In search of Coffee excellence: Thinking globally acting locally. By Salman Khan.
- Salman Khan
- Dec 27, 2025
- 23 min read
In search of Coffee excellence: Thinking globally acting locally.
Abstract
This research paper interrogates a persistent paradox within the global food and beverage industry: why certain enterprises trading in fundamentally ordinary commodities—such as coffee, sugar-based beverages, doughnuts, and burgers—successfully transcend geographical, cultural, and economic boundaries to become globally dominant brands, while others with comparable or even superior product quality remain confined to local or regional markets. The study is motivated by a long-standing intellectual curiosity informed by classical management theory, particularly the insights advanced by Peters and Waterman in In Search of Excellence, which emphasize organizational culture, disciplined execution, people-centric leadership, and customer obsession as drivers of sustained corporate success.
Using a comparative analytical framework, the paper examines four emblematic global brands—Starbucks, McDonald’s, Krispy Kreme, and Coca-Cola—each of which operates within the domain of everyday consumables and adds value to raw inputs in ways that are not inherently unique from thousands of similar enterprises worldwide. Despite this apparent ordinariness, these firms achieved extraordinary scale, global reach, and enduring brand equity. The study explores how institutionalized values, standardized yet adaptive operating systems, franchising and supply-chain architectures, and narrative-driven brand positioning collectively enabled this “quantum leap” from local enterprise to global icon.
To enhance clarity and engagement for both academic and industry audiences, the research is structured into six thematic sections, disseminated as a curated series of analytical essays. The opening section establishes the conceptual and theoretical foundations of the study, followed by four focused case analyses of the selected global brands. The concluding section synthesizes cross-cutting insights and presents a formal White Paper evaluating the globalization prospects of South African coffee brands within this framework. By bridging theory and practice, this research contributes to ongoing debates on global brand formation, offering strategic insights for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to scale artisanal or emerging-market food and beverage enterprises in an increasingly competitive global economy.
Index / Table of Contents
Series Title: From Ordinary Commodities to Global Icons: Lessons from Global Food and Beverage Giants
Part I: Foundational Background and Conceptual Framework
1. Background and Motivation of Study: From Commodities to Colossi: A Comparative Study of Four Global Coffee and Fast-Food Giants
