From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Luo Qing, holding her daughter's hand, followed behind the store manager, Li Fengning, as they inspected various parts of the restaurant on the Western Restaurant Street.

Luo Qing was very satisfied with the various arrangements made for Li Fengning as store manager, and felt that she had not misjudged him.

“Very good, I knew I hadn’t misjudged you. I knew from the beginning that you were a very meticulous person and could work with Xia Hui to make this store a success.”

Li Fengning smiled and said, "Thank you for your trust, Sister Qing. Chef Xia and I feel very accomplished in making this restaurant a success."

Luo Qing then offered some new suggestions from her perspective as someone who recently started a children's lunch kitchen and children's restaurant.

"Since this restaurant attracts many foreigners and some white-collar families from Shanghai, you can prepare some children's items to help customers who bring children."

For example, designing children's meal sets, or creating special children's tables so that children can sit down.

Li Fengning listened and took notes carefully.

"Okay, Sister Qing, I'll have someone arrange it later."

Luo Qing: "Also, the food for children must be prepared in a refined manner, and the ingredients should be of higher quality."

Li Fengning nodded again: "I will talk to Chef Xia."

Luo Qing: "There's nothing else to say. With you working together in this store, we can really rest assured that it's doing better than some other stores."

Li Fengning laughed: "Sister Qing, now that you say that, I feel a little proud."

Luo Qing: "It's only right to be proud, you guys did such a good job."

Li Fengning also mentioned that there have been noticeably fewer customers in the store during this period.

Luo Qing's attitude was similar to Feng Zhengming's.

"It's okay. We can't attract all customers forever. We should let customers choose freely. They can eat whatever they like. We just need to make our food good."

When the customers finish eating the fresh food and come back to us...

If customers find that nothing here has changed, they'll feel that we still care about them.

Hearing Luo Qing say this, Li Fengning couldn't help but realize that her perspective and outlook were indeed different from Luo Qing's.

Before Luo Qing arrived, the store manager always felt that the store's business had been taken away by other Western restaurants in the vicinity.

But hearing Luo Qing say this now, she felt as if she had suddenly seen the light.

Which restaurant a customer chooses to eat at is their choice.

Putting myself in their shoes, I think I might also choose to try the new store.

Moreover, having competitors can motivate you to run your store better.

After thinking it over, Li Fengning smiled, and the frustration in her heart from the past few days dissipated.

"Thank you, Sister Qing. You're absolutely right. I understand. I'll discuss it with Chef Xia and continue to optimize our dishes. We'll make sure our customers come back after they've tried all the new ones, so they can taste the same delicious flavors as before."

Luo Qing smiled and said, "That's right. When we run a business, we need to be tolerant and not argue about short-term gains or losses."

Li Fengning nodded earnestly: "Sister Qing, I've got it. I'll remind everyone to maintain the various advantages of our store."

Luo Qing was satisfied: "That's right, I believe you will definitely be the best store manager. Perhaps in the future we will need you to help train store managers for other stores."

These words made Li Fengning a little embarrassed.

"Sister Qing, how can I teach others? I don't know anything to teach others."

Luo Qing: "Of course you can. You manage this store so well. I think it would be great to have you train the store managers of other stores in the future."

At this point, Luo Qing asked again, "Who in the store do you think deserves a promotion right now?"

After a brief moment of thought, Li Fengning recommended several people from the shop to Luo Qing.

Luo Qing nodded after hearing this: "Okay, then you can arrange for them to undergo some assessments later. If they pass the assessments, you can arrange for them to serve as assistant store managers in other stores as a way to test them."

Li Fengning was somewhat surprised: "Sister Qing, are you just going to let them go to other stores as assistant store managers like this?"

Luo Qing: "Is there something wrong?"

Li Fengning thought for a moment: "But Sister Qing, won't the other stores have something to say about this?"

Luo Qing smiled: "No, I will also transfer some people from other stores to come here."

Upon hearing this, Li Fengning immediately understood.

Luo Qing's arrangement was actually intended to disrupt the existing staff in each store.

From Luo Qing's conversation with Li Fengning just now, she had actually thought of a very important question.

Nowadays, the staff in each store are relatively fixed, which may lead to the formation of cliques and factions within the stores.

Later on, it was even revealed that the staff of various stores conspired together to conceal the truth from her and her husband.

