A study of entrepreneurship in the restaurant and café industry: exploratory work using the critical incident technique as a methodology

Abstract

This paper has two core objectives. First, it introduces the Critical Incident Technique, explains the method and shows how the method can be used to study entrepreneurial behaviour in the restaurant and café industry. Secondly, the paper reports the initial results of a study of entrepreneurship in the Newcastle upon Tyne restaurant and café industry. The authors conclude that the Critical Incident Technique is a useful tool for gathering data and, when used correctly, can help produce important insights into the nature of entrepreneurship in the hospitality industry.