Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

Under the strict supervision of the health department, the catering industry has undergone a baptism and ushered in a new stage of development.

As one of the leaders in the industry, Wang's All-inclusive Hotel knows that in this era of fierce competition, it must constantly improve itself in order to continue to lead the trend. In the spacious conference room of Wang's All-inclusive Hotel, the atmosphere is solemn and full of expectations. The boss Wang Jianye sat in the main seat, scanning the management staff sitting there with a sharp gaze.

Wang Jianye said seriously: "Now, the hygiene problem has been effectively solved, but we must not be satisfied with it. We must go a step further in service quality to give customers a better dining experience. Only in this way can we remain invincible in the fierce competition."

A young manager leaned forward slightly and said, "Boss, I think we can strengthen employee training to improve the professionalism and communication skills of our service staff. Customers now pay more and more attention to the details of the service. If our waiters can be more professional and enthusiastic, they will definitely leave a deep impression on customers."

Another experienced manager continued, "That's right. We can also introduce some new service concepts, such as personalized services, to meet the needs of different customers. Customers now have different needs. We cannot generalize. We need to provide personalized services based on the characteristics of different customers."

Wang Jianye nodded slightly, with approval in his eyes, and said, "Okay, let's do as you say. We want to make Wang's All-System Restaurant the first choice in the hearts of customers, so that when they think of eating, they will think of our Wang's All-System Restaurant first."

Therefore, all Wang's hotels started a new round of staff training in full swing. In a bright training classroom, service staff sat neatly and listened carefully to the trainer's explanation.

The trainer stood on the podium and said attentively: "When serving customers, we should always keep smiling and communicate with customers in a polite manner. Smiling is a bridge between us and customers, and it allows customers to feel our enthusiasm and sincerity."

A young waiter raised his hand and asked, "Teacher, what should I do if I encounter a difficult customer?"

The trainer smiled and replied, "When we encounter difficult customers, we must remain calm and patient. We must listen carefully to their problems and needs and do our best to solve their problems. We must not conflict with customers and we must value harmony."

The waiters nodded, indicating that they understood. They began to seriously study etiquette, communication skills and other knowledge, and worked hard to improve the quality of service.

At the same time, Yuehailou is also actively exploring ways to improve its service quality. Standing in the lobby of Yuehailou, looking at the slightly outdated decoration, the owner Zhang Yuehai has made a decision in his mind.

Zhang Yuehai said to the decoration team: "We want to create a more comfortable and elegant dining environment so that customers can relax and enjoy delicious food. Today's customers not only pay attention to the taste of the dishes, but also the comfort of the dining environment. We want to make Yuehailou a paradise for customers to enjoy delicious food."

The person in charge of the decoration team nodded and said, "Don't worry, boss. We will do our best. We will use high-quality decoration materials and design a dining environment that is both beautiful and comfortable."

The decoration team began to renovate Yuehailou. They replaced more comfortable seats to make customers sit more comfortably; added some green plants to make the whole restaurant look more vibrant; and adjusted the lighting arrangement to create a warm and romantic atmosphere.

In a small restaurant, the owner was talking to a farmer at the door of the store.

The boss said, "We will buy vegetables from you in the future. We must ensure that they are fresh and free of pesticide residues. Customers now have higher and higher requirements for ingredients. We can only attract customers if we provide fresh and healthy ingredients."

The farmer smiled and responded, "Don't worry, we grow all the vegetables ourselves, they are absolutely green and healthy. I will deliver the freshest vegetables to you every day and guarantee that your customers will be satisfied."

Other small restaurants have begun to launch special packages to attract more customers. At the entrance of a small restaurant, the owner is introducing their new packages to passers-by.

"We have launched this family package, which is affordable and has a rich variety of dishes. It is very suitable for the whole family. It includes our signature dishes and some newly introduced specialties, which will surely satisfy you." A small restaurant owner introduced enthusiastically.

As time goes by, competition in the catering industry becomes increasingly fierce. In order to gain a foothold in the market, restaurants have begun to innovate their dishes.

In the kitchens of all Wang's restaurants, chefs gathered together and enthusiastically discussed new cooking methods and food combinations.

A young chef suggested: "We can try to use some local specialty ingredients to make unique dishes. For example, we can use local wild mushrooms to pair with beef, which will definitely make a delicious dish."

Another chef nodded and said, "That's a good idea. We can also use local special seasonings to enhance the flavor of the dishes."

After listening to everyone's suggestions, the chef said, "Okay, let's give it a try. Everyone should use their creativity and try more new combinations to bring more surprises to customers."

Yuehailou was not to be outdone and invited some well-known chefs to communicate and provide guidance. In the kitchen of Yuehailou, several well-known chefs were sharing their cooking skills and ideas with the chefs of Yuehailou.

"Through exchanges with these masters, we can learn a lot of new cooking techniques and concepts," said the chef of Yuehailou. "For example, the carving technique of this master is simply amazing. We can apply this technique to our dishes to make them more beautiful."

A chef from Yue Hai Lou asked, "Master, do you have any unique techniques for seasoning?"

The famous chef smiled and replied: "Seasoning should be adjusted according to different ingredients and tastes. It is necessary to focus on balance and harmony, and not let one flavor be too prominent. And you must dare to try new seasoning combinations to create a unique flavor."

……

With the continuous improvement of service quality and the continuous advancement of food innovation, the popularity of Wang's All-Series Hotels and Yuehailou in the catering industry is like fireworks blooming in the night sky, getting higher and higher and more dazzling. However, just as the moon waxes and wanes, behind the glory, new problems also follow like a shadow and gradually emerge.

