National Tide 1980.

As Mi Xiaoran was lost in thought, she overheard the conversation of several diners not far away.

"I have to say, this restaurant is really good. Their handmade dumplings are absolutely amazing. They're freshly made and cooked to order, with thin skins, generous fillings, and lots of juice, all at a reasonable price. These days, nobody really likes eating dumplings anymore; even my kids don't eat them. But theirs are really good. Hongxinglou is most famous for its dumplings. Look how many people are here."

"I have to say, the dumplings here are all handmade by experienced chefs. Those frozen dumplings that are frozen in advance can't compare to the taste at all, and the price is really reasonable! A plate of pork and three delicacies dumplings is only three yuan. At the small restaurant near my house, a plate of pork and cabbage dumplings costs two yuan and eighty cents, only two mao more, but the taste is far inferior. Why didn't you bring me to such a good place sooner?"

"Haha, to be honest, even if I brought you here earlier, you might not have been satisfied. This shop was struggling for a while; it's reopened after renovations. For one thing, the dumpling filling is noticeably different from before. The pork filling used to be quite fatty and greasy; I could only eat about 150 grams at most. Now, their filling has a good balance of lean and fatty meat, and they have many more flavor options. I've already eaten half a pound without even realizing it. Besides, they've lowered the price. The pork and seafood filling used to cost 3.3 yuan a plate; this is 3 mao cheaper. So, is it better for you to eat here now, or was it better to come earlier?"

"Hey, so you're saying that being lucky is worse than being early, and I guess I made it in time?"

"Yeah, you're lucky, the restaurant just happened to change owners and became very popular. But then again, while it's really popular, the only downside is that there are just too many people..."

"We're not afraid of a lot of people, and what's a little wait? The dumplings are just the right taste. The more people there are, the more worthwhile this place is to come to."

Yes, these are all kind words. Logically speaking, Mi Xiaoran should be even angrier after hearing them.

However, after listening to the story, Mi Xiaoran was stunned for a moment, but instantly regained her confidence.

His previously suppressed sense of superiority resurfaced, and a subtle sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.

The main reason is that, in her business logic, dumplings are the lowest-end category, with low unit price and thin gross profit, and are purely an auxiliary product for attracting customers.

Moreover, insisting on entirely handmade production results in extremely low production capacity, high labor costs, and an inability to scale up replication, making it a typical case of putting in a lot of effort for little reward.

Actively limiting production capacity is tantamount to restricting profit margins, which is the most foolish way to operate a business.

Such a large restaurant, yet it specializes in dumplings, and sells them at almost the same price as a small eatery.

It would be a miracle if you could make any money from that.

Therefore, she didn't believe that Hung Hing Lou could insist on making all the food by hand, and thought it was just a marketing gimmick used to fool ordinary diners who didn't know anything about business.

She immediately stood up and asked the old waiter standing guard, wanting to expose this flaw in front of everyone.

The process of making dumplings is used as an example to prove that Ning Weimin only knows how to play superficial tricks and does not understand the deep profit logic.

"Sir, a customer told me that all your dumplings are handmade? It's the 1990s now, and many restaurants use machines to increase efficiency. Is your so-called handmade just a marketing gimmick? Even if you really do make them yourself, is the filling handmade? Are the wrappers rolled out by hand?"

Upon hearing this, the old waiter remained calm and composed, still smiling humbly, raising his hand and turning to the side to make a guiding gesture, displaying impeccable manners.

“It’s normal for you to have doubts. No matter how much I explain whether it’s handmade or not, you might not be convinced. Why don’t you come over here and see for yourself to see for yourself?”

Mi Xiaoran was slightly taken aback. Following his directions, she stepped forward and entered the business hall. Only then did she see the layout of the lobby.

It turns out that Ning Weimin actually converted the kitchen on the inner side of the first floor into a fully transparent, semi-open layout.

The floor-to-ceiling tempered glass partition is clean, transparent, and unobstructed, allowing a clear view of the kitchen operations from the lobby on the first floor.

In particular, the dumpling-making area is located at the very front of the glass partition, with the cooking area separated from the stove where the flames are blazing.

Five or six pastry chefs, dressed in matching white uniforms, masks, hats, and gloves, were working around a table with a clear division of labor.

Some rolled out the dough, some prepared the filling, some pleated the dough, and some arranged the dough. Their movements were fluid and their techniques were skillful and professional.

On the white counter, several bowls of different fillings were neatly arranged: pork and seafood, chives and shrimp, mutton and zucchini, vegetarian mushrooms, fennel and eggs, and pickled cabbage and pork.

There are even several pure seafood fillings, such as mackerel, crab roe, crab meat, sea urchin, and squid... The variety and neat classification completely shattered Mi Xiaoran's preconceived notion that northern dumplings were monotonous and poorly made.

