Start a business in Afghanistan

 By: Sayed Mohammad Naim Khalid

Starting a business in Afghanistan can play a vital role in helping to rebuild and stabilize the country's economy. The country has been struggling with poverty, unemployment and instability for decades, and entrepreneurship can provide an important source of income and employment for many Afghans. In addition, businesses can also contribute to the overall development of the country by providing goods and services, creating jobs, and generating revenue for the government. Additionally, businesses can also help to improve the overall standard of living in the country by providing access to basic necessities such as food, clothing, and healthcare. Furthermore, starting a business in Afghanistan can also help to promote economic integration and stability in the region by creating new trade and business opportunities. It's important to note that, although starting a business in Afghanistan may come with some challenges, with the right approach and support, it can also bring significant benefits to both entrepreneurs and the country as a whole.

What is needed to start a business like a restaurant in Afghanistan?

To start a restaurant business in Afghanistan, there are a number of key steps that need to be taken, including:

1. Developing a business plan: This should include details on the type of restaurant you want to open, the target market, the menu and pricing, and financial projections.
2. Securing funding: This may involve finding investors or applying for a loan from a bank.
3. Finding a location: Look for a location that is easily accessible and visible to your target market.
4. Obtaining permits and licenses: Depending on the type of restaurant you plan to open, you may need to obtain various permits and licenses from local and national government authorities.
5. Hiring and training staff: Staff is the backbone of any restaurant, so it's important to hire experienced and professional staff.
6. Designing and equipping the restaurant: You will need to design the layout of your restaurant, purchase equipment, and furniture, and set up a kitchen.
7. Marketing and promoting your restaurant: You will need to develop a marketing plan to promote your restaurant, including social media, flyers, word of mouth, etc.
8. Building relationships with suppliers: You will need to build relationships with suppliers of food and other ingredients.
9. Be aware of cultural sensitivity: Be aware of cultural sensitivity and different customs, and make sure you are offering a menu that is appropriate for the local population.

It's also worth noting that starting a business in Afghanistan can be challenging due to the ongoing security and political instability, so it's important to stay informed about the situation in the country and take necessary precautions to ensure the safety of yourself, your staff, and your customers.

 

10 food business ideas in Afghanistan

By: Sayed M Naim Khalid

Starting a food business in Afghanistan can be a viable option for entrepreneurs looking to tap into the country's rich culinary heritage. However, it is important to be aware of the unique challenges and considerations that come with operating a business in this country. Some of the key factors to consider include the local market and competition, sourcing ingredients and equipment, navigating Afghan regulations and laws, and dealing with the country's ongoing security and political instability. Additionally, it is important to be culturally sensitive and respectful when starting a business in Afghanistan, as the country has a diverse population with a wide range of customs and traditions. It may also be helpful to seek out local partners or mentors who have experience in the Afghan food industry and can provide guidance and support as you start your business.

1. Traditional Afghan restaurant
2. Street food vendor (e.g. selling kebabs, mantu, and other popular Afghan street foods)
3. Catering service for Afghan-style events and parties
4. A grocery store specializing in Afghan ingredients and products
5. Bakery offering Afghan-style bread and pastries
6. Fast food restaurant serving Afghan-style dishes
7. A food truck selling Afghan cuisine
8. Food processing and packaging business for Afghan products
9. Tea and coffee shop featuring Afghan tea varieties and coffee blends
10. Home-based business selling homemade Afghan food products (e.g. jams, pickles, sauces) 

How Subway Got to 33,000 Restaurants: 6 Lessons for Entrepreneurs

Carol Tice

Everybody knows Subway is a successful franchise chain. But did you know last year it cracked 33,000 units and should shortly hit 34,000? The fresh-sandwich chain passed McDonald's to take the top fast-food franchise crown -- the Golden Arches have just 32,000 restaurants. This may seem like a big-business story at first, but Subway and McDonald's have made their brand one locally owned franchisee at a time. The chains are essentially huge conglomerations of mom-and-pop restaurants.