The spacious and bright lobby of Wang's All-Inclusive Hotel is always bustling with activity. On this day, the lobby was packed with customers waiting to dine in. People were sitting or standing, with anxious and expectant expressions on their faces.

A well-dressed middle-aged customer said to the waiter impatiently: "Why do we have to wait so long? We have been waiting for almost an hour. This time is enough for me to do many things."

The waiter Xiao Li came forward quickly, with an apologetic smile on his face, and said soothingly: "I'm so sorry, sir. There are many customers today, and the kitchen and service staff are trying their best to speed up. Please wait a moment, we will arrange it as soon as possible."

The customer frowned and complained, "You guys are taking up too much time. I won't dare come next time." Xiao Li quickly said, "Sir, don't be angry. We don't want to keep you waiting so long. Today is a special day. While you're eating, we'll give you a small dessert as a token of our appreciation."

The hotel owner Wang Jianye soon learned about the situation in the lobby. He was extremely anxious and urgently convened a meeting of the management.

In the conference room, Wang Jianye frowned and said seriously: "Now there are more and more guests, and our reception capacity is obviously insufficient. This is a big problem. We must find a way to solve this problem, otherwise it will affect our reputation and business."

A young manager named Xiao Wang suggested: "Boss, we can consider expanding the restaurant and adding more tables and private rooms. This way we can accommodate more guests and reduce waiting time."

Another experienced manager, Lao Zhang, said worriedly: "But expanding the scale requires a lot of money and time. And no one can guarantee that the problem can be solved. What if after the expansion, there are not so many customers, then our costs will increase a lot."

Xiao Wang said unconvincedly: "How do we know it won't work if we don't try? We have so many customers now, which means our market demand is huge. It's only a matter of time before we expand our scale."

Lao Zhang retorted: "You make it sound easy. Expanding the scale is not a trivial matter. There are too many factors to consider. For example, the venue, decoration costs, staff recruitment, etc. These cannot be solved in a short time."

Everyone was arguing. Wang Jianye listened to the discussion and fell into deep thought. After a while, he looked up and said, "Everyone has a point. Expanding the scale does have risks, but we can't just sit there and wait for failure. Let's optimize the hotel's reservation system first to improve the accuracy and efficiency of reservations. At the same time, we will strengthen the training of waiters, improve service speed, and minimize customers' waiting time. Let's see how it works. If it still doesn't work, we can consider expanding the scale."

Everyone nodded in agreement. So, Wang's entire hotel chain began a series of improvement measures. In terms of the reservation system, they introduced advanced software to allow customers to reserve seats more conveniently, while also improving the accuracy of reservations. In terms of waiter training, they invited professional trainers to conduct systematic training for the waiters, including service etiquette, communication skills, ordering skills, etc.

The carefully decorated dining environment at Yuehailou is like a beautiful painting, pleasing to the eye. However, behind the beauty, the cost also increases. The boss Zhang Yuehai sat in his office, looking at the financial statements, frowning and looking worried.

He told the financial manager, Lao Li, "Costs are rising too fast. This is not good. We must find a way to control costs without compromising the quality of our service and food."

After thinking for a moment, Lao Li said, "Boss, I think we can renegotiate with suppliers to get more favorable prices. At the same time, we can optimize internal management processes to reduce waste. For example, in terms of food procurement, we can sign long-term contracts with suppliers to get lower prices. In terms of kitchen management, we can strengthen the management of food usage to avoid waste."

Zhang Yuehai nodded slightly to show his agreement and said, "Okay, let's do it as soon as possible. We need to reduce costs while ensuring quality. This is our top priority at the moment."

Lao Li took the order and started a tough negotiation with the supplier. At the negotiation table, Lao Li said seriously: "We have been cooperating with you for a while. Now the cost is rising too fast. We hope you can give us a more favorable price. Otherwise, we may consider changing suppliers."

The supplier representative was not to be outdone and said, "Our prices are already very reasonable. Prices are rising now, and our costs are also increasing. If we give you a lower price, we will have no profit."

The two sides argued back and forth. After several rounds of negotiations, they finally reached a compromise and the supplier agreed to give Yuehailou a certain price discount. At the same time, Yuehailou also strengthened the optimization of internal management processes and reduced waste.

Small restaurants are also trying to find their own living space. At a gathering of small restaurant owners, everyone sat together in a warm and expectant atmosphere. A boss with a vicissitudes of life, Lao Zhang, said: "It is difficult for us to compete with big restaurants alone. Only by uniting can we have more say. Now that big restaurants are becoming more and more powerful, if we small restaurants don't unite, we will have no way to survive."

Other bosses agreed. A young boss named Xiao Wang said, "Yes, we can buy ingredients together, which can reduce costs. We can also exchange experiences and make progress together."

So, the small restaurants started to take action. They had tough negotiations with some food suppliers. At the negotiation site, the small restaurant owners united and fought for their interests together.

One boss said: "We have so many small restaurants purchasing together, and the quantity is not small. You should give us a more favorable price."

The supplier hesitated for a moment and said, "Although your quantity is not small, it is still far from that of the big hotels. I can't give you a price that is too low."

The small restaurant owners refused to give in and continued to bargain with the suppliers. After some efforts, they finally won some discounts.

At the same time, small restaurants have also begun to pay attention to service details and strive to improve customer satisfaction. They train waiters to make them more enthusiastic and thoughtful; they improve the dining environment to make customers more comfortable.

However, as the market continues to change, new competitors continue to emerge.

Some emerging catering brands have attracted many customers with their unique business concepts and novel dishes. In a newly opened fashionable restaurant, the decoration is full of modern sense and the lights are bright.

A young customer excitedly said to his friend: "This restaurant is really good, with a nice environment and creative dishes. We can come here more often in the future." (End of this chapter)