National Tide 1980.

A year brings new beginnings, a year brings new changes.

After the Spring Festival, the business of California Beef Noodle King in Dongsi, Beijing, became increasingly bleak.

No one expected that this fast food restaurant, which had only been open for four months, would decline so quickly.

Moreover, even if prices are lowered proactively, it will not help business at all, as turnover and the number of customers are further decreasing.

Now, the number of customers willing to take the risk of being ripped off is less than one-third of the number when the store first opened.

Anyone working in the catering industry can estimate this, which is roughly the break-even point.

This result is truly lamentable. The speed of its rise and fall has created a record for Beijing's catering industry and is enough to serve as a negative example for the fast food industry.

So in order to save the business, the boss had to make corresponding changes.

The price did not drop further this time, but considering the customers' wallets, the California Beef Noodle King finally gave up its arrogant attitude.

The noodles they sold started to be divided into small and large bowls, with a small bowl of noodles costing three dollars and a large bowl of noodles costing five dollars.

In addition, the store is also working hard to enrich its product variety.

It turns out that the store only sells two staple dishes: signature beef noodles and spicy beef noodles.

Now there is one more kind of shredded chicken noodles.

In addition to the original two types of cold dishes, shredded potatoes and shredded kelp, four new options have been added: bean curd sheets, cucumbers, boiled chicken and kimchi.

It can be seen that the American California Beef Noodle King is already a little panicked, facing the increasing operating pressure.

In order to avoid falling into the situation of losing money to gain publicity, they probably tried every possible means.

But even so, there was not much improvement.

After all, the product's cost-effectiveness is there.

The price is too expensive and there are no mature and popular products with real good taste.

The biggest shortcoming of this store has always been that it cannot attract repeat customers by relying solely on gimmicks.

To put it bluntly, it's just a noodle shop.

Even if it is named after the state of California, USA, it is not difficult to discern its nature at a glance.

No matter how dumb the people in Beijing are, they can't be easily fooled by a store owner using the name "California pickles".

Now with the gingerbread man for comparison, the mysterious "California, USA" filter is broken. It will be very difficult for this noodle shop to earn a high premium by converting exports to domestic sales.

In comparison, the situation of Kentucky in the front store is much better.

After all, it's authentic American fast food.

The taste of the original chicken is quite different from the Chinese fried chicken.

Moreover, the decoration and facilities of Kentucky stores are quite fashionable, and the standards of hygiene and service are impeccable.

The relatively mature management method is Kentucky’s core competitiveness, and it can still provide considerable emotional value and gourmet enjoyment for some customers who are not too concerned about price.

At present, the third floor of KFC still receives orders for weddings with hundreds or dozens of people every weekend, which speaks volumes.

However, it cannot be denied that because of the Gingerbread Man, a competitor that does not play by the rules, Kentucky's business conditions are also gradually going downhill.

After the Spring Festival, Wang Dadong found that there was no one queuing at the door of Kentucky when the store opened early in the morning.

Most of the time, there are vacant seats on both the upper and lower floors of KFC.

Only at lunch and dinner can the restaurant be bustling with customers for more than an hour, but it is impossible to restore the scene when it first opened with queues stretching a mile away.

From the time the stores reopened after the holiday to March 3, actual revenue fell even more sharply.

Kentucky's average daily revenue is only 20,000 yuan, and its average daily turnover has almost dropped by half. How can people be at ease in this situation?

The most annoying thing is that more and more customers come here with ulterior motives.

Because there were too many people queuing in front of the Gingerbread Man, often several people went back and forth together, leaving only one person in line, and the others ran to Kentucky to rest. They had no intention of spending money in Kentucky at all, they just wanted to find a place to shelter from the wind and wait.

This is so insulting that it's like treating Kentucky like the waiting area for gingerbread men.

In short, all this made Wang Dadong realize that waiting any longer would be tantamount to chronic death.

He must break the impasse quickly and find a way out as soon as possible.