The tale of how Subway overtook the longstanding leader in their sector has many lessons for small business owners everywhere. Here are some of the factors that let Subway move ahead:

1. Tell a great story. When Subway found the original Biggest Loser, then-student Jared, the company had the sense to jump on the story and keep it growing. Subway could have just had a motto along the lines of "our food is lower fat and healthier than our competitors," but it wouldn't have been nearly as compelling as ''Hey, look at me -- I ate exclusively at Subway and lost tons of weight!" 

This could have been a one-season marketing arc, but instead Subway kept it growing and fed Jared fans a steady stream of new information for many years. The corporate website still has a whole tab about Jared that goes back to his very first commercial.


Lesson: If you have a great customer story, don't be afraid to grab it, tell it, and then keep on telling it.

2. In touch with trends. Subway always had lower-fat offerings, but marketed just as a sub-shop for a while. Then came the era of "eat fresh" and the emphasis on fresh ingredients. In a world where fast food mostly meant fried everything, this appealed to many diners with a growing interest in eating healthier.

Lesson: Are you listening to customers and following trends in your sector? It could be time to change your message. Don't be afraid to do it.

3. A flexible brand. Subway's brand simply stood for 'quick-sandwich,' and as tastes changed, Subway was able to morph their brand to stand for healthier food. McDonald's, Burger King, and all the other old-time fast-food giants wish they could get customers to eat their healthy-food offerings, but often these don't find an audience, because these brands are so closely associated with fattening burgers and fries.

Lesson: If you're starting a new company, think carefully about your name. What does it stand for? Could it be easily made to stand for something else if consumer tastes shifted?

4. Creative locations. Thanks to its health-food positioning, Subway gained entree into locations some of the fried-food biggies couldn't get a contract with, such as in hospitals.

Lesson: Think about all the places your brand could be, and explore some new options.

5. Customer engagement. Subway was one of the early adopters of the restaurant layout where you watch your food being made right in front of you. Customers love it -- it not only reassures diners about what's in their food, but allows for endless customization on the fly. 

Lesson: Strive for ways to get customers more engaged in your process of creating the product they want.

6. Great franchisor-franchisee relations. Around the same time Subway got started, another sub-shop chain, Quiznos, started as well. Subway seems to have treated franchisees fairly well, and relations have been positive. On the other hand, Quiznos franchisees have been an angry, rebellious bunch of decades, repeatedly suing the companyover what was seen as unfair treatment. 

While Subway soared, struggling Quiznos shrank by 1,000 units last year. With only around 4,000 stores, it faces a steep uphill battle to compete with Subway at this point. 

Lesson: Relations with stakeholders are important. Think about how you can make vendors, marketing partners, and franchise holders feel supported.

What do you think made Subway the smash-hit it is today? Leave a comment and give us your theory.

From:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219062

How to Create a Sustainability Program for Your Restaurant

Lindsay LaVine

MAY 24, 2013

The 94th annual National Restaurant Association Show  wrapped in Chicago this week, bringing restaurant owners, chefs, and entrepreneurs together to discuss hot topics in restaurant and hospitality businesses. One of the most discussed topics was how to run a sustainable food-based business.

According to Charlie Arnot, CEO of the Gladstone, Mo.-based Center for Food Integrity, sustainability is much broader than environmental impact. It also includes the humane treatment of animals and fair treatment of employees. While there's no uniform definition of sustainability, the benefits of such a program are clear: locally-sourced ingredients help local farmers, which minimizes transportation and storage costs.

Giving customers quality food that is responsibly grown, can benefit the environment and individual health, as well as your reputation with customers. Here are three tips from the experts at National Restaurant Association Show on how to start a sustainability program for your restaurant:

1. Have an objective.
Arnot suggests having an end goal in mind when developing a sustainability program. "Think about what you want [from your] sustainability program," he said. Will you respond to a specific problem, such as the recent "pink slime" problem with beef, or are you looking to implement a long-term change, such as developing a recycling and composting program? Having an objective helps to evaluate benchmarks.

Related: Lessons From Fair Trade on How to Make Your Brand Message More Powerful

2. Ask your suppliers the important questions.
More than 90 percent of the fish sold in United States are imported from China and Thailand, says Tim Fitzgerald, senior policy specialist at the Environmental Defense Fund. With recent reports of seafood mislabeling in the news, consumers are concerned about how seafood arrives to their table. To combat this problem, companies like Gulf Wild have instituted fish tracking programs like TransparenSea that allow consumers to track their fish to find information such as the type of fish, and where the fish was harvested.