It also allows customers to see every step of the dumpling-making process clearly, from raw material preparation to finished product presentation.

They truly achieve freshly made and cooked food, allowing customers to enjoy the delicious taste while also experiencing the irresistible freshness and authenticity.

Standing outside the glass wall, Mi Xiaoran watched as the chefs' fingers flew, shaping dumplings into neat, evenly pleated forms. She witnessed firsthand the freshness of the fillings and the entire process of wrapping, cooking, and serving the dumplings. Her previous conviction about the "gimmick" theory instantly crumbled, and a sense of astonishment arose in her heart.

"How can there be so many different filling options?"

She subconsciously asked a follow-up question, but the doubt in her tone had weakened considerably.

The old waiter explained patiently and meticulously, with clear logic and familiarity.

"That's not surprising. Hongxinglou has been famous in Beijing for its Beijing-style dumplings since its early days, a tradition passed down from the old shop. And after changing to private ownership, we didn't stick to the old ways. We sent people out to learn, to the Northeast to learn sauerkraut dumplings, to Jiaodong to learn seafood dumplings, to Shaanxi to learn sour soup dumplings, to Sichuan to learn red oil dumplings, and to Guangdong to learn crystal shrimp dumplings. We absorbed the strengths of various regions, improved the recipes, and adjusted the flavors. The northern style is rich and mellow, while the southern style is light and fresh, catering to the tastes of diners from all over the country. That's how we came to have more than a dozen varieties today. I'm not exaggerating, but now in the whole of Beijing, only Hongxinglou can offer you dumplings with flavors from all over the country. That's our specialty and tradition. We even plan to launch a special dumpling banquet in the future."

As he spoke, he casually picked up a thick menu from the counter and handed it to Mi Xiaoran with both hands.

Then he offered his advice with great care.

"You can take a look at our menu first. It's a new menu since we reopened, with dumplings, cold dishes, stir-fries, and main courses clearly marked. Many of them are not available before. If you want to order in advance, that's fine too. Just let me know and I'll place the order with the kitchen for you. This way, the kitchen can prepare the more time-consuming dishes first, so your food will be served much faster when you sit down, saving you some waiting time."

These words are thoughtful and heartwarming.

His gesture of proactively handing out menus, in Beijing parlance, is called "having good taste."

Mi Xiaoran was also a little moved, and suddenly realized that the old waiter wasn't so annoying after all.

At least this tireless patience and thoughtful consideration for others are touching.

Mi Xiaoran also noticed that the old waiter was particularly considerate and thoughtful towards elderly people when welcoming and seeing off other guests.

Even if the waiters at Alan Restaurant or Xin A Jing Cantonese Cuisine were more attentive, they might not be able to do it as well.

Mi Xiaoran was even somewhat jealous of Ning Weimin's luck.

Because she really didn't expect that an older, unremarkable male waiter would be so adept at winning over customers, far surpassing those delicate and pretty female hostesses.

She had no choice but to seriously consider what truly constitutes high-quality service.

But the problem is that this is just the beginning. It can only be said that Mi Xiaoran is a bit ignorant and prejudiced, which is why she underestimated the waiter's abilities.

You should know that in the past, a good waiter was practically the life or death of a business.

A truly capable person can attract customers, making them want to come back again and again.

Moreover, they can find ways to please guests, encouraging wealthy guests to order expensive dishes and willingly spend more money to treat them to meals.

Otherwise, why would shrewd owners in the past in Beijing go to great lengths, spending huge sums of money to retain their most experienced waiters, and even trying to poach good waiters from other companies?

The reason is that if a good waiter resigns, a group of customers will be lost.

Moreover, wherever this person goes to a restaurant, these regular customers will follow.

Historically, the most famous chauffeurs in the capital was probably Luan School at Xinfenglou.

Back in the day, many of Xinfenglou's regular customers came specifically because of him. After he resigned and joined Fengzeyuan as a franchisee, all the staff, chefs, and a group of regular customers came to join Fengzeyuan as well, effectively killing half of Xinfenglou's business.

Does Hongxinglou have such people?
Of course it does, otherwise how could Hongxinglou establish itself as a business?

Hongxinglou's "treasured item" is named Zhou Lianfu.

He was the head waiter at Hongxinglou Restaurant, so everyone in the restaurant called him "Zhou Tou'er," and later even the customers started calling him Zhou Tou'er.

The term "堂头儿" simply means the head of the waiters, equivalent to today's restaurant supervisor.

This old man, Mr. Zhou, lived to be eighty-two years old. He worked at Hongxinglou for forty-eight years, starting as an apprentice at the age of fifteen and eventually becoming a head waiter.

He not only dedicated the best years of his life to Hongxinglou, but also trained a group of shrewd and capable young people.

He truly taught and disciplined all his true disciples who had kowtowed to him.

The apprentices he trained all brought him honor and helped him attract customers.

