Over the edge and plummeting!

This is a post from my old college professor Dr. James Goldth down in North Carolina. He now writes for QSR magazine and is a contributor to the Village Voice, Wine spectator and the Food Network. Apparently he sees the path of Cosi's downward spiral, which alot of us knew to begin with....................Good points for all ! Danny

I saw an earlier post about how chaotic it is in their stores. I have to agree, but that is not why I am writing. It seems that the Cosi has not managed its brand placement well. They are not a quick coffee stop like starbucks, nor a chill place for friends with food like Caribou Coffee. They try and straddle both worlds and fail.
They also have not handled their brand development and expansion well. They have not licensed their name or co partnered with complimentary food companies.For instance they could license their name to an energy drink company and their flat bread to a baked goods retailer. This way they diversify there market and revenue channels, increase brand recognition and decrease liability by passing it off to a third party contract manufacturer. I know some of their key personal have been in the job less than a year, but the basics of service could be addressed.
I don't know, but I don't think this is the next starbucks and I would not expect the stock to double by year end unless they do something drastic (like merge).