Fitzgerald says restaurants should be prepared to answer questions from their customers and should ask their suppliers questions about the origins of the products. For fish, ask what country the fish is from, if it is wild-caught or farm-raised, and if there eco-friendly alternatives.

Consider asking farmers what their labor practices are, where their farm located, what the animals are fed and if any of the animals given antibiotics or hormones. Knowing the answers to these questions, and sharing this information with your guests, builds trust and adds value, says Rick Bayless, award-winning Chicago-based chef and owner ofFrontera Grill.

3. Find a program that works for you.
With so much information out there about seafood sustainability, it's easy to get overwhelmed, Bayless said. For seafood sustainability, Bayless uses the Seafood Watch at the Monterey Bay Aquarium program. 

Bayless suggests finding a source for information about food sustainability and following their recommendations for best practices. The non-profit Chefs Collaborative, and the Center for Food Integrity are both good resources for finding information.

From:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/226809

4 Ways to Draw Customers Into Your Restaurant

Stefan Richter

OCTOBER 16, 2013

A lot of factors divide successful restaurants from those that don't last. While there is no easy answers, there are several things owners can do to give their businesses a competitive edge. Here are four tips for restaurant owners to keep their customers coming back for more.

1. Be Present. 
While quantity has it benefits, quality will give you a connection with your customers, staff and community. I have several restaurants but not too many that my signature involvement in each is diluted. I have enough time to be involved in the daily operations of each restaurant, ensuring that they are a positive representation of my brand.

I check in with my staff and make a point to stop and chat with as many tables as possible as they enjoy their meal. Customers are there to see you, the chef, the owner, the creator, so it is important to make time to say hello. Small donations of your time show that you care and keeps customers coming back.

2. Pricing. 
It's always important that your pricing is reasonable, while still maintaining quality. When pricing your menu, consider the local economy and lifestyle. In Los Angeles, a good goal is an average of a $40 ticket per person. Depending upon your location your pricing will vary.

3. Give Back to Your Community. 
If you are able to, use local products. For one, you will guarantee much fresher ingredients if you buy from your local farmers market, fish market, etc. rather than purchasing from a major distributor who has to package and ship to you. I often bring in spices and vegetables from my own garden, not only does this cut costs but they are the freshest I can get! I garden in the morning and they are served that evening. More importantly, by utilizing your local markets and farmers, you are investing in and helping to improve your local economy.

4. Ambiance. 
While you want your restaurant to be a representation of you and your brand you also want to appeal to individuals of all types. One method is to create a few different "vibes" in one space. For example, I have an outdoor patio with have live music and fire pits that is rustic and hip. Inside there is a private wine room for guests who are looking for an intimate evening. Be creative with your space and don't be afraid to change things around. I did a complete renovation of Stefan's at LA Farm and it helped business significantly, because everyone wanted to come see the "new" restaurant.

From:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229306

Mistakes to Avoid When Running Your Bar

APRIL 11, 2014

This excerpt is part of Entrepreneur.com's Second-Quarter Startup Kitwhich explores the fundamentals of starting up in a wide range of industries.

In the book Start Your Own Bar and Club, the staff at Entrepreneur Press and writer Liane Cassavoy explain how you can launch a profitable bar or club, whether you want to start a nightclub, neighborhood pub, wine bar or more. In this edited excerpt, the authors reveal the correctable problems that can cause your bar to fail.

When opening and running a bar, the most frequent mistakes owners make involve inventory control, and managing and training staff. Another high-problem area is spreading your resources too thin by overspending or underselling.

From purchasing supplies to selling goods, the control of your inventory will deeply affect your profits. Choose your purveyors carefully. Create specifications for each product. How much will you carry of what? Sometimes you'll need to update your original pars (the number of backup bottles you keep on hand). If you make changes, keep a file or log of when and why the change occurred so you can refer to it and keep track of the progress of your business.

Encourage staff to make drinks and food according to standard recipes as instructed during training. Test your bartenders periodically to make sure they're sticking to the agreed-upon standards. Make sure every drink is accounted for in accordance with your policies. Whether a drink or food dish was sent back, made improperly or given away for free, everything should be registered somewhere. If you have inventory-control problems, you'll need to refer to your established reports to figure out the problem.