1.1 Introduction: From Ordinary Commodities to Global Icons1.2 Research Methodology and Analytical Framework
1.3 Research Design and Approach
1.4 Case Selection Criteria
1.5 Data Sources
1.6 Analytics Framework
1.7 Limitation of Studies
2. The Global Brand Paradox in Food and Beverage Markets: Company Origins and Foundational Ethos
2.1 Products, Standardization, and Localization
2.2 Human Resource Philosophy as Strategic Advantage
2.3 Growth Models and Global Expansion
2.4 Lessons for Emerging Market Enterprises
2.5 Comparative Trajectory: From Humble Origins to Global Dominance
Table 1: Comparative Analysis of Four Global Coffee & Fast-Food Giants
Table 2. Snapshot
2.6 Synergies in Business Models
2.7 Analytical Interpretation: The Pattern Behind the Power
2.8 Implications for Emerging Market Enterprises
2.9 Nostalgic memory line of four American world’s dominating companies (pictorial)
2.10 Conclusion and Closing Part I: Foundational Background and Conceptual
Framework
2.11 LESSON FOR SOUTH AFRICA COMPANIES FOR GLOBALISATION PLAYBOOK.
Part II: Case Study One — Starbucks
Starbucks: Institutionalizing the ‘Third Place’
3.1 From a Single Seattle Coffee Shop to a Global Network
3.2 The Barista, the Store, and the Experience Economy
3.3 Supply Chain Ethics, Scale, and Brand Storytelling
3.4 Global Adaptation, Cultural Sensitivity, and Market Penetration
Part III: Case Study Two — McDonald’s
McDonald’s: Precision, Process, and the Science of Scale
4.1 Humble Origins and the Franchising Revolution
4.2 Operational Excellence and System Thinking
4.3 Consistency, Speed, and Customer Trust
4.4 Localization Within a Global Standard
Part IV: Case Study Three — Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme: Theatre, Indulgence, and Emotional Branding
5.1 From a Local Recipe to a Cult Brand
5.2 Scarcity, Freshness, and the Power of Sensory Experience
5.3 Controlled Expansion and Brand Vulnerability
5.4 Lessons from Growth Cycles and Market Corrections
Part V: Case Study Four — Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola: Selling Sugar Water and a Global Narrative
6.1 Brand Before Product: The Making of a Cultural Icon
6.2 Distribution Mastery and Bottling Ecosystems
6.3 Marketing, Myth-Making, and Emotional Universality
6.4 Longevity, Reinvention, and Global Relevance
Part VI: Synthesis, Conclusions, and Way Forward
Comparative Analysis and Cross-Case Insights
7.1 Common Patterns Across Global Giants
7.2 Divergent Paths to Scale and Sustainability
7.3 What Matters Most: Culture, Systems, or Strategy?
Conclusions and Strategic Implications
8.1 Reframing the Globalization Debate in Food and Beverage
8.2 Why Taste Alone Is Not Enough
8.3 From Local Excellence to Global Discipline
White Paper: The Globalization Prospects of South African Coffee Brands
9.1 The South African Coffee Landscape: Opportunities and Constraints
9.2 Structural Gaps in Scaling, Branding, and Distribution
9.3 Strategic Pathways to Global Competitiveness
9.4 Policy, Industry, and Institutional Recommendations
1. Background: From Commodities to Colossi: A Comparative Study of Four Global Coffee and Fast-Food Giants
It has always fascinated me how certain brands selling the most ordinary food and beverage commodities—coffee, sugar water, doughnuts, and burgers—transcend geographical, cultural, and economic boundaries to become global giants, while others, often with superior taste profiles, service quality, and craftsmanship, remain stubbornly local. This paradox has long occupied my intellectual curiosity.
My intrigue dates back to my years as a business graduate student, when I first encountered Tom Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr.’s seminal work In Search of Excellence. The book offered enduring insights into how organizations evolve from modest enterprises into Fortune 500 companies by institutionalizing values, systems, and cultures that prioritize execution, people, and customer obsession. These lessons have since served as a conceptual lens through which I analyze business success and failure.
Driven by my passion for the coffee industry and the barista profession, I embarked on a comparative study of four globally dominant fast-food and beverage brands—Starbucks, McDonald’s, Krispy Kreme, and Coca-Cola. Each operates within the realm of everyday consumables, adding value to raw inputs in ways not fundamentally different from countless other food and beverage enterprises across the world. Yet, these companies achieved a quantum leap in scale, reach, and brand equity that elevated them into household names across continents.
To enhance clarity and accessibility for the target audience, I have broken down this comparative study into six manageable sections to be released as a series of blog posts on my website. The first post introduces the study and its rationale, followed by four detailed analyses focusing on each major global player. The final installment presents conclusions along with a formal "White Paper" discussing South African Coffee Brands' prospects in globalization. I invite all coffee enthusiasts to relax with your favorite brew as you explore this research paper. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Prosperous New Year!
1.1 Introduction: From Ordinary Commodities to Global Icons
In every city of the world—whether in New York, Nairobi, São Paulo, or Johannesburg—one encounters the same familiar symbols: a green siren, a golden arch, a red-and-white script, a glowing doughnut sign. These brands sell products that are, at their core, remarkably ordinary. Coffee is water infused with roasted beans. Burgers are assembled from bread and meat. Doughnuts are flour, sugar, and oil. Soft drinks are flavored sugar water. And yet, despite the simplicity of their offerings, companies such as Starbucks, McDonald’s, Krispy Kreme, and Coca-Cola have achieved an extraordinary feat: they have transcended geography, culture, and class to become global institutions.
