From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

After Jiang Chengzhe followed Feng Zhengming in Shanghai for two days, he witnessed the domineering nature of the top scholar.

The most intuitive manifestation is that Feng Zhengming is a person who does not follow the routine at all and completely ignores all the commonly accepted rules.

For the decoration of the two stores, we usually have to find a local construction team according to the rules agreed upon by various places.

But Feng Zhengming refused to do that. He simply invited a decoration company and construction team from Qilu.

Some decoration companies in Shanghai came to him, but none of them were willing to buy into their business.

As a result, several decoration companies in Shanghai joined forces and refused to provide materials to the decoration team hired by Feng Zhengming.

Feng Zhengming was more direct. After making a few phone calls, decoration material companies from other places continuously sent him the materials needed for decoration directly from the manufacturers.

What surprised Jiang Chengzhe was that Feng Zhengming even found several companies in Hong Kong.

It can be said that the decoration of Feng Zhengming's two stores enabled Qilu decoration companies from other places and decoration materials companies that originally failed to enter the Shanghai market to successfully enter Shanghai.

Feng Zhengming's dominance in this regard made Jiang Chengzhe wonder at one point if he was going too far.
Sure enough, not long after, some local companies in Shanghai joined together to sue the decoration and raw material companies that Feng Zhengming had found.

It was said that their entry into Shanghai disrupted the local market.

Even faced with such a situation, Feng Zhengming was not afraid at all.

He even went to the relevant departments in Shanghai and had a talk with them.

In the end, the matter naturally came to nothing.

After all, Shanghai is a window city for China and the outside world, and it needs to demonstrate the freedom of its market.

Therefore, how can we allow local companies in Shanghai to monopolize the industry?

After this decoration incident, people from all walks of life in Shanghai had a different understanding of Feng Zhengming, the top chef.

At the same time, because of this incident, people from all walks of life in Shanghai became curious about Feng Zhengming's two stores.

During the subsequent renovation process, Feng Zhengming continued to come up with unconventional operations.

For example, surrounded by Western restaurants, Feng Zhengming insisted on Chinese-style decoration inside and outside.

Even the interior furnishings and decorations were all in Chinese style by Feng Zhengming.

As for the various tables and chairs in the restaurant, he also used domestic furniture, and the tablecloths and table decorations were also from domestic manufacturers.

In fact, in Jiang Chengzhe's opinion, domestic products are not high-end enough.

But Feng Zhengming wants to break the impression that domestic products are not as good as overseas ones.

He insists on using only products from domestic manufacturers.

When it came to the tableware, Feng Zhengming took out the business card given to him by Li Tao, the man from the Porcelain Capital whom he had met at the train station.

He called directly and asked about the tableware.

Li Tao also returned to the Porcelain Capital from other places during the Chinese New Year.

Previously, he did not have much success selling porcelain from his own factory in other places.

So after the Chinese New Year, Li Tao was also worrying about how to increase business for the factory.

He didn't expect Feng Zhengming to call him.

After listening to Feng Zhengming's questions, Li Tao was quite excited.

"Mr. Feng, I really didn't expect that you would actually call me. Don't worry, as long as you make a request, our factory will definitely help you make the tableware you need. If our factory can't make it, I will help you contact our big factory here."

Feng Zhengming gave very clear requirements on the phone.

All tableware must have his "Zheng Luxing" signature logo.

And the specifications of all tableware must be exactly the same, without the slightest deviation.

Then he asked Li Tao to bring a batch of samples to Shanghai for him to review.

"If the samples you bring are qualified, we can sign the agreement immediately, and I will ask you to help me make the tableware in my store from now on."

Li Tao agreed immediately: "Okay, Mr. Feng, don't worry. I will go to Shanghai in a few days to get the pattern from you. When I come back, we will start to bake it for you. I guarantee that it will meet your requirements and satisfy you."

After contacting Li Tao, Feng Zhengming looked at Jiang Chengzhe.

"We have been making porcelain in China since our ancestors began, so you want me to buy porcelain from overseas? Isn't that putting the cart before the horse? I just want to break the prejudices that those marketing methods have brought to everyone."

Jiang Chengzhe looked helpless: "I'm afraid you're the only one who dares to do this."

As a young chef who has been working in Hong Kong and overseas for many years.

