Operationalizing Strategies.

The Chevalier case demonstrates how a family-controlled and publicly listed group can make use of a listed company's idle assets and turn them into a private equity-like endeavor generating better returns for all shareholders. Founded in 1970, Chevalier Group was a Hong Kong-based conglomerate operating a wide range of businesses. It was a negative change in the fortunes of the IT products distribution business that had inspired Oscar Chow, Executive Director and son of the group's founder, to enter the food and beverage (F&B) business in 2005. The purchase and subsequent sale of Pacific Coffee in June 2010 were landmarks to revitalize Chevalier Pacific Holdings Ltd under Chevalier Group. While parts of the business showed strong growth and recorded healthy profits, others had reached their peak and were showing signs of decline. By late 2011, Oscar was devising a long-term strategy leveraging the group's core competencies. What should the plan be and how should he implement it?