Your establishment will live or die by how professionally your customers are served and how much they feel like your guests. Your staff will wilt or prosper depending on the consistency and viability of the support given to them by your management team. Your service staff will assist your managers in getting to know your customers both as individuals and as a group. The better you and your employees know your customers, the better you can serve them.

Managers often ignore staff problems, hoping they'll just go away. However, most of the time the issues fester and eventually explode. The primary reason many managers don't get involved with staff problems is due to their fear of the explosion. However, it's always better to identify and solve problems before they interfere with your business or start to affect your customers.

If you're the one who calls the shots for your operation, you'll have to keep abreast of what works and what doesn't. One good way to find out if your bar has the personality you want and is running properly is to visit during peak hours as a customer. Bring a friend in for a drink, and sit at a table to get a feel for what a customer experiences. Try to take in the furnishings, decorations and selections as if you walked into the bar for the first time. Listen unobtrusively to the guests around you. What are they saying about the place, the service, the food, the drinks?

Watch your staff interact with each other and the customers. Do employees ignore the customers? Or do they greet them and try to make them feel welcome right away? You'll experience a totally different point of view of how your guests are treated if you're sitting at a table like any other customer and allow yourself to be treated as such. Of course your server will try to impress you, but you should pay more attention to how other guests are treated.

Spreading your resources too thin creates major pitfalls and causes many bars to fail. The most common and obvious culprit is financing: You don't start with enough capital, you spend it on the wrong things, or you pay too much for equipment. The financial woes of this industry can snowball at any time, so be prepared with backup capital. Bob Brenlin, a neighborhood bar owner in Seattle, puts it bluntly: "Have enough money going in so you can withstand the first few months of less-than-projected income."

Finances aren't the only resource you must be careful with. Your employees can also be spread too thin. Your bar's business will fluctuate depending on the weather, time of year and a host of other variables. Often, bar owners overwork their employees to the point of exhaustion. When your employees are overworked, they can become cranky and short-tempered, and their job performance and customer service will almost definitely suffer. Keep in mind that happy, satisfied employees are less likely to start acting flaky.

One way to keep employees happy and loyal is to be aware of their work schedules. For example, if Julie bartends every Friday and Saturday night for the first three months she works for you, then you change her shifts to Wednesday and Thursday afternoons without notice or explanation, you may find that her demeanor and attitude change drastically. Even though she's working the same amount of time, her income has probably decreased to such an extent that her mind is consumed with it. If she starts directing her attention elsewhere, her performance at your bar will suffer--you may even lose her altogether. Talk to your employees if you have to make major scheduling changes; explain your reasons and let them know if it's a temporary or permanent change.

When you do get your business up and running, you can prevent many mistakes by putting efficient and practical controls in place. R.C. Colvin, a bar owner in Niles, Michigan, says, "In the bar business, it's even more important to stay on top of your accounting and hold people responsible. You've got to have a liquor-monitoring program, and you have to be on top of your product."

Brenlin gives this advice to new bar owners: "It has to be a labor of love--you're probably not going to make a lot of money. You need to be able to go small, easy to control, which will make a difference on whether you make any money. There are all kinds of risks when you get larger, so you better have a good location, a strong lease, a good business plan, and solicit as many people as possible. Then market the heck out of the place."

From: 

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/232499 

U.S. Chain Restaurants Will Be Required to Disclose Calorie Counts on Menus

The U.S. government will publish sweeping new rules on Tuesday requiring chain restaurants and large vending machine operators to disclose calorie counts on menus to make people more aware of the risks of obesity posed by fatty, sugary foods.

"Obesity is a national epidemic that affects millions of Americans," Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg told reporters on a conference call on Monday.

"Strikingly, Americans eat and drink about a third of their calories away from home."

The FDA's new rules, which are part of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, set a national standard for restaurant chains with 20 or more outlets and will pre-empt the patchwork of state laws.

Under the rules, calories must be displayed on all menus and menu boards. Other nutritional information - including calories from fat, cholesterol, sugars and protein - must be made available in writing upon request.