This research series is born out of a persistent and unsettling question: why do some firms selling everyday food and beverage commodities scale into global giants, while countless others—often with superior taste, craftsmanship, service quality, and cultural authenticity—remain local, fragile, or invisible beyond their immediate markets? This paradox is particularly salient in the coffee sector, where artisanal excellence and deep heritage frequently coexist with limited scalability and constrained global reach.
The intellectual foundations of this inquiry are rooted in classical management thought, most notably the work of Peters and Waterman in In Search of Excellence, which challenged the notion that success is primarily a function of superior products or technological advantage. Instead, they argued that enduring excellence emerges from institutionalized values, disciplined execution, people-centered cultures, and an obsessive focus on the customer. Decades later, these principles remain strikingly relevant, particularly when examining firms that have mastered the art of turning the mundane into the meaningful.
This study adopts a comparative analytical approach, examining four globally dominant food and beverage brands—Starbucks, McDonald’s, Krispy Kreme, and Coca-Cola—not as isolated success stories, but as organizational systems. The analysis moves beyond branding aesthetics and marketing narratives to interrogate the deeper architectures of scale: operating models, franchising logic, supply-chain orchestration, cultural codification, leadership philosophy, and the deliberate construction of global consumer rituals. Collectively, these elements reveal how ordinary commodities are transformed into standardized yet emotionally resonant experiences that travel seamlessly across borders.
To enhance clarity, accessibility, and depth, this research is structured as a six-part series. The first installment establishes the foundational theoretical and historical context that frames the inquiry. The four subsequent chapters offer in-depth analyses of each selected global brand, unpacking their evolution from humble origins into multinational powerhouses. The final chapter synthesizes key insights and presents a forward-looking White Paper that critically examines the implications of these findings for South African coffee brands seeking global relevance.
Ultimately, this series is not merely a retrospective celebration of corporate success. It is an invitation—to scholars, industry professionals, policymakers, and coffee practitioners—to rethink how value is created, institutionalized, and scaled in emerging markets. More importantly, it asks whether South African coffee enterprises can translate local excellence into global presence, not by imitating multinational giants, but by strategically learning from the principles that enabled their ascent. The journey begins with foundations—but its destination lies firmly in the future.
1.2 Research Methodology and Analytical Framework
Research Design and Approach
This study adopts a qualitative, comparative case-study methodology to examine how selected food and beverage enterprises evolved from modest origins into globally dominant brands. The research is exploratory and interpretive in nature, seeking to identify recurring patterns, organizational principles, and strategic choices that underpin successful global scaling within the context of ordinary consumer commodities.
The study is grounded in management theory, branding literature, and globalization studies, with particular emphasis on organizational culture, operational systems, and customer-centric value creation. Rather than testing a single hypothesis, the research aims to generate analytical insights that are transferable across emerging-market contexts, particularly within the South African coffee industry.
1.3 Case Selection Criteria
Four companies—Starbucks, McDonald’s, Krispy Kreme, and Coca-Cola—were selected based on the following criteria:
Operation within everyday food and beverage commodities
Demonstrated global reach and brand ubiquity
Clear evolution from humble or local beginnings
Availability of documented historical, operational, and strategic data
Relevance to the coffee and café ecosystem, either directly or indirectly
These firms represent distinct pathways to global success, enabling meaningful cross-case comparison.
1.4 Data Sources
The analysis draws on secondary data sources, including:
Academic journals and books in strategy, marketing, and organizational studies
Corporate annual reports, investor presentations, and official company publications
Industry reports from global consulting and research firms
Reputable business media and historical brand archives
Practitioner insights from the coffee and food service industries
This triangulation of sources enhances analytical depth and credibility.
