Chapter 642: Warm Breath
The company's expansion was on the agenda, and site selection, recruitment, and training were complicated. Qi Tongwei was responsible for external market surveys, while Liang Lu was responsible for internal optimization of management, introducing intelligent financial and personnel systems to streamline and improve processes; building an employee training academy to cultivate a talent echelon from service etiquette to culinary skills. The new branch was located in the seaside tourist area and became popular as soon as it opened. The sound of the waves accompanied the meal, and the seafood blended with the inland flavor was unique; another one was embedded in the commercial CBD, with exquisite and convenient business meals, elegant and leisurely afternoon tea, exquisite layout, and considerable profits.
Family inheritance is also on the table. Dawei chose to study catering management in college, and practiced in various positions in the store after school, from purchasing to operation, honing his comprehensive skills; Xiaowei is obsessed with food research and development, built a home laboratory, tinkered with new sauces and novel combinations, and repeatedly surprised, injecting unlimited vitality into the growth of the new generation. Qi Tongwei and Liang Lu often sit in the corner of the store, watching people coming and going, feeling a lot of emotion. The past difficulties are the cornerstone, the current glory is the journey, and the future blueprint is vast. With family members side by side, diners treat well, and the original intention is as solid as a rock, why fear the long journey, the legend will continue, let the name of the restaurant become a shining star in the catering industry, shining from generation to generation, shining forever, fearless of any storms and twists and turns, just because love and faith are eternal companions.
As Dawei devoted himself to the study of catering management, theoretical knowledge was like a lively musical note, which kept flowing into his mind during classroom lectures and book reading, turning into a melody of wisdom. After class, he plunged into the store and followed the old friends in the purchasing market, keeping an eye on everything, learning to identify the quality of ingredients, rubbing the fruits and vegetables with his fingers, feeling the fresh texture, and bargaining with farmers. He was initially shy and timid, but gradually became experienced and decisive; in the operation area, he studied the peak and trough patterns of customer flow, adjusted the scheduling strategy, introduced electronic ordering data analysis, and optimized the serving process. After more than a month of exploration, the turnover rate in the store has increased significantly, and the efficiency of the friends has greatly increased. They all look at this young man with new eyes.
Xiaowei's home laboratory is like a magical workshop, with bottles and cans filling the table, and various spices and ingredients stacked in an orderly manner. He tinkered day and night, repeatedly experimenting to make new sauces, and threw away countless failed products, but he never gave up. One day, inspiration came to him, and he cleverly combined the local specialty sour plums with exotic peppers, and added a touch of honey to moisten the taste. A new sauce was born, with a unique flavor of sour, sweet and spicy. It was spread on bread and dipped in dishes, which amazed everyone's taste buds. It became the secret signature of the store, and diners praised it and often received orders for it. He also became a little inventor who sought cooperation with suppliers, embedding innovation into the restaurant's food supply chain.
Qi Tongwei and Liang Lu sit quietly in the corner of the store, like two old trees rooted in time, watching the restaurant change seasons and the crowds of people. The morning light shines through the window, sprinkled on Liang Lu's gentle eyebrows. She plans to expand the breakfast business, renovate the traditional breakfast, incorporate healthy grains and low-fat fillings, make samples for old customers to try, collect suggestions and make fine adjustments. Once the new breakfast series is launched, the store is full in the morning, and office workers, the elderly, and children all come to taste it. Next to the soy milk and fried dough sticks, there are more exquisite meals such as oatmeal preserved fruit cakes and vegetable pancake rolls, which warm the stomach and heart.
Qi Tongwei cast his eyes far into the distance, thinking about the layout of cross-city chain stores. He led his team to conduct on-site surveys, and visited the prosperous commercial districts and emerging communities in the surrounding cities. The site selection took into account both the flow of people and the development potential; the design style was adapted to local conditions. The ancient capital branch was quaint and quiet, with carved railings and painted buildings reflecting the elegance of the dishes; the modern city store was simple and fashionable, with metal lines and intelligent light and shadow, cool and eye-catching. During the construction period, he supervised day and night to ensure that every brick and stone and every circuit was accurate and compliant, as if giving birth to a new life, full of piety. The new store opened with firecrackers, diners rushed to be the first, and word of mouth spread, and the prototype of the chain began to take shape, like a spark that spread across the prairie.