Otherwise, how could his fast food empire be realized?

How could he possibly become a partner of the company?

What future and ambitions is he still talking about?

However, as more attention was paid to the Gingerbread Man and more investigations were conducted, more information was learned.

Wang Dadong became more and more lost, more and more panicked, more and more afraid, and more and more heartbroken.

Because the Gingerbread Man seemed to be his natural nemesis, with no weaknesses at all, and seemed to be better than him in everything.

According to Wang Dadong's investigation, the owner of this fast food restaurant is surnamed Shen, and is also a Chinese American.

In other words, Gingerbread Man, in addition to being able to enjoy joint venture tax benefits like Kentucky.

Moreover, Shen Cun himself is not a layman in the catering industry. He also runs a restaurant in the United States.

Even though he runs a Chinese restaurant, Shen Cun grew up in the United States and is familiar with Western food and American fast food.

After all, the fast food industry is such a simple thing.

After years of development in the United States, its operating model has matured and the market has long been divided up by several giants.

For people who have lived in the United States for a long time, being an immigrant is no longer a secret and there is no mystery at all.

Shen Cun obviously knows how to operate in the fast food industry, and he even has further improvement measures.

In fact, Wang Dadong never thought that there would be so many dishes despite the gingerbread man.

But there wasn’t even a knife in the kitchen, and all the dishes had to be heated up before being served.

As a result, labor costs are lower than in Kentucky, and efficiency is extremely high.

Just one waiter can cater to five or six tables of guests and independently complete the cooking, serving and cleaning work.

This move really amazed him, and he even admired it very much.

That’s not all. In addition, the Gingerbread Man has also created economies of scale by virtue of its huge capital advantage.

Five restaurants were opened at the beginning, and all dishes and drinks were made from local ingredients, with only condiments purchased in large quantities from overseas.

These long-term costs are much lower than those of Wang Dadong's Kentucky.

It really is true that the richer you are, the more money you save.

Moreover, they have put a lot of thought into the restaurant's location, decoration, and tableware. The standard is close to that of a formal Western restaurant, and it is much more upscale than Kentucky.

But the price of the dishes is so cheap.

What is this called?

This is spending money wisely.

So what chance does Wang Dadong's Kentucky have to win?

To be honest, even if he lowered the price to the point of bleeding, he still couldn't have the same price advantage as others.

What's more, even at such a price, people can still make a profit, not a small profit but a big profit.

How can he compete with others?

Wang Dadong didn't know whether his competitor's touching speeches in the newspapers were sincere.

But he could not deny that "really delicious food should be both cheap and delicious." These words, spoken from Shen Cun's mouth, were really irresistible to customers and easily won the hearts of the people of Beijing.

Whether you like Western food or not, everyone will think that Gingerbread Man is a conscientious company and will have a much better impression of it.

Just for this reason, Gingerbread Man has already established an invincible position in the mainland market, which is enough to keep it popular for several years.

He even thought that if Shen Cun were to transfer this fast food operation model back to the United States.

If not handled properly, it could make several fast food giants scramble and be confused, and it is very likely that they will grab a place in the US market which is already firmly controlled by several giants.

Anyway, no matter how you look at it, Wang Dadong has mixed feelings towards his strong rival Shen Cun.

I hate this opponent, but I also admire him a little bit. I feel a bit helpless as if there is Yu but no Liang.

Fortunately, Wang Dadong is not an incompetent person. After all, he is a fast food expert with rich working experience. By analyzing the business model of Gingerbread Man, he not only broadened his horizons, but also learned something new from his opponent.

And after much thought and digestion, I finally found the key to solving the problem from the gingerbread man, which is that the gingerbread man is too dependent on the supply chain.

The Gingerbread Man's model is to use capital advantages to make small profits but quick turnover. Only when there are a certain number of stores and sales reach a certain level can healthy operations be maintained.

A perfect supply chain is almost the lifeline of the gingerbread man.

