Chez Panisse: Building an Open Innovation Ecosystem

Abstract

The case study provides a history of Chez Panisse and Alice Waters. Throughout Chez Panisse's history, Waters and her team had built a local and now global ecosystem using an “open innovation” strategy with stakeholders such as suppliers, alumni chef and staff, food writers, and others. The Chez Panisse ecosystem case study uses an open innovation framework to analyze how Chez Panisse grew. The case study allows students to learn how a small firm thrived and became a business success based on building a successful business ecosystem that shares knowledge, encourages individuals' growth, and embeds trust among participants.