1.5 Analytical Framework
Each case study is examined using a standardized analytical framework, allowing for consistency and comparability across cases. The framework consists of the following dimensions:
Foundational Origins and Entrepreneurial Context
– Initial value proposition
– Early leadership philosophy and culture
Product and Experience Design
– Core offering versus perceived value
– Customer experience and emotional engagement
Organizational Culture and People Systems
– Values institutionalization
– Talent development and frontline empowerment
Operational and Supply Chain Architecture
– Standardization, scalability, and efficiency
– Distribution and franchising models
Brand Narrative and Market Positioning
– Storytelling, symbolism, and ritual creation
– Global consistency versus local adaptation
Growth Strategy and Global Expansion Logic
– Market entry strategies
– Risk management and governance structures
1.6 Limitations of the Study
While the study offers rich comparative insights, it is subject to certain limitations:
Reliance on secondary data may limit access to proprietary operational details
Findings are analytical and interpretive, rather than statistically generalizable
Case selection favors successful firms, potentially underrepresenting failure dynamics
These limitations are acknowledged and partially mitigated through cross-case synthesis and critical reflection.
2. The Global Brand Paradox in Food and Beverage Markets Company Origins and Foundational Ethos
Despite differences in product offerings and timelines, the four brands share a strikingly similar origin story: humble beginnings rooted in local markets, guided by a clear and disciplined ethos. Starbucks began as a single coffee bean retailer in Seattle, McDonald’s as a family-run burger stand in California, Krispy Kreme as a small doughnut shop in North Carolina, and Coca-Cola as a medicinal syrup formulated in Atlanta.
What distinguished them early was not product complexity, but clarity of purpose. Each brand articulated a simple but powerful promise—consistency, accessibility, and emotional connection. Starbucks reframed coffee as an “experience” and the “third place” between work and home. McDonald’s institutionalized operational efficiency and uniformity at scale. Krispy Kreme leveraged indulgence and theatricality through product visibility. Coca-Cola mastered emotional branding, positioning its beverage as a symbol of happiness and shared moments.
2.1 Products, Standardization, and Localization
A central paradox underpinning their success lies in the balance between rigorous standardization and contextual adaptation. Core products remain globally recognizable, yet localized to suit cultural preferences. This “think global, act local” philosophy allowed these brands to scale without diluting brand identity.
Coca-Cola, distinct from the others, owns or partners in bottling plants across more than 200 countries, embedding itself deeply within local economies while retaining control over its proprietary concentrate. Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Krispy Kreme rely heavily on franchising models, enabling rapid expansion with reduced capital risk while enforcing strict operational and quality controls.
2.2 Human Resource Philosophy as Strategic Advantage
Another shared success driver is their investment in human capital. Contrary to the perception that fast food and beverage retail relies on low-skilled labor, these companies institutionalized training, internal promotion, and culture-building. Starbucks’ emphasis on employee ownership through stock options, McDonald’s global training universities, and Coca-Cola’s leadership development pipelines illustrate how people strategy became a competitive advantage rather than a cost center.
Their HR policies fostered consistency, loyalty, and brand ambassadorship—turning frontline employees into custodians of organizational ethos.
2.3 Growth Models and Global Expansion
From a strategic perspective, the growth trajectories of these firms demonstrate mastery of replicable business models. Their scalability rested on systems, processes, and governance frameworks that could be exported, monitored, and refined across borders. Importantly, growth was not accidental; it was intentional, measured, and aligned with long-term vision.
Critics may argue that comparing South African enterprises—still navigating the structural realities of a young democracy—with companies from developed economies that have evolved over more than a century is inherently unfair. South Africa has, after all, been fully integrated into the global economy for barely three decades. However, this argument risks becoming an excuse for complacency.
Why should emerging-market businesses wait a hundred years to globalize when institutional learning can be accelerated? As Clem Sunter once aptly remarked, “There is no gold medal for playing small.” These global giants demonstrate that ambition, discipline, and strategic clarity can compress time and leapfrog stages of growth.