The road to expansion is not an easy one. The cultural differences in new cities are like invisible gullies, and eating habits are very different. Some people love sweets, while others love spicy food. Some dishes are not suitable for the local environment and receive negative reviews. There are frequent conflicts in the formation of remote teams. It is difficult for local employees and expatriates to get along. Conflicts in concepts lead to uneven services. The supply chain is extended over long distances, and the preservation and transportation time of ingredients become problems. The loss is alarming, costs soar, and the capital chain is tight. It is like a giant ship entering the eye of a storm, full of dangers.
At this time, Dawei applied what he had learned and proposed a "local customization" strategy. He conducted in-depth research on local taste preferences and improved the dishes. For example, he increased the sugar-pickle process in Tiancheng and added spicy spices in Laxiang, which were quickly integrated into the dishes. He organized cross-regional cultural exchange camps for employees, where barriers were melted and friendships were deeply rooted through game interactions and cooking competitions. Xiaowei and the scientific research team developed a new type of fresh-keeping packaging, which intelligently controls temperature and humidity, sharply reduces food loss, and keeps costs under control. With the concerted efforts of the family, the restaurant is like a phoenix rising from the ashes, spreading its wings and soaring high, and difficulties are turned into a ladder for advancement.
In order to deepen the cultural heritage, Liang Lu visited folk food craftsmen, unearthed endangered traditional snacks, introduced them into restaurants for inheritance and development, and organized a "Food Origin Tour", inviting diners to go to the origin of the ingredients to experience farming and fishing, and trace the roots of the food culture; Qi Tongwei held a "Food Culture Festival", where international chefs exchanged ideas and local culinary skills competed. The stage was filled with fireworks, and cultures collided and blended. The restaurant became a palace of food culture with a reputation far-reaching overseas. Exotic diners formed groups to explore the secrets, and invitations for international cooperation came one after another.
The family's inheritance is also flourishing. Dawei officially took the helm of operations after graduation, introducing cutting-edge management software, innovating the employee incentive mechanism, linking performance to dividends, and boosting enthusiasm; Xiaowei was in charge of R&D, expanding the laboratory into a R&D center, absorbing professional talents, and new dishes are always fresh and creative every season; the third generation of the family, young children sit on the knees of their elders, listen to restaurant stories, knead dough with their little hands, and set the tableware, and the fire of inheritance is quietly planted, and love and faith flow in the blood, from generation to generation.
Many years later, the restaurant group stands proudly at the top of the catering industry, and its charitable branches benefit thousands of people. It has built Hope Canteens and set up culinary training for poor areas; cultural derivative products are in full bloom, and recipe books, kitchen utensils and peripherals are popular; franchise stores are blooming all over the world, with exotic customs blending with local flavors. Qi Tongwei and Liang Lu stroll hand in hand among them, watching the diners laugh and the employees work hard, knowing that every storm in the past has nourished the flowers of today, and that the future journey will be carried on by their families and accompanied by diners. The legend will be engraved in the years forever, without fear of vicissitudes of life, and the name of the restaurant will shine like a star in the catering sky, eternal and immortal, warming the world, with endless spiritual charm, continuing the glory from generation to generation, until the end of time, love and deliciousness will always exist in the world and nourish all beings.
Qi Tongwei stood in the back kitchen of the restaurant. That small world was his stage and also his dream workshop. The stove was on fire, the red oil in the pot was boiling, the chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns were jumping in the hot oil, and the aroma that instantly released was enchanting and filled the whole kitchen. That was the unique warm atmosphere of Sichuan cuisine.