Case Study: Food and Beverage (F&B) quality and service consistency at a Midwest private club

Description

Developed collaboratively with a graduate student who is an active CMAA Student Chapter member, this initiative involved conducting a member-centric case study focused on food and beverage (F&B) quality and service consistency at a Midwest private club in the United States, addressing pressing operational challenges faced by the club industry. The study captures dual perspectives from both management and members on key issues, including seasonal staffing fluctuations, evolving member expectations, competitive dining environments, and the ongoing tension between tradition and modernization. The case contributes original, practice-based insights to a limited but growing body of research on F&B consistency in private clubs.

To enhance educational impact and transferability, the case is accompanied by a comprehensive teaching note made available to educators. The teaching note supports structured discussion, application across diverse club contexts, and alignment with learning objectives and managerial decision-making. This integrated case-and-teaching-note format makes the project readily adaptable for academic courses and professional development programs, while its unique integration of qualitative research, member perspectives, and student–faculty collaboration reinforces the CMAA Student Chapter’s role in advancing research-driven best practices within the club industry.

Implementation

This initiative was implemented through a systematic, industry-engaged research process that translated real club challenges into a scholarly and educational resource. The study combined in-depth interviews with club managers and members at a Midwest private club with a review of member satisfaction survey data from other clubs, providing a dual-perspective understanding of food and beverage (F&B) consistency challenges.

Based on these insights, faculty collaborated with a graduate student who is an active CMAA Student Chapter member to develop a member-centric case study examining operational dilemmas and recovery strategies. The case was submitted to and published in the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Cases in 2025, ensuring both academic rigor and industry relevance.

This project encouraged graduate student engagement in industry-focused research while providing undergraduate students with a highly relevant, real-world learning tool that clarified club management career pathways. Overall, the case study strengthened efforts to promote scholarly research and share best practices within the club industry by fostering research engagement, mentorship, and applied learning, reinforcing the Student Chapter’s role as a bridge between academic scholarship and industry best practices.