2.4 Lessons for Emerging Market Enterprises
The success models of Starbucks, McDonald’s, Krispy Kreme, and Coca-Cola—though deceptively simple—contain transferable principles: obsessive focus on brand promise, disciplined execution, people-centered leadership, scalable systems, and global ambition anchored in local relevance. These are not privileges of developed economies; they are choices.
For South African food and beverage brands aspiring to international relevance, the challenge is not one of talent or taste, but of mindset and model. The journey from local excellence to global prominence begins with refusing to play small.
2.5 Comparative Trajectory: From Humble Origins to Global Dominance
Table 1: Comparative Analysis of Four Global Coffee & Fast-Food Giants
Dimension | Coca-Cola | McDonald’s | Starbucks | Krispy Kreme |
Year Founded | 1886 | 1940 (franchise model scaled 1955) | 1971 | 1937 |
Place of Origin | Atlanta, Georgia | San Bernardino, California | Seattle, Washington | Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
Humble Beginning | Medicinal syrup sold at a pharmacy soda fountain | Small family-owned burger stand | Single coffee bean retailer | One doughnut shop using a secret recipe |
Core Commodity | Caffeinated soft drink | Fast food meals (burgers, fries) | Coffee and beverages | Doughnuts and coffee |
Foundational Ethos | Happiness, refreshment, universality | Speed, consistency, affordability | Experience, community, premium coffee culture | Indulgence, freshness, theatrical production |
Early Breakthrough | Bottling system enabling mass distribution | Franchise system and operational standardization | Reframing coffee as a lifestyle experience | Hot doughnut visibility and brand nostalgia |
Growth Model | Vertical integration + bottling partnerships | Franchise-dominated global expansion | Company-owned + licensed stores | Franchise-heavy with selective company ownership |
HR Philosophy | Leadership pipelines, local employment ecosystems | Training universities, internal promotion | Employee ownership, benefits, values-driven culture | Operational training and brand storytelling |
Localization Strategy | Local bottling, culturally adapted marketing | Menu localization within strict global standards | Store design and menu adaptation | Selective international adaptation |
Geographic Reach | 200+ countries | 100+ countries | 80+ countries | 35+ countries |
Brand Power | Iconic global symbol | Most recognized fast-food brand | Global premium coffee authority | Cult-status indulgence brand |
Key Competitive Advantage | Emotional branding + distribution scale | Operational excellence at scale | Experience differentiation | Product theater + emotional nostalgia |
Outcome | World’s most valuable beverage brand | Global fast-food market leader | Dominant global coffeehouse chain | Global specialty doughnut leader |
Quick Snapshot
Company | Year of establishment | Stores/ sites | workforce | Countries operating |
Coco Cola | 1886 | 200 | 700,000° | 200+ |
MacDonald | 1940 | 38,000 | 2,000,000 | 100 |
Starbucks | 1971 | 33,000 | 182,000 | 80 |
Krispy Kreme | 1937 | 1,400/12,000* | 21,000 | 36 |
°Coco Cola employees directly and indirectly through associates and partnership site 700,000 employees worldwide.
*Krispy Kreme insomnia cookies can be purchase from12, 000 outlets internationally.
2.6 Synergies in business model:
Starbucks, McDonald's, and Coca-Cola's success in growth and business models share several commonalities: a focus on brand recognition, consistent customer experience, and a strong emphasis on partnerships. They all leverage well-defined operating systems for efficiency and scalability, enabling rapid expansion while maintaining brand integrity.
Starbucks, McDonald's, Krispy Kreme, and Coca-Cola all demonstrate several commonalities in their growth and business models, including strong brand recognition, effective franchising or distribution networks, consistent quality and customer experience, and a focus on marketing and consumer loyalty. These elements have contributed to their global success and sustained market dominance in their respective industries.
2.7 Analytical Interpretation: The Pattern Behind the Power
What this comparative analysis reveals is that global dominance does not originate from complex products, but from clarity, discipline, and scalability. All four brands began with simple, accessible commodities, yet each engineered a distinct pathway to global relevance.
