Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

A manager suggested: "I think we can cooperate with some large companies to hold various business banquets and group activities. This will increase our visibility and reputation and attract more high-end customers."

Another manager said: "Yes, we can also strengthen our brand promotion. Put a lot of advertisements on TV, newspapers and the Internet to let more people know about the characteristics and advantages of Yuehailou."

Zhang Yuehai nodded in agreement and said, "Okay, let's do as you say. We need to contact large companies as soon as possible to strive for cooperation opportunities. At the same time, we must also hurry up to carry out advertising."

Yuehailou acted quickly. They reached cooperation agreements with many large companies and held a series of high-end business banquets and group activities. In these activities, Yuehailou's chefs carefully prepared a variety of delicious dishes, and the service staff also provided thoughtful and meticulous service, which won high praise from customers.

"The food at Yuehailou is really great, and the service is very thoughtful. We will choose this place for our company's business banquets in the future." said a business leader after attending a business banquet.

At the same time, Yuehailou's advertisements were also fully launched on television, newspapers and the Internet. The exquisite advertising images, tempting food pictures and infectious slogans attracted the attention of many consumers.

"Wow, Yuehailou's advertisement looks so tempting. Let's go there for dinner next time." A citizen said to his family after seeing the advertisement on TV.

With the continuous expansion of Wang's All-inclusive Restaurant and Yuehailou, the living space for small restaurants is getting smaller and smaller. A snack street that was once bustling now seems a bit deserted. The owners of several small restaurants gathered together, looking worried.

"What can we do? Wang's restaurants and Yuehailou are becoming more and more powerful, and our business is getting worse and worse." A small restaurant owner said helplessly.

"Yes, their branches are everywhere and their advertisements are so loud. Small restaurants like us simply cannot compete with them," another boss also sighed.

Some small restaurants have to close down. At the door of a small restaurant that is about to close, the owner is cleaning up the items in the store. He looks at the empty store, feeling helpless and reluctant.

"After doing business for so many years, I didn't expect that I would have to close down in the end. The competition is so cruel." The boss said to himself.

The small restaurants that are still holding on are also facing huge difficulties. They have to lower their prices and offer discounts to attract customers. But even so, their business still hasn't improved much.

"We can only barely hold on now, and we don't know how long we can hold on," said the owner of a small restaurant that insisted on operating.

In this fiercely competitive catering market, all Wang's hotels, Yuehailou and small restaurants are working hard for their own survival and development.

……

One day, in an inconspicuous little teahouse, several small restaurant owners sat together in the atmosphere that was solemn yet full of anticipation.

"Everyone, we can't go on like this. Wang's restaurants and Yuehailou have taken away all our customers, and our business is getting worse and worse. If we don't find a solution, we will have to close down." A haggard-looking boss was the first to break the silence.

"Yes, we can't fight alone, we must unite. Does anyone have any good ideas?" another boss continued.

"I think we can purchase ingredients together to reduce costs. If we all negotiate with the suppliers together, we will definitely be able to get more favorable prices." A smart boss suggested.

"This is a good idea. We can also launch some special dishes to attract customers. Although our restaurant is small, it also has its own characteristics and advantages." said another boss.

"Yes, we can also strengthen service training and improve service quality. Let customers feel our enthusiasm and sincerity. We cannot let customers think that our small restaurant has poor service." Another boss added.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and decided to set up a "Small Restaurant Alliance" to discuss countermeasures together.

In the following days, members of the Small Restaurant Alliance began to take active actions. They first contacted some food suppliers and prepared to negotiate.

In a spacious conference room, representatives of the Small Restaurant Alliance sat opposite several food suppliers.

"Dear suppliers, we, the Small Restaurant Alliance, hope to establish long-term cooperative relations with you. Although our purchasing volume is not as good as that of Wang's entire chain of hotels and Yuehailou, the number of our combined purchases should not be underestimated. We hope that you can give us more favorable prices." The person in charge of the Small Restaurant Alliance said firmly.

The suppliers looked at each other in confusion, and some were hesitant. One of the suppliers said, "Your purchase volume is indeed not large. If we give you a preferential price, our profits will also be affected."

"However, if you don't give us preferential prices, we may choose other suppliers. Moreover, our Small Restaurant Alliance will continue to grow and expand, and the procurement volume will increase. If you cooperate with us now, there will definitely be more benefits in the future." said another representative of the Small Restaurant Alliance.

After intense negotiations, the suppliers finally agreed to give the Small Restaurant Alliance a more favorable price. The members of the Small Restaurant Alliance cheered, knowing that this was a good start.

After the problem of food procurement was solved, the Small Restaurant Alliance started to invite chefs to train them. They contacted some experienced chefs through various channels.

In the kitchen of a small restaurant, several chefs are training members of the Small Restaurant Alliance.

"You see, the key to this dish is the control of the heat. If the heat is too high, the dish will burn; if the heat is too low, the dish will not be cooked." A chef said while demonstrating.

"For this dish, the combination of seasonings is very important. Different proportions of seasonings will affect the taste of the dish." Another chef was also explaining seriously.

The owners and chefs of the small restaurant gathered together, listening carefully and asking questions from time to time.

"Master, can we buy this seasoning in the market?" asked a small restaurant owner.

"You can buy it, but you must be careful to choose a regular merchant to ensure the quality of the seasoning." The chef replied.

"Master, how should we practice this cooking technique when we go back?" asked another chef.

"You'll become proficient if you do it a few times. You can start by practicing with simple dishes and gradually master the techniques." The chef explained patiently.

