Chapter 71 Suggestions
"Young Master, I have a few suggestions for you. If you can adopt them, I believe it will help Zuixianju Restaurant's business to get better."
"Brother Liang, please speak. Chu is all ears."
Qianhuan picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. After her throat was moistened, she began to talk about all the ways she had thought of in the past few days to improve the restaurant's business.
"Zuixianju and Jixiang Restaurant are both the most upscale restaurants in the county. The customers who come to your two restaurants are different from the ordinary people who go to small restaurants. Ordinary people go to restaurants just to fill their stomachs. They care more about the taste and price of the food. The tastier the food and the lower the price, the more willing they are to eat there. But the customers who go to Zuixianju and Jixiang Restaurant have different needs from these people."
"Oh? What's the difference?" Chu Yichen couldn't help but feel curious. No matter whether they go to a big restaurant or a small restaurant, aren't they all just trying to fill their stomachs? It's just that one is rich and the other is poor. What's the difference between their needs?
"The guests who come to high-end restaurants are either rich or noble. Most of the time, they don't come to eat alone, but to entertain friends, relatives or business contacts. In addition to paying attention to the taste of the food, they actually care a lot about the dining environment. The price is secondary. The better the restaurant environment, the more face they will feel."
"The reason why Jixiang Restaurant is doing so well is not because their dishes are a few cents cheaper than Zuixianju, but because their restaurant is newly renovated and the dining environment is better. These rich young men and gentlemen are naturally more willing to bring their friends to their restaurant for dinner. If Zuixianju can spend some time to redecorate the restaurant environment, it will not only attract old customers to come back, but also attract many new customers."
"What Brother Liang said seems to make sense. I wonder if Brother Liang has any good ideas on the layout of the restaurant environment?"
Chu Yichen felt that this small vendor named Liang had really given him too many surprises. Not only could he come up with such a delicious dish as chopped pepper fish head, but he could also find out a key reason why their restaurant business was not doing well. He couldn't help but ask for his opinion on the restaurant's decoration.
"Zuixianju is an old shop, and the tables and chairs inside are a bit old. I suggest that the young master quickly replace them with a batch of new ones. Then buy some fresh flowers and plants to put in the restaurant. This will make the restaurant look more elegant and more lively, and the guests who come to eat will be happier when they see it. When the guests are in a good mood, their appetite will naturally improve."
Qianhuan had been thinking about a lot of details about how to improve the restaurant these days, and now she blurted out all these suggestions.
"In addition, I heard that Zuixianju only provides free tea before serving the dishes. I suggest that the young master give the guests a plate of small snacks such as melon seeds or peanuts for free, so that the guests will not be too bored while waiting for the dishes to be served. Some guests can also eat some small snacks to fill their stomachs if they are hungry. These small snacks are not expensive, but they can make customers feel Zuixianju's thoughtful service to guests."
Chu Yichen stared blankly at the vendor in front of him. He found that except for his thick eyebrows, which made him look a little fierce, his eyes, nose and mouth were actually very good-looking. If it weren't for the pair of thick eyebrows that lowered his appearance, this country boy would probably not look much worse than himself.
The way he talks is really attractive. Although he is dressed very simply, these external things can not conceal his brilliance at all. He is like a treasure, always giving people surprises.
He had been racking his brains for days but couldn't come up with any solution, but this little vendor just gave him so many valuable suggestions so easily.
After Qianhuan made all her suggestions, she saw that the young master of the Chu family didn't say a word and thought he didn't agree with her point of view. She looked up and found that he was staring at her face blankly.
She touched her cheek and thought: Could it be that she accidentally smeared black ash on her face when she helped her mother light the fire? Otherwise, why was he staring at her like that?
She couldn't help but look at Chu Yichen and asked, "Young Master, is there something on my face?"
Chu Yichen then realized that he had just lost his composure. He coughed a few times to cover up his embarrassment and whispered, "No, no, there is nothing on Brother Liang's face."
"Oh. These are the only suggestions I can think of. If you think my suggestions are useless, you can just pretend I never said anything."
"Brother Liang, the suggestions you gave are all very good. I will have someone do it according to your suggestion right away."
He turned to look at the servant behind him and said seriously, "Yuanji, immediately have someone go to the carpenter to order a new batch of tables and chairs, and have them make them overnight. Also have someone go buy some potted flowers and plants that are easy to grow to redecorate the restaurant, and also buy some melon seeds and peanuts. In addition, pass on these suggestions that Brother Liang just made to the branches in each county, and have the shopkeepers of each branch immediately follow this standard."
"Yes, sir, I will arrange it right away." Yuanji immediately left the room and went out to do his work.
"Young Master, I won't bother you any more. I'm going to go downstairs to help my mother set up the stall. I think her chestnuts have been fried, and she can't handle it alone." Qianhuan stood up and said goodbye.
"Brother Liang, thank you so much for the recipe and your valuable suggestions. I will treat you and your mother to lunch at our restaurant today."
"Master, there's no need to come for dinner. My mother and I have to run the stall to do business. We can just have something to eat at noon. We don't have time to eat at the restaurant. As long as Master remembers what I said about the seasonings, Liang will be very grateful." Qianhuan politely declined his kindness.
"Don't worry, as long as your seasoning is made, Chu will keep his promise and give you this opportunity."
"Okay, I'll take my leave now. I hope your restaurant's business will continue to prosper!"
"Thank you for your good words. I will take you down."
Chu Yichen sent Qianhuan to the entrance of the restaurant and watched her return to her stall before entering the store.
He looked at Shopkeeper Zhou who was busy at the counter and said, "Shopkeeper Zhou, you have made a great contribution. Starting this month, your monthly salary will be increased by half a tael."
Shopkeeper Zhou stared at his master in a daze, somewhat confused. He had no idea when he had accomplished anything.
Chu Yichen couldn't help but laugh at his expression. He said, "Jixiang Restaurant smashed the stall of Brother Liang and his son. I heard that you sent the waiter to help them and asked them to set up a stall next to our restaurant. Brother Liang was willing to offer the recipe because he was grateful to you. The monthly increase is a reward for you."
"Thank you, Young Master. Actually, I helped the mother and son because Young Master Liang is a generous person. Moreover, Young Master Liang promised to let them store their tools in the restaurant, which was just a small matter. However, he always remembered our kindness and gave us chestnuts from time to time. He is a good child who knows how to repay kindness. Young Master Liang's kindness at that time was rewarded."
Shopkeeper Zhou couldn't help but feel deeply moved. The young master, who never cared about these trivial matters, was so kind at that time. No one had expected that the inconspicuous country boy could actually help their restaurant.
It is true that people cannot be judged by appearance, and sea water cannot be measured.