That's why Luo Qing just thought of the possibility of randomly selecting personnel.

This way, the staff in each store will be reshuffled, and they will be assigned to different stores for rotation.

Just like the head chefs in the children's lunch kitchens, they are all chefs who take turns cooking at Feng Zhengming's various stores in Shanghai.

After a rotation, some of the cliques and factions within the stores can be avoided.

This can ensure the stability of each store to the greatest extent possible.

If other circumstances arise, Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing will fire the person directly.

Another advantage is that this method can also train more store managers.

After all, every store needs a capable store manager.

How can we improve the capabilities of store managers?

Luo Qing thought that having them rotate between different stores and grow in different stores was a good idea.

Li Fengning was mentored and promoted by Luo Qing.

She still has absolute support for Luo Qing.

Therefore, after understanding Luo Qing's arrangements, she unconditionally supported Luo Qing's decision.

In the kitchen, Feng Zhengming and his apprentice Xia Hui had finished their conversation.

Feng Zhengming, accompanied by Xia Hui, came out of the kitchen.

Seeing her father come out, Feng Nuanyou quickly ran over to him and asked him to hug her.

Feng Zhengming smiled, picked up his daughter, and then walked over to his wife and Li Fengning.

"It seems that Manager Li is indeed very capable, managing this store very well, and working well with Xia Hui."

Xia Hui: "Ningning and I do work very well together. With her in the store, I only need to manage the kitchen and ensure the quality of the dishes."

Li Fengning humbly replied, "No, it's mainly because Chef Xia's cooking skills are so good that I have more leeway to be assertive with customers."

Feng Zhengming: "Alright, alright, you two don't need to praise each other like that. I know you're both very capable."

In front of Li Fengning and Xia Hui, Luo Qing recounted some things she had just discussed with Li Fengning.

Feng Zhengming nodded after hearing this: "This is a good idea. Since Manager Li is a very capable manager, he can indeed serve as a model manager to train other managers."

"It would also be good to arrange for some people from this store to be transferred to other stores as assistant store managers."

Feng Zhengming gave his wife a thumbs up: "She truly is my capable helper; her ideas are always brilliant."

Li Fengning and Xia Hui both laughed when they saw this. They felt that Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing had always had a very good relationship.

Feng Nuanyou saw her father give her mother a thumbs-up in praise.

She imitated her father: "Hehehe, Mom is so great, Youyou is giving Mom a thumbs up too."

Seeing her daughter give her a thumbs up, Luo Qing smiled and kissed her daughter.

"Okay, thank you, my darling Youyou."

Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing did not stay at the restaurant for dinner. In the end, they encouraged Xia Hui and Li Fengning, and then the couple left the restaurant with their daughter.

After seeing off Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing's family of three, Xia Hui stood in front of the shop and said a few words to Li Fengning.

"Ningning, will you stay in the store and be my store manager?"

Li Fengning looked at Xia Hui: "Why are you suddenly asking me this?"

Xia Hui: "I feel very comfortable working with you. I don't want someone else to be the manager of my store in the future."

Li Fengning laughed: "If it were anyone else? I would definitely be fired."

Xia Hui paused for a moment, then laughed: "That's right. If you don't get fired, you probably won't leave this store. You'll probably stay as my store manager forever."

Li Fengning: "I'm afraid that's not necessarily true. What if your cooking skills improve further in the future and you become a top chef like your master? Would you like to open your own restaurant? Or be transferred to manage the old-style restaurant?"

Xia Hui: "I probably won't open my own restaurant. I'm content to stay by my master's side."

Li Fengning asked curiously, "Why don't you open your own restaurant? I heard you say before that you wanted to open a Confucius cuisine restaurant in Jinan."

Xia Hui: "Confucian cuisine should be inherited by my younger brother. It's good for me to stay by my master's side. Also, if I marry Sun Hai next year, we will definitely live in Shanghai after the wedding."

Sun Hai might have the opportunity to open his own restaurant in the future, so I can't leave; I have to stay at my master's restaurant.

Li Fengning was surprised: "You actually gave up your chance to open a restaurant like this?"

Xia Hui smiled: "Why do you think I have to open my own restaurant?"

Li Fengning: "Isn't it good to own your own restaurant?"