After a period of training, the members of the Small Restaurant Alliance learned a lot of new cooking skills and methods of making special dishes. They returned to their own restaurants and began to try to make new dishes.

In terms of service, the Small Restaurant Alliance has also strengthened the training of waiters. They invited a professional service trainer to train the waiters.

In the dining room of a small hotel, a service trainer is training the waiters. "Smile is the best service. When customers walk into the restaurant, greet them with a warm smile and greetings," the trainer said.

"During the service process, we must pay attention to details. For example, adding water to customers and cleaning the table in time." The trainer explained while demonstrating.

The waiters listened carefully and took notes from time to time. They knew that improving service quality was crucial to the survival of the small restaurant.

After a period of hard work, the business of the small restaurant alliance gradually improved, and some customers began to pay attention to these small restaurants again.

In a small restaurant, several customers were having dinner.

"Although this small restaurant is not as big as Wang's Full-line Hotel and Yuehailou, their dishes are very unique and the service is very warm. And the prices are relatively affordable," said a customer.

"Yes, I think the atmosphere here is also very warm, not as noisy as those big hotels." Another customer said.

As word of mouth spread, more and more customers began to choose to dine in the member restaurants of the Small Restaurant Alliance. The members of the Small Restaurant Alliance saw hope and knew that as long as they continued to work hard, they would definitely survive in the fierce competition.

With the rise of the small restaurant alliance, Wang's All-inclusive Hotel and Yuehailou also felt the pressure. They realized that they could not only focus on their own competition, but also on the changes in the entire catering market.

As a result, all Wang's hotels and Yuehailou began to adjust their business strategies.

The atmosphere in the meeting room of Wang's All-inclusive Hotel was solemn. The boss, Wang Jianye, sat in the main seat, frowning slightly, and scanning the management staff present.

"For some time, we have been focusing on expansion and competition with Yuehailou, but we seem to have overlooked an important group - those small restaurants," Wang Jianye said slowly.

A manager nodded slightly and said, "Boss, you are right. Although small restaurants are small in scale, they also have their own characteristics and advantages. We cannot ignore their existence."

Another manager went on to say: “Moreover, our expansion has also put a lot of pressure on small restaurants, which is not good for the development of the entire catering market.”

Wang Jianye pondered for a moment, then said firmly: "We need to adjust our business strategy. While maintaining our own characteristics, we should start to pay attention to the development of small restaurants and learn some of their advantages."

Everyone agreed. A young manager asked, "However, how can we learn from the advantages of small restaurants? They are so different from us in scale."

Wang Jianye smiled and said, "Small restaurants are often more flexible and can better meet the needs of customers. They may have some unique dishes or service methods, which we can learn from. Moreover, we cannot just focus on our own interests, but must develop and prosper together with small restaurants."

In Yuehai Building, boss Zhang Yuehai was also thinking about the same question. He stood in front of the office window, looking at the bustling streets outside, with a lot of thoughts in his mind.

"The transformation of all Wang's hotels has forced me to re-examine our business strategy," Zhang Yuehai said to himself.

At this time, a manager knocked on the door and came in. "Boss, I think we should also adjust our strategy. We can no longer just compete with Wang's full-line restaurants, but also consider the impact of small restaurants."

Zhang Yuehai turned around, nodded and said, "You are right. We cannot ignore the existence of small restaurants. They also have their own markets and customer groups. We must develop and prosper together with them."

The manager went on to say, "I have an idea. We can work with small restaurants to jointly host some food events and promote each other. This will not only expand our influence, but also help small restaurants increase their visibility."

Zhang Yuehai's eyes lit up and he said, "That's a good idea. We need to work out a specific cooperation plan as soon as possible."

However, this decision was not smooth sailing. Some people within Wang's entire hotel chain questioned the cooperation with small restaurants.

"Boss, why should we cooperate with small restaurants? What benefits can they bring to us? Our own brand is already very influential." said an old employee.

Wang Jianye patiently explained: "We can't just look at the immediate benefits. Small restaurants have their own characteristics and advantages. We can learn from each other and make progress together. Moreover, this can also promote the development of the entire catering market, which is good for us in the long run."

There are similar voices of opposition in Yuehailou.

"Will cooperating with small restaurants lower our standards? We have always cooperated with large enterprises," said a manager.

Zhang Yuehai said seriously: "This idea is wrong. We can't just look at the superficial grade, we have to see the actual benefits of cooperation. Small restaurants have their own customer base, and we can attract more customers through cooperation."

Despite some internal opposition, Wang Jianye and Zhang Yuehai are determined to move forward with their cooperation plan with the small restaurant.

They began to take the initiative to contact the owners of small restaurants and express their willingness to cooperate.

In a small restaurant, representatives from all Wang’s restaurants sat together with the owner of the small restaurant.

"We at Wang's All Series Hotels hope to cooperate with you to jointly organize food events. We can promote each other and develop together." said a representative of Wang's All Series Hotels.

The owner of the small restaurant was a little surprised and hesitant. "Really? Can our small restaurant cooperate with your big hotel? What benefits can we get?"

The representative smiled and explained, "We can plan food events together to attract more customers. You can showcase your special dishes to increase your popularity. In addition, we can also share some management experience and marketing techniques to help you improve your business operations."

The restaurant owner thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, I'm willing to cooperate with you."

There were also some twists and turns in the contact between Yuehailou and the small restaurant.

"Why did you, Yuehailou, want to cooperate with us? Is there any other purpose?" a small restaurant owner asked suspiciously. (End of this chapter)