The new calorie rule covers meals at sit-down restaurants, take-out food, bakery items, ice cream from an ice-cream store and pizza, which will be labelled by the slice and whole pie. Seasonal menu items, such as a Thanksgiving dinner, daily specials and standard condiments will be exempt.

The final rule, unlike a 2011 proposal, includes movie theaters, amusement parks and alcoholic beverages served in restaurants, but not drinks mixed or served at a bar.

Restaurants have one year and vending machine operators have two years to comply with the new rules following publication in the Federal Register.

Panera Bread Co in 2010 became the first company to voluntarily display calorie information at all its cafes nationwide. Others, including McDonald's Corp and Starbucks Corp, followed suit.

The agency said it amended its proposals after considering more than 1,100 comments from industry, public health advocates and consumers.

It narrowed the scope to clearly focus on restaurant-type food. Still, there are nuances: Foods such as deli meat bought at a grocery store counter will be excluded. But the rules will apply to food eaten in grocery stores, such as meals purchased at in-house cafes.

Hamburg acknowledged that calorie counts for pizza slices and many other foods made on the premises will vary. Restaurants may draw on databases, cookbooks and food package labels to calculate calories.

The restaurant industry has supported a national standard for years and welcomed the changes.

"We believe that the Food and Drug Administration has positively addressed the areas of greatest concern," said Dawn Sweeney, chief executive of the National Restaurant Association, which represents 990,000 restaurant and food-service outlets.

Not all industry groups were satisfied.

"We are disappointed that the FDA's final rules will capture grocery stores, and impose such a large and costly regulatory burden on our members," said Peter Larkin, president and CEO of the National Grocers Association.

National Automatic Merchandising Association, representing the food and refreshment vending industry, said it will "reserve judgment" on the impact on the industry, but said that two years was insufficient "implementation time", especially for small businesses.

The rules aim to close a gap in the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, which established nutrition labeling on most foods, but not restaurant or other ready-to-eat foods.

Katie Bengston, Panera's nutrition manager, said menu labelling has not affected its business: "We did not notice a jump in sales from higher calorie items to lower calorie items."

(Reporting by Toni Clarke in Washington; Editing by G Crosse and Richard Chang and Simon Cameron-Moore)

from:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240215 

Hospitality in the Restaurant Kitchen: A Chef's Perspective

Jenn Louis Become a fan

Chef/Restaurateur

I am a chef and I work in the hospitality business. I spend some time in the dining room, but mostly you'll find me in the back-of-the-house: the kitchen. Having owned and operated a catering business for 14 years and two restaurants for the past six years, I have managed almost every aspect of each of these businesses at different times. I have worked with corporate clients, young and older couples getting married, families, groups of friends, gala fundraisers for non-profits and guests coming to eat at my restaurants for a variety of meal periods. The clients and guests I have work with all vary in personality, tastes, budgets, needs and desires. Needless to say, I have pretty much seen it all.

Everyone who comes through my doors is different. It is my main responsibility to make sure they feel cared for, appreciated and relaxed. And, as a customer, this is what I want to experience when I dine in a restaurant.

So, now there are the Alan Richman and Elizabeth Gunnison Dunn articles of late. I like them. In fact, I totally agree. Some of the food and chef craze has just gotten out of hand. Yes, I said it. And, I will say this: I don't think there is any difference between a really talented chef and a really talented musician. Both are creative, and in order to be and continue to be successful, they must push themselves constantly to be better and better, and more creative. Now, what musicians do not face, but chefs do, is the practice of hospitality. As fun or as creative as cooking at a restaurant may be, the diner's experience is paramount. All chefs know that unless you make your guests happy, they will not return to your restaurant. And, your happy and returning guests keep all of your bills paid.

That said, there are limits. You, as a chef, cannot please everyone all of the time and you have to stay true to your culinary focus and point of view. It takes a special kind of balance for sure. We are familiar with the idea of hospitality in the dining room: The focus of directly caring for guests, what everyone calls customer service, but the practice of hospitality also extends into the kitchen. (Whaaaat?) YES! It is a part of the discipline or craft of cooking in a restaurant -- and, it can be very tricky.