Xia Hui: "I don't think it's good. My master is already very good. If I can become the head chef of the old house restaurant while staying in my master's restaurant, it means that my cooking skills have reached the top level."

But I feel I probably won't reach that level; I'm quite content managing this branch right now.

After listening to Xia Hui's words, Li Fengning thought that Xia Hui's idea was quite good.

As the saying goes, contentment brings happiness. For Xia Hui, a female chef, it is enough to be able to showcase her culinary skills in her master's restaurant.

Even if she opened her own restaurant, she might not be able to make it as famous as her master's restaurant.

This has nothing to do with ambition; it's entirely a personal choice.

Li Fengning: "Okay, as long as you stay in this store, I'll be your store manager."

Xia Hui smiled: "It's a deal."

“It’s a deal,” Li Fengning agreed firmly.

On their way home, Luo Qing explained some of her ideas to her husband in detail.

Feng Zhengming naturally gave his full support to his wife's ideas.

“That’s great. I didn’t expect my wife to have such a good idea. I also think that the staff in each store really need to be rotated. We can’t let them stay in one store for too long.”

Luo Qing: "Yes, we need to have them rotate among themselves. This will improve their abilities and prevent them from forming cliques and deceiving us in the end."

Then Luo Qing emphasized, "It's not that I don't trust them."

Feng Zhengming reached out and patted the back of his wife's hand.

“I know, I know you don’t distrust them, it’s just that no one can guarantee that people’s hearts won’t change, especially after staying in one place for a long time and thoroughly understanding its rules.”

Furthermore, since everyone around me is someone I know and can easily win over, it's hard to guarantee that trouble won't arise.

After her husband's explanation, Luo Qing felt much better.

"It's good that you understand. We still need to pay attention to this aspect. I hadn't thought much about it before."

Feng Zhengming: "It's not your fault. It's mainly because I didn't notice. I should thank you for thinking of it. My wife is really thoughtful. She's my best helper."

Luo Qing: "I still hope that your store can always maintain the best reputation."

"Yes, with so many stores, it's really not easy to maintain a good reputation."

Feng Zhengming's words were not simply a sentiment.

Last year, he opened so many branches in one go.

They have opened branches in Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, and Shijiazhuang.

This year, Huang Yunliang and Wang Hanwen also opened branch stores.

It is possible that Deng Huaichuan, Han Rui, and Li Yao will also open branches in the future.

In this way, the branches will soon be spread all over the country.

Maintaining a good reputation for branches across the country is no easy task.

Among them, Feng Zhengming was not worried about Huang Yunliang, Wang Hanwen, Deng Huaichuan, Han Rui and Li Yao's branch stores.

Because the five of them will definitely go all out and keep a close eye on their respective branches.

You can also rest assured about the branches managed by Yu Fuxiang in Hongcheng, Jiangxi Province.

What truly worries Feng Zhengming are the branches across Shandong Province.

Those branches have been operating in various parts of Shandong for many years, and some of the staff inside may have become somewhat complicated.

Feng Zhengming felt that maintaining a good reputation for those stores would indeed be a bit difficult.

Fortunately, his wife gave him a good idea this time.

Perhaps this approach could be implemented in branches throughout Shandong province.

Some staff members from various stores were reassigned and rotated.

Some of the new apprentices and chefs can be sent to various branches to supplement the staff.

You can also give some pointers to the staff in some branches so that they can run the stores better.

However, when implementing this in branches across Shandong, it is necessary to consider the arrangements for surplus staff.

As he pondered this, Feng Zhengming remarked to his wife beside him.

"It seems that A Zhe's suggestion was right. We do need to build some mid-range restaurants and establish them throughout Shandong Province. This will allow us to better manage the staff of the branches in different regions."

Luo Qing: "If we open a mid-range restaurant, will it affect the business of the branch stores?"

Feng Zhengming thought for a moment: "Probably not. Food is the most important thing for people. Now that the domestic economy is developing better and better, people in all regions will have higher and higher requirements for food."

We run a mid-range restaurant, providing a place for families to gather and friends to entertain.

Luo Qing: "Wouldn't that mean your investment would be too large?"

Feng Zhengming: "It won't be a big deal. We'll use some of the staff from our current branches. The main thing is to find a suitable head chef to take charge, and that will be fine."

Seeing her husband say this, Luo Qing still believed his thoughts. (End of this chapter)