Three convergent patterns stand out:
1. Simplicity at the Core, Sophistication in Execution
Each company retained a narrow product focus while investing heavily in systems, branding, and operational repeatability. Complexity was pushed behind the scenes, allowing customers to experience familiarity and trust.
2. People as Strategic Infrastructure
Despite operating in sectors often dismissed as low-margin and low-skill, these firms elevated human capital into a strategic asset. Training systems, internal promotion, and cultural alignment ensured consistency across borders.
3. Ambition Anchored in Systems
None of these brands relied on organic growth alone. Their expansion was powered by replicable business models—franchising, licensing, or bottling—that allowed rapid scale without sacrificing control.
2.8 Implications for Emerging Market Enterprises
For South African and other emerging-market food and beverage brands, the lesson is profound:global success is not reserved for developed economies; it is reserved for disciplined ambition.
These brands demonstrate that time can be compressed, markets leapfrogged, and boundaries transcended—provided businesses are willing to think beyond local comfort zones. As Clem Sunter rightly observed, there is no gold medal for playing small. In these studies, it would be unfair not to recognize some of South Africa's rising food and drink brands like Tashas, Chicken Licken, Nando's, and Spur as they have done remark well locally and made significant global inroad whether they ever will be in a same line as the line Starbucks or Macdonald is still to bee seen.
Recognising South African Success Stories in Food and Beverage
While global brands such as McDonald’s, Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, and Coca-Cola dominate international discourse on scale and globalization, it is equally important to recognize the significant—though often understated—successes achieved by South African food and beverage brands. Operating within structurally smaller markets, capital constraints, and complex socio-economic realities, several local enterprises have nonetheless demonstrated resilience, innovation, and strategic clarity. Brands such as Tashas, Chicken Licken, Nando’s, and Spur represent distinct pathways through which South African companies have translated local relevance into sustained commercial success, and in some cases, international presence.
Tashas exemplifies a premium, experience-led growth model rooted in consistency, culinary integrity, and strong founder vision. Rather than pursuing rapid mass-market expansion, the brand has scaled deliberately, maintaining tight control over quality, ambience, and customer experience. Its successful entry into select international markets demonstrates that South African brands can compete globally when authenticity, operational discipline, and experiential differentiation are carefully preserved. Tashas’ trajectory mirrors, on a smaller scale, the Starbucks emphasis on experience over product alone, yet remains distinctly South African in its sensibility and execution.
In contrast, Chicken Licken illustrates the power of localization, cultural intimacy, and brand voice. Built almost entirely within the South African market, the brand achieved scale by deeply understanding local consumer preferences, price sensitivities, and cultural humor. Its success challenges the assumption that global expansion is the sole indicator of excellence, highlighting instead how market dominance and brand loyalty can be achieved through hyper-local relevance and operational simplicity. Chicken Licken’s journey underscores the strategic value of cultural fluency—an element often underestimated in globalization literature.
Nando’s stands as South Africa’s most internationally recognizable food brand, successfully exporting not only a product, but a personality. Its irreverent marketing, strong brand identity, and Afro-Portuguese culinary positioning allowed it to transcend national boundaries while retaining a distinct sense of origin. Nando’s demonstrates that global scalability does not require cultural neutrality; rather, it can be achieved through confident cultural expression paired with disciplined operational systems. In this regard, Nando’s offers a compelling counter-narrative to the standardized global expansion models of American multinationals.
Finally, Spur represents a franchising-led growth model anchored in family-oriented dining and operational consistency. Through decades of disciplined franchising, menu standardization, and brand familiarity, Spur has established a strong domestic footprint and selective international presence. Its success reinforces the importance of systems, franchise governance, and brand trust—principles that closely align with those observed in McDonald’s global model, albeit adapted to a South African context.