It is also the source of the company's high cost-effectiveness.

This means that although the Gingerbread Man has sufficient advantages in the capital, it also ties the company to the capital.

After all, the capital’s supply chain cannot be taken away.

If the Gingerbread Man wants to grow and expand, he will need a complete supply chain and several stores to gain a foothold in each new city.

Moreover, doing so would require a considerable amount of time and money.

But the gingerbread man adopts a low-price strategy.

It takes them at least three to five times longer to recover their investment than KFC.

It may take a whole year to recover the costs of these five stores in Beijing and achieve real profitability.

To put it bluntly, the Gingerbread Man is too inefficient when it comes to capturing the market.

There are also big disadvantages to having a plate that is too big.

They can't take root everywhere like Kentucky did and replicate themselves as quickly as cell division. They can only develop slowly and steadily.

And this is Wang Dadong's only chance to turn the tables.

Therefore, Wang Dadong decided to completely abandon his original plan and take other approaches to develop his business in mainland China.

That is to pursue the strategy of avoiding enemies if you can't afford to offend them, and to open up multiple battlefields in other places.

First use the loan to open stores in other cities, and then start the franchise model after those branches are successful.

The purpose is to quickly seize the market, recover funds in various ways, and then build its own supply chain advantages in the process.

Wait until you have established a firm foothold in mainland China and have gained a certain amount of strength, then confront the Gingerbread Man head-on.

Needless to say, this option also means greater risk and difficulty.

Not only did Wang Dadong have to convince the headquarters to agree with his choice, but he also had to bear the corresponding loan risks himself.

Even if this were to happen, he would have no peaceful days in the future and would be destined to travel around the country by plane.

But there was no other way. Apart from this, he could not think of any other way to compete with the gingerbread man.

For him, it would be better to fight hard and fight for a way out than to live in the capital and depend on others for support and die in misery in the end.

And at least, he has a certain foundation in Tianjin.

Not only did he have successful experience, but he also had a very extensive network of contacts. He was quite confident that he could achieve the same success in Tianjin as he had in Beijing.

March 3th was the day when Wang Dadong rushed to Tianjin to ask for a loan.

In fact, while Ning Weimin was expressing his deep emotion at the Capital Airport, Wang Dadong was also thinking about his own thoughts in front of the Tianjin Local Bank.

He never thought that after going around in a circle, he would end up back here.

I thought I could cover the whole country with the supreme advantages of Beijing, but I ran into a tough guy. In the end, I had to go back to Tianjin and rely on Tianjin's connections to save myself.

Not to mention that opening a store here requires the other party's help in choosing a location and hiring people, even the loan was obtained with the help of people from the original cooperative units in Tianjin.

He no longer felt disgusted by the Tianjin accent of these people, nor did he think that these people were unsophisticated and ignorant anymore.

Through what happened during this period, he realized the enthusiasm and kindness of the people of Tianjin, and their decisiveness and magnanimity in doing things, which truly moved him.

They are totally different from those people in Beijing. They are willing to help others when they are needed and will turn away when they are not. They are not reliable at all.

Even the Animal Husbandry Bureau refused to facilitate his loan, and instead advised him to err on the side of stability and not to expand blindly.

But soon, Wang Dadong's perception changed again.

It was because of a lunch that he truly discovered the secret of the enthusiasm of the people of Tianjin.

From a moral point of view, they are no better than the people in the capital.

The meal was eaten at Hongbinlou in Tianjin, but the standard of the food was beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

He ordered five pairs of large prawns weighing half a pound each, two plates of palm-sized crabs, as well as scallion-fried sea cucumbers, braised shark's fins, scallion-oil conches, and abalone with sauce. The table was filled with such high-end seafood that sweat broke out on his forehead.

In addition to Moutai, they also drank a bottle of XO, and the cost of the wine alone was not small.

While Wang Dadong was toasting several people from Tianjin, he was calculating how much this banquet would cost him.