Jiang Chengzhe may not have been in the industry as long as Feng Zhengming, and his cooking skills cannot catch up with Feng Zhengming for the time being.

Rather, we should talk about some marketing methods in the catering industry, especially some high-end restaurants in order to create a high-end marketing image.

Jiang Chengzhe was very clear about it.

The reason why high-end restaurants specialize in making all kinds of tableware, kitchen utensils, tables and chairs, and even tablecloths and every piece of tablecloth for guests are that they are all specially customized by special internationally renowned brands.

To put it bluntly, all of this is a marketing strategy for a high-end restaurant.

It's like there are some famous chefs whose cooking skills may not be top-notch.

But if you ask, they will say that they have received some wealthy person or some celebrity.

Then the chef's skills become unimportant.

People are willing to eat at his restaurant, probably more because they want to taste the cooking skills of the chef who has cooked for certain celebrities and wealthy people.

Therefore, in order to differentiate themselves from other restaurants, restaurant operators will also promote brands that are said to represent high-end tableware and various restaurant accessories.

In Jiang Chengzhe's impression, all of this was a tacit understanding within the industry.

That is, everyone defaults to doing this, and all parties have to balance the interests of each other.

But as for Feng Zhengming, he would not care about these things at all.

He just made various preparations according to his own preferences.

Starting from the renovation of the two Shanghai stores, Feng Zhengming wanted to break all the so-called conventions.

He just wants to use domestic products.

He just wanted to find a decoration team from Qilu Liujia Village to do the decoration.

He wanted to buy various decoration materials from all over the country outside Shanghai.

Feng Zhengming broke all the conventions that others took for granted without hesitation.

As for those restaurant marketing methods, he was even more disdainful and disdained to use them.

There is one benefit that Jiang Chengzhe has already seen from Feng Zhengming's actions.

The progress of the renovation was obviously very rapid.

There was no argument at all with Feng Zhengming and the others.

Liu Yonggang led his team to carry out the renovation very quickly according to all of Feng Zhengming's requirements.

Even in Jiang Chengzhe's opinion, it might not be Feng Zhengming's request that these decoration workers from Qilu would work day and night to decorate the two stores for Feng Zhengming.

During the renovation of the two stores, Feng Zhengming and Jiang Chengzhe began to contact food suppliers.

In this regard, Feng Zhengming and Jiang Chengzhe really don't have many choices, mainly due to the current restrictions on transportation.

Even if Feng Zhengming wanted to contact various ingredients from other places, transportation would be a big problem.

Many of the ingredients are only delivered to Feng Zhengming’s two branches in Shanghai.

The cost of transportation is indeed a bit too high.

After some consideration, Feng Zhengming and Jiang Chengzhe could only choose a few major suppliers to Shanghai.

Fortunately, Feng Zhengming has a good reputation, and he also has the strong support of the Shanghai Chefs Association and even the Shanghai side.

Feng Zhengming still negotiated the price to a more reasonable range.

Generally speaking, the prices of some ingredients are definitely much more expensive than in Quancheng.

But the prices of some ingredients are actually cheaper than in Qi and Lu.

Finally, when discussing the pricing, Feng Zhengming and Jiang Chengzhe had a disagreement for the first time.

Jiang Chengzhe thinks that the pricing of the two stores should be separated.

The prices at this restaurant on Western Restaurant Street are slightly higher.

Jiang Chengzhe believes: "We are surrounded by Western restaurants everywhere. Although they are not very authentic, they have signs in foreign languages ​​and the prices are set there, which are more expensive than other restaurants.

If we still set the same price for both stores, the price in our store will be too low.

If the price is too low, it may not attract those white-collar workers who consider themselves elites to come and eat there.”

Feng Zhengming disagrees with Jiang Chengzhe's point of view.

“We opened a store here to break the convention, and I opened two stores in Shanghai at the same time. It is impossible for me to have two almost identical stores with different prices. This is not right.

Besides, as you said, these Western restaurants around here seem to have foreign signs, but in fact their dishes are not authentic.

Since they are not authentic and we are the most authentic, why should we raise the price like the inauthentic ones?"

Jiang Chengzhe was a little amused and helpless after hearing what Feng Zhengming said.

"But Zhengming, have you ever thought about this? Our investment in this store is much greater than your other store. If we set the same price, how are you going to make money?"