Collectively, these South African brands may not rival multinational giants in scale or global ubiquity, but they offer valuable insights into how local enterprises navigate structural constraints while building enduring brands. Their journeys enrich this study by demonstrating that excellence is not solely defined by global domination, but also by sustainability, cultural relevance, and strategic coherence within one’s operating environment. Recognising these successes provides a more balanced lens through which to evaluate pathways from local excellence to broader relevance.
Table: Selected South African Food and Beverage Brand Success Stories
Brand | Year Founded | Core Offering | Primary Growth Model | Brand Positioning | Market Footprint | Key Strategic Strength |
Nando’s | 1987 | Flame-grilled peri-peri chicken | Franchising with strong brand governance | Bold, irreverent, culturally confident | South Africa; UK; Europe; Middle East; Asia; Australia | Distinctive brand personality paired with operational discipline |
Tashas | 2005 | Premium casual dining | Founder-led, selective expansion | Experience-driven, quality-focused | South Africa; Middle East; select global cities | Consistency, culinary integrity, experiential differentiation |
Chicken Licken | 1981 | Value-oriented fried chicken | Company-owned and tightly controlled growth | Hyper-local, culturally fluent | Predominantly South Africa | Deep understanding of local consumers and price sensitivity |
Spur | 1967 | Family casual dining | Franchising and menu standardization | Family-friendly, familiar, accessible | South Africa; selected international markets | Long-term franchise governance and brand trust |
Nostalgic memory line of four American world’s dominating companies.
Conclusion and Closing Part I: Foundational Background and Conceptual Framework
From Foundations to Starbucks
While theory provides the vocabulary through which we understand organizational excellence and global scaling, its true value lies in application. The conceptual frameworks outlined in this foundational chapter set the stage for examining how abstract principles are translated into lived organizational practice. To move from ideas to evidence, the next installment turns to the coffee industry itself, beginning with Starbucks—a company that transformed a simple beverage into a globally recognizable social experience. Through this case, the study explores how culture, place-making, and customer ritual become strategic instruments of scale.
2.11 LESSON FOR SOUTH AFRICA COMPANIES FOR GLOBALISATION PLAYBOOK
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
(Inspired by Starbucks, McDonald’s, Krispy Kreme & Coca-Cola)
Start With a System, Not a Store
South African brands often ask:
“How do we open the next café?” Global brands ask:“How do we open the next 1,000 — without us being present?”
Action:
Document every process
Remove founder dependency
Design for replication
Reframe HR as Strategy
Global giants treat frontline staff as:
Brand custodians
Process enforcers
Cultural carriers
Action:
Structured training academies
Clear promotion pathways
Values-based hiring
Build Capital Confidence
Most SA brands under-scale because they:
Fear dilution
Avoid partnerships
Prioritise ownership over reach
Action:
Embrace franchising & licensing
Separate control from ownership
Think in ecosystems, not outlets
Think Global, Act Local — Intentionally
Localization is designed, not accidental.
Action:
Core brand stays sacred
Menu adapts tactically
Culture is respected, not feared
Adopt the “No Playing Small” Doctrine
Global brands are not reckless — they are deliberately ambitious.
Action:
Plan for export early
Choose 1–2 international test markets
Learn fast, fail small, scale fast
Continuation to next edition:
As I have mentioned in introduction of this research to enhance clarity and accessibility for the target audience, I have broken down this comparative study into six manageable sections to be released as a series of blog posts on my website. The first post introduces the study and its rationale, followed by four detailed analyses focusing on each major global player. The final installment presents conclusions along with a formal "White Paper" discussing South African Coffee Brands' prospects in globalization. I invite all coffee enthusiasts to relax with your favorite brew as you explore this research paper. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Prosperous New Year!
About the Author: Salman Khan is a Barista judge, social entrepreneur, food and drink anthropologist, researcher and culinary educator. To access 2024 coffee consumer survey report in South Africa please send an email to buy a copy of it.
Salman Khan Paul Harris Fellow, T.I.