But soon, he made up his mind that he had to spend the money to ask others to do something for him.

Mainland China is not the United States. When doing things, the people involved will inevitably receive benefits from it.

Anyway, the money is spent wisely. What he spends here can be earned back from the people who come to the door in the future. As long as the job is done, why bother about anything else?

"Director Sun, do you have any other requirements for our qualifications? The five million..."

After Wang Dadong toasted, he went straight to the point and asked.

Little did he know that the bank president waved his hand and stopped him from talking, "No talk of money, no talk of money today, no one is allowed to talk of money."

"Yes, yes, yes. Today is the first time we meet, so let's just talk about friendship and not business." The other person who introduced the couple immediately agreed.

"Come on, Mr. Wang, I'll toast you too."

President Sun raised his glass. "I've heard of your name for a long time. The Hu Ji Hua you opened in Tianjin is still doing a booming business. I didn't expect you to open such a famous fast food restaurant in Beijing. It's really amazing. I'm sorry that I didn't get to know you, the American boss, earlier."

"I dare not, I dare not." Wang Dadong also raised his glass.

And only after he finished drinking it all did his opponent's moves really begin to unfold.

"Mr. Wang, does the Kentucky store you plan to open in Tianjin really have many branches in the United States?" President Sun asked hesitantly.

"Yes, there are more than 2,000 companies," Wang Dadong answered respectfully, "If you don't believe me, I can provide you with the information."

"No, I'm just a little surprised. I'm not as good as my son. My son said that your restaurant is a catering giant in the United States, and that my worry that you can't repay the loan is unnecessary. But I can't make up my mind. After all, what's so good about the United States? We have always said that your place is a hell. But my son said that it was propaganda. He just didn't believe that the United States was so miserable and so bad, and he insisted on going to the United States to see..."

The introducer stopped eating and said, "That's easy, that's easy. It's just a matter of a word from Mr. Wang. Sun Xing, don't worry. This is an easy matter for Mr. Wang..."

Wang Dadong was stunned for a moment, but before he could think about it any further, he heard President Sun complaining angrily again.

"Hey, hey, brother, don't misunderstand me. I mean that young people nowadays are really ignorant. No matter how much you persuade them, it's useless. My wife is also confused. She even speaks for my son and asks me to find a way for him to go to the United States. How shameless. Anyway, I firmly do not advocate that this bastard go to that damn place."

"Don't be angry, please."

The introducer passed the wine to President Sun and said, "Drink some wine to calm down. Actually, you don't need to worry too much about the child. If he insists on going, why don't we ask Mr. Wang to help him? If he encounters difficulties in the United States, it won't hurt to get an education. Only by enduring hardships can you become a superior person. Come, drink some wine. I toast you."

President Sun drank the wine and said, "But can we go to the United States whenever we want? How much money would it cost? This kid is just daydreaming."

"Hey, Sun Xing, you broke the rules first. Didn't you agree that no one is allowed to ask for money tonight? You... No, you have to drink a penalty glass. You have to drink another glass."

As the introducer spoke, he filled President Sun's glass again. At this time, he saw that Wang Dadong was still in a daze and could not help but kick Wang Dadong's shoes under the table.

Wang Dadong, who had been sitting nearby without being able to say a word, suddenly came to his senses at this moment, as if he finally understood how talented the two actors in front of him were.

Whether he succeeds or not depends on his subsequent attitude.

He didn't have time to ponder the pros and cons. Thinking about the dire and hopeless situation in the capital, he could only endure his worries about the unknown, pretend to be generous, and go for it.

He quickly raised his glass to express his gratitude.

"That's too polite. You don't need to worry about it. It's a good thing that the child wants to go out and see the world. Leave the procedures and expenses to me."

As soon as these words were spoken, the effect was immediate.

From then on, the food got hotter and hotter, and the wine got drunker and drunker.

Since Wang Dadong has already vomited blood, what is his request for? (End of this chapter)