The Case Study Profile: Landmark Dining, Inc.

Complete Case Study (PDF) - optional download
P.1 Organizational Description

P.1.a Organizational Environment

Landmark Dining, Inc., (Landmark) is a family-owned and operated steak and seafood restaurant small business in south Texas. The first restaurant, Harrisburg Station, and its associated catering business, Harrisburg Station Catering, are located in one of the oldest standing landmarks in Houston—a train station built in 1857 in the small settlement then known as Harrisburg. The second restaurant, Texas Lightkeeper, is located in a restored lighthouse built in 1853 in Galveston. Landmark restaurants offer an exceptional dining experience at a good value to the Houston and Galveston metropolitan areas.

Mr. John Moodey established the first restaurant, Harrisburg Station, in 1945 after he returned from World War II. He and his wife, who was accustomed to cooking a wide variety of large meals for her father’s ranch hands, purchased the recently vacated train station and renovated the structure to provide open space for dining areas and a large modern kitchen. The restaurant became renowned for its home-style cooking, hearty portions, and good value for the dollar.

Owen Dudley, a native of Houston, had fond memories of his family’s experiences at Harrisburg Station and, as a boy, had always dreamed of someday owning the restaurant. With restaurant ownership in mind, Owen graduated from college in 1965. He returned to Houston and obtained the position of evening manager for the restaurant. Frank Fendly, Owen’s college roommate, was hired as the bookkeeper for the restaurant that same year.


 

 By 1968, John Moodey and his wife decided to retire, and in response, Owen and Frank purchased the Harrisburg Station in Houston. Over the next ten years, the restaurant continued in the tradition of providing customers with great food, in a great atmosphere, at a great value. Owen took exceptional pride in providing families with the same fond memories of Harrisburg Station that he had as a child.

In 1990, with expansion on their minds, the friends established a company structure called Landmark Dining, Inc., to provide sustainability to the existing restaurant and any future restaurants. Later that year, the company acquired and renovated another vacant landmark building—an old lighthouse in Galveston, Texas. After the renovation, Owen’s son, Sam, opened the restaurant—Texas Lightkeeper. He also began assisting his father in general operations of the business, including strategic planning and business planning.

After Owen’s daughter, Debby, received her Masters in Business Administration in 1998, she started a new catering service, Harrisburg Station Catering. She also used her expertise to develop approaches to marketing research and customer relationship management. Debby was an Examiner in the Lone Star Quality Award (LSQA) Program and later, the Baldrige National Quality Program, to help understand the Criteria for Performance Excellence and how to implement them. Landmark applied for and received the LSQA award in 2002 and now continues its performance excellence journey through the Baldrige program.

Next

 
Home