Watergang's Recipe

Competitive strategy is at the forefront of American business education. 

“How can we be better than our competitors?” 

“What trade secrets can we use to our advantage?”

All for the bottom line: profits. 

So, I was very much shocked to see the opposite on a recent trip to Amsterdam. When my friend Alfred told me he booked reservations for Saturday lunch at Wolfgang, I beamed with excitement. Unfortunately, the smile quickly turned into a skeptical eyebrow raise when he disclosed the price tag of 49 euros per person. Still, I lugged along, ready to eat mediocre food portioned for a mouse at an overpriced restaurant. 

Thank god I was wrong. 

Every dish was carefully crafted, pairing unexpected ingredients together like burrata and strawberries. My favorite dish was the fish with tomato bisque and mussels. The bisque was light and frothy, melting in my mouth alongside the flaky fish. The delicate mussels easily slid off the shell. It was evident that the head chef put love and care into each detail of the dishes. 

As soon as the salad was served, we all jumped to know the chef’s secret. 

“What did they put in the salad!”

“How did he even think of surprising us with sorbet under the burrata?”

“Why don’t you ask the chef?” chimed our server.

“What…” 

“Yeah, he’ll give you the recipe too!”

“No way…” 

I think our reaction is fully warranted considering we were brought up in a society where a soft drink’s recipe–presumed to be colored water and sugar–is stored in a secure vault. Even better, only the vault is on public display in Atlanta (not the recipe); Coca Cola casually brags that guests can “now get closer to it (the vault) than ever before!”

Alfred joked back that the restaurant can afford sharing their recipe because “they’re too good and others can’t replicate their skill.”

Completely taken aback, the server responded with “No, no it’s not like that at all. We enjoy sharing our recipes with the community. Food is supposed to bring people together and we love sharing our food.” 

Damn, right. It’s easy to forget that businesses can flourish while being good citizens as well. In a world where McDonalds and Burger King prioritize assembly line optimization to lower costs over bringing communities together, Wolfgang stands apart. 

When we visited the kitchen after our lunch, the head chef explained that he changes the fixed menu every two weeks to keep “people coming back for more.” And it works! The restaurant has earned Michelin guide status and continues to thrive by democratizing access to delicious meals instead of gatekeeping their recipes. 

Wolfgang’s competitive advantage: their food.