In the age of notations at the bottom menus reading, "Substitutions Politely Declined," it is hard for guests who have any special needs to feel a sense of hospitality. What if the guest has a heart condition and requires a low-sodium diet? Can the salt be left off of the steak prior to grilling? Or, are guests with dietary restrictions not welcome at the restaurant? As a chef who is married to someone with a dietary restriction (a medical condition, not a preference), I understand completelyhow much this affects a diner.

I battle with some requests, but ultimately, I want to practice hospitality in the kitchen. I want to be a role model for my cooks so they practice hospitality in the kitchen too, and so they always remember what industry we work in. We're in the people-pleasing business, and I want my guests to feel cared for in my restaurants.But, I cannot alter everything, and I cannot bend to every whim. There just has to be limits.

As a chef, I do have intention when creating dishes and pairing ingredients together. There is always a method and reason for what ends up on the plate. My choices are careful and deliberate, and I want my guests to experience the dishes as I intend them to taste. Now, I will leave nuts out of a salad to accommodate a nut allergy, but I draw the line at substituting another dressing that was not intended for the flavor profile of a specific salad. My general rule of thumb is that I will leave an ingredient out, but will not substitute or add ingredients that are not intended for a specific dish.

There are two issues I face with altering dishes:

1. Consistency matters. Cooks are taught to focus on repetition and to make the same dish over and over. This ensures consistency and that in a given evening the first and last preparation of that dish will be the same. Additionally, a dish has been tested multiple times before it makes it onto a menu. This testing in advance gives the kitchen team confidence that everything on the plate works when it comes time for service. On busy nights, alterations break cooks' rhythms, and sometimes special requests do not get the same level of attention as their order-as-is counterparts. When you are firing dishes from the line in rapid succession it is not always possible to test if a newly altered dish will work as well when compared to the original.

2. Flavor matters most. I measure heat, acidity, texture and other flavors to ensure balance in a dish. I have been cooking professionally for almost 20 years and my ingredient pairings are purposeful. The style in which I cook is a personal reflection of who I am, and I do not always want to change dishes to accommodate the whim of a guest. Specifically, when I don't feel the dish will be represented best. (In the practice of hospitality I make sure that my menu can accommodate a range of ingredients and dishes that will appeal to a variety of guests.)

Number 1 is just logistics. That's just how it works. Number 2 is more complicated. Here's the thing: not all flavors go together. And then comes the curveball: Everyone has different palates. This can be a matter of taste, and not who is right or wrong. One of the best things about being a chef is choosing what you want to pair together, and having your menu represent your experience. And, when you work chef's hours -- that's usually more hours every week than everyone else -- you tend to take your job pretty seriously and really care that you give your guests a great and delicious experience.

I care. I care a lot. In a perfect world I want every customer to be happy with every experience they have with my businesses. I want to think of hospitality as part of what we do in the kitchen. I want to write a menu with intent and confidence, knowing guests can make choices to suit their needs, but I know that doesn't always work out as perfectly as I hope.

Many times I have had guests call prior to their reservation to discuss any concerns of dietary restrictions. I am always more than happy to have a discussion with them and make sure they will be accommodated. Hospitality should not be an occasional practice, and sometimes finding the right solution takes a little give and take. The goal of the chef is to delight guests and treat them with care and hospitality, while also maintaining the integrity of their craft and the careful intention that goes into each dish.

From:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jenn-louis/hospitality-in-the-restau_b_5481692.html?utm_hp_ref=food&ir=Food 

THE KEY OBLIGATIONS OF FOOD OPERATORS - EU regulations

Safety: Operators shall not place on the market unsafe food.

Responsibility: Operators are responsible for the safety of the food which they produce, transport, store or sell.

Tractability: operators shall be able to rapidly identify any supplier or consignee.

Transparency: Operators shall immediately inform the competent authorities if they have a reason to believe that their food is not safe.

Emergency: Operators shall immediately withdraw food from the market if they have a reason to believe that is not safe.

Prevention: Operators shall identify and regularly review the critical points in their processes and ensure that controls are applied at theses points.

Co-operation: operators shall co-operate with the competent authorities in actions taken to reduce risks.

Does formula mystery help keep Coke afloat?

By Ivana Kottasova, CNN

London (CNN) -- Coca-Cola -- the world's ubiquitous brown fizzy drink -- is staying afloat as the soda market shrinks, and many point to a marketing strategy around the so-called "secret recipe" as key to its resilience in a struggling industry.