Now that Hongxinglou has been restructured, there are still two of his apprentices among the waiters.

One of them is Zhang Zhanyuan, who is 53 years old. He is the one who greets guests at the door and also takes care of casual visitors on the first floor.

The other is Zhao Shufeng, 55, who is now in charge of managing the open seating on the second floor and the private rooms on the third floor.

They are all now the head waiters at Hongxinglou.

It was also Ning Weimin's discerning eye that led him to personally select the most important person from among the veteran employees of Hongbinlou.

To be honest, these two brothers were the most useless among Zhou Tou'er's apprentices.

After all, they all came to the shop after liberation, and kowtowing was no longer common then, so apprentices no longer had any reverence for their masters.

In particular, the officials told them that they were now "in charge".

As a result, the rules of the trade were basically abolished at that time, and no one was willing to learn the essence of how to please customers.

On the contrary, regardless of gender, as one of the eight officials, they all maintained a very proper demeanor.

The man is like an old man, and the woman is like a great-aunt.

Besides finding their own seats and serving their own food, guests also have to be extra careful to watch the expressions of the "hosts".

If you're not careful, you might get a few glares and end up eating your meal in a sorry state.

After finishing their meal, even if a guest wanted a toothpick, they would have to run up to the old man and woman and beg several times, and they still wouldn't be allowed to have one.

At that time, the market was completely skewed between the host and guest sides.

Even so, Hongxinglou was no ordinary place in the past.

They are required to undertake foreign affairs tasks and frequently need to receive foreign guests and officials.

Therefore, Zhang Zhanyuan and Zhao Shufeng still learned some practical skills from their master.

These things would be quite remarkable today.

For example, the way Zhang Zhanyuan greeted guests today was something that ordinary waiters couldn't do.

In Beijing, this job isn't called "greeter," it's called "observer."

They are usually people with many years of experience who are also smart and quick-witted. Their status and income are relatively high, and they are not at the same level as ordinary shop assistants.

At mealtimes, from the moment a customer steps across the threshold, the person doing this job must carefully observe the customer's gestures, clothing, appearance, demeanor, gender, age, etc.

The so-called "observing carefully" means being mindful, not staring intently. One should have a warm and friendly expression, and one's eyes should convey kindness and righteousness.

Then, relying on their experience and eloquence, they can use just a few words to keep guests coming back and make them feel comfortable and at home as soon as they enter the house.

Even before the guests sit down, they are already thinking to themselves, "I should order a couple more dishes today."

That's what Liao Gao'er is good at.

Clearly, the fact that Zhang Zhanyuan could make such a strong-willed guest as Mi Xiaoran sit down and wait for a table, and even improve her mood, is enough to show that he is capable and competent.

In addition to this, a good waiter also needs to demonstrate a professional understanding of the restaurant's dishes and wines.

You must know all the dozens or even hundreds of dishes in a restaurant by heart, including the cooking methods and plate sizes for each dish, such as: stir-fried shrimp (7 inches), stir-fried pork kidney (7 inches), shredded chicken with mung bean noodles (9 inches), etc.

When announcing the names of dishes to guests, one must speak clearly and accurately, without slurring or sticking words in one's teeth, and with a loud and clear voice.

A shout from the back hall that startled everyone was the proper way to do it; this is called "sounding the hall."

In the past, when veteran actors in the Peking Opera world went out to eat, whenever they heard a waiter's loud and clear voice, they couldn't help but think to themselves, "With that resounding voice, he would definitely be good enough for our profession."

This skill is no longer needed; in the past, it was an industry phenomenon driven by widespread illiteracy.

Now that everyone can read, it seems abrupt and deliberate to shout like that, and the guests might be startled.

However, it must be said that a thorough understanding of the restaurant's dishes is still quite necessary.

Despite the increased integration of the market economy and private trade in recent years, which has greatly improved service attitudes, the problem is that the general public's business skills and industry standards are still incomparable to the old ways.

For example, if a customer wants to inquire about the general ingredients, simple cooking method, and plate size of a dish, they can ask ten waiters, each of whom will greet them with a smile and be very polite, as if they would love to massage their shoulders and back. However, their answers to the questions will all be the same.

"I'm really sorry, I'm not sure either."

At most, they might add, "Let me ask around for you."

If you have to say "Let me ask around for you" for all four dishes, who would bother to go through all that trouble?

But Zhang Zhanyuan and Zhao Shufeng of Hongxinglou were different.

They are the kind of waiters who have memorized the prices and cooking methods of all the dishes in the restaurant, and can recite them fluently.

Once a customer enters the restaurant and asks what dishes are available, they can list out every single dish the restaurant can make, without missing a single one.

If customers want to know the general ingredients and cooking methods, they can give a detailed explanation.

The unseen portion wasn't exactly accurate, but it was definitely enough to satisfy the guests. (End of Chapter)