Emeril Works for a Local Sports Bar Known for Its

Emeril works for a local sports bar known for its chicken wings and nachos. For the last five years, the company has continued to grow, and according to a recent trend analysis, sales have risen by increments of about $530,000 annually since the restaurant opened its doors. Surprisingly, however, the restaurant has seen a decline in patronage over the last quarter, and Emeril has been tasked with identifying the root cause of this sudden decline in sales. ​
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Emeril has never conducted exploratory research, so you have decided to help him. One of the first lessons you share with him is to be careful about confusing the symptoms of a problem with the problem itself. After you conduct a series of interviews with waitstaff, customers, distributors, and other stakeholders, you help Emeril come up with possible explanations for the decline in sales. Which of the following is a possible cause of the problem at the restaurant?

A) The restaurant manager laid off five busboys because business is slow.
B) The restaurant's sales declined from $200,000 a day to $80,000 a day.
C) The restaurant cut back on the number of weekly fresh produce deliveries.
D) The restaurant's market share decreased from 7% to 4% in a matter of a few months.
E) The restaurant's marketing team recently released a new billboard that many customers find offensive.