The Coca-Cola Company, which published its full year result Tuesday, recorded a 5% drop in net income to $8.6 billion last year, down from $9 billion in 2012, as it faced "ongoing global macroeconomic challenges," according to its chief executive Muhtar Kent.

Volume grew 2% for the year, which it said was "below our expectations and long-term growth target," with sparkling beverages recording a slight increase of 1% -- led by Coca-Cola.

Globally, soda drink sales have been shrinking as consumers turn to water, fruit drinks and healthier alternatives. The trend has hit Coke and other market players such as PepsiCo and Dr. Pepper. And while its primary competitor, PepsiCo, depends on its snack business to buoy the declining soda sales, Coke announced further investment into its marketing.

In a tough market, one strategy that brand experts credit Coke's relative strength with is the mystery around the much-hyped "secret recipe."

"The very idea of mystery attracts attention, and is often seen as an element of quality," says social psychologist and marketing expert Ben Voyer, lecturer at London School of Economics and ESCP Europe Business School. "A typical consumer would think that it must be a valuable product if they are doing all these things to protect the recipe."

Coca-Cola's "secret recipe" story -- on which it has centered advertising campaigns and built into its corporate museum --- reaches back nearly a century. According to the multi-national's website, the original recipe was only written down in 1919, more than half a century after a reported morphine addict and pharmacist John Pemberton invented the drink in 1886. Until then, it was passed down by word of mouth.

The formula was finally committed to paper when a group of investors led by Ernest Woodruff took out a loan to purchase the company in 1919. "As collateral, he provided a written record of the Coca Cola secret formula," Coke said in a statement on its site.

Since the 1920s, the document sat locked in a bank in Atlanta, until Coca-Cola decided to emphasize the secret in its marketing strategy. 86 years later, Coca-Cola moved the recipe into a purpose-built vault within the World of Coca-Cola, the company's museum in Atlanta. The ambiance is made complete by red lighting and fake smoke.

Coca-Cola has always claimed only two senior executives know the formula at any given time, although they have never revealed names or positions. But according to an advertising campaign based around the recipe, they can't travel on the same plane.

The vault, like one straight from a film, has a palm scanner, a numerical code pad and massive steel door.

Inside its walls, there's another safe box with more security features. And inside that, a metal case containing what its owners call "the most guarded trade secret in the world." A piece of paper with, according to Coca-Cola, a recipe inside.

But Mark Pendergrast, author of "For God, Country & Coca-Cola," is skeptical. "John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886, at the height of the patent medicine era, and one of the ironies of that name is that no one actually patented such creations," he says.

"They kept the formulas secret, partly in order to increase sales with a sense of special mystery and to prevent competition, but also to keep people from knowing how cheap the ingredients were and how large the profits," he says.

The company has never patented the formula, saying to do so would require its disclosure. And once the patent expired, anyone would be able to use that recipe to produce a generic version of the world famous drink.

"[The secrecy] creates a natural curiosity about the product itself. Consumers are more likely to try to find out the recipe," Voyer says, adding it creates a legend around Coca Cola's flagship drink.

Scores of recipes have emerged through the decades. Their authors usually claim to have cracked the original recipe by getting hold of antique documents. So far, Coke has rejected all of them as fantasy, saying there is only one "'real thing'."

Mark Pendergrast's book includes two versions of the original formula. "One is a facsimile in the handwriting of Frank Robinson, the 'unsung hero' of Coca-Cola who named the drink, wrote the famous script logo, manufactured the drink in its early days, and advertised it," he says.

Does he think the recipe is genuine?

"Yes. I think that both of the Coca-Cola formulas in my book are the 'real thing,' versions of the original formula for Coca-Cola," he says.

"In the end, the exact formula isn't really the issue," he says. Pendergrast reiterates a tale told in his book, in which he speaks to a Coca-Cola spokesperson who points out that even if its competitors got hold of the formula, they wouldn't be able to compete. "Why would anyone go out of their way to buy Yum-Yum, which is really just like Coca-Cola but costs more, when they can buy the Real Thing anywhere in the world?," he was told.

- CNN, February 19, 2014