Without waiting for Feng Zhengming to speak, Jiang Chengzhe continued to persuade him earnestly.

“I know that you want ordinary people to be able to enjoy delicious food and want to lower the price of delicious food, but you opened a store in Shanghai probably to make money.

Our prices are too low and we ourselves can’t make any money at all. Do you just want to lose money to gain publicity?
Then will you give other chefs a chance to survive? Everyone will compare you with other chefs.

People will say, look, even the top restaurant in the country has such low prices, why do you other chefs charge such high prices for the dishes you make normally? "

Feng Zhengming was a little surprised. He didn't expect that Jiang Chengzhe would have such an angle to persuade him.

He had to admit that Jiang Chengzhe's perspective really made it impossible for him to refute.

Just as Jiang Chengzhe said.

If the prices in Feng Zhengming’s store are too low.

Even if it is just to price the product in a way that allows it to be sold at a break-even price.

This is a dimensionality reduction blow to other chefs.

If we look at the overseas commodity market.

What Feng Zhengming is doing is tantamount to "dumping".

Everyone would think, since you can eat dishes made by the country’s top chef for the same price, why would you spend the same amount of money, or even more, to eat dishes made by other chefs?
Jiang Chengzhe saw Feng Zhengming fell into deep thought.

He added: "This is Shanghai. We opened a restaurant here to promote our Chinese cooking skills on a bigger stage like Shanghai, right?"

Feng Zhengming finally nodded: "You are right, I overlooked some facts.

I once told you that we need to make more people recognize the skills of our chefs and allow chefs to truly earn money based on their good skills.

As a result, I overlooked the value of craftsmanship in Shanghai.

Ah Zhe, you are right, I shouldn’t lower the price, I should give other chefs more space.”

Finally, Feng Zhengming set the prices for his two stores in Shanghai.

It is priced slightly above the mid-range.

Considering the consumption level in Shanghai, the price is above average.

This price is not high, but it is definitely not low either.

If it were somewhere else, I'm afraid not many people would come here at this price.

However, in Shanghai, when Feng Zhengming shows off his signboard and fame, it should attract many people to patronize.

Moreover, Feng Zhengming's prices would be slightly higher than those of other Western restaurants on this street where there are many Western restaurants.

This is exactly what Jiang Chengzhe said. He is the top winner of the national cooking competition.

He is a top chef who has actually participated in state banquets and can compete with famous overseas chefs.

Based on his craftsmanship, the prices in his shop cannot be lower than those of the non-authentic western restaurant next door.

When I called home, I told my wife about these things.

After hearing the price, Luo Qing was a little surprised at first.

“Isn’t the price a bit high?”

Feng Zhengming repeated Jiang Chengzhe's words to his wife.

This time, the wife was silent for a while on the other end of the phone.

Luo Qing thought for a long time and sighed: "Jiang Chengzhe has indeed seen a lot overseas, and his knowledge is indeed higher than many people in China, and what he said is indeed correct.

If you price your cooking too low, it will really embarrass other chefs and make it difficult for other restaurants and hotels to set prices.”

After saying this, Luo Qing became a little worried again: "Do you think someone will scold you? Will they say that you are deliberately raising the prices of vegetables because you are famous?"

Feng Zhengming laughed when he heard this: "Hahaha, maybe you really guessed it right."

The wife was a little nervous: "What should I do then?"

Feng Zhengming didn't care: "It doesn't matter. Sometimes their scolding can also help me improve my reputation. Let them scold me first, and I will come out to deal with them when the time comes."

Luo Qing was a little curious after hearing this: "Do you have a way to deal with them?"

Feng Zhengming laughed on the phone.

"Of course there is a way. Those who scold me are just scolding me for being famous. They don't think about benefiting ordinary people, but instead think about making money with their fame."

Luo Qing couldn't help but say, "That's a bit too harsh."

Feng Zhengming then said to his wife on the other end of the phone: "I will come forward and tell them that what they said is correct. I just want to use my fame to raise the prices of vegetables in my Shanghai store.

Because I am the champion of the National Cooking Skills Competition, I participated in the Homecoming State Banquet and am a top chef who can compete with famous overseas chefs.

My craftsmanship should be worth that price." (End of this chapter)