WhatsApp 082 691 6048
Appendix C: References and Further Reading
C.1 Foundational Management and Strategy Literature
Peters, T., & Waterman, R. H. (1982). In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies. New York: Harper & Row.
Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. New York: Free Press.
Mintzberg, H. (1994). The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning. New York: Free Press.
C.2 Branding, Marketing, and Consumer Culture
Aaker, D. A. (1996). Building Strong Brands. New York: Free Press.
Keller, K. L. (2013). Strategic Brand Management (4th ed.). Harlow: Pearson.
Holt, D. B. (2004). How Brands Become Icons: The Principles of Cultural Branding. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
C.3 Globalization and Multinational Enterprises
Bartlett, C. A., & Ghoshal, S. (1989). Managing Across Borders: The Transnational Solution. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Rugman, A. M., & Collinson, S. (2012). International Business (6th ed.). Harlow: Pearson.
Levitt, T. (1983). “The Globalization of Markets.” Harvard Business Review, 61(3), 92–102.
C.4 Industry-Specific and Practitioner Sources
Schultz, H., & Yang, D. J. (1997). Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time. New York: Hyperion.
Love, J. F. (1995). McDonald’s: Behind the Arches. New York: Bantam Books.
Pendergrast, M. (2013). For God, Country, and Coca-Cola. New York: Basic Books.
C.5 Coffee Economy and Emerging Market Perspectives
Ponte, S. (2002). “The ‘Latte Revolution’? Regulation, Markets and Consumption in the Global Coffee Chain.” World Development, 30(7), 1099–1122.
Talbot, J. M. (2004). Grounds for Agreement: The Political Economy of the Coffee Commodity Chain. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
International Coffee Organization (ICO). Selected reports and statistical publications.
References and Further Reading
Aaker, D. A. (1996). Building strong brands. Free Press.
Bartlett, C. A., & Ghoshal, S. (1989). Managing across borders: The transnational solution. Harvard Business School Press.
Holt, D. B. (2004). How brands become icons: The principles of cultural branding. Harvard Business School Press.
International Coffee Organization. (n.d.). Reports and statistics. https://www.ico.org
Keller, K. L. (2013). Strategic brand management (4th ed.). Pearson.
Levitt, T. (1983). The globalization of markets. Harvard Business Review, 61(3), 92–102.
Love, J. F. (1995). McDonald’s: Behind the arches. Bantam Books.
Mintzberg, H. (1994). The rise and fall of strategic planning. Free Press.
Pendergrast, M. (2013). For God, country, and Coca-Cola. Basic Books.
Peters, T., & Waterman, R. H. (1982). In search of excellence: Lessons from America’s best-run companies. Harper & Row.
Ponte, S. (2002). The ‘Latte Revolution’? Regulation, markets and consumption in the global coffee chain. World Development, 30(7), 1099–1122. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(02)00032-3
Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive advantage: Creating and sustaining superior performance. Free Press.
Rugman, A. M., & Collinson, S. (2012). International business (6th ed.). Pearson.
Schultz, H., & Yang, D. J. (1997). Pour your heart into it: How Starbucks built a company one cup at a time. Hyperion.
Talbot, J. M. (2004). Grounds for agreement: The political economy of the coffee commodity chain. Rowman & Littlefield.
Additional References and Further Reading:
Muhammad, W. (2024). Company growth or business growth? Creating business groups as a growth strategy for entrepreneurs. Bulletin of Management Review, 1(1), 46-55.
Starbucks Corporation Form 10-K.
Suvattanadilok, M. (2024). Market variables influence customer behavior toward coffee business growth. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1), 2329242.
U.S. Department of Agriculture – Economic Research Service – Food Service Industry Market Segments.
Zairbani, A., & Jaya Prakash, S. K. (2025). Competitive strategy and organizational performance: A systematic literature review. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 32(1), 52-111.
Ziliani, C. (2025). Loyalty strategies and the test of time: Barilla and Starbucks. In Loyalty Management (pp. 232-257). Routledge.
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