Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

Xiao Li first contacted the existing supplier. During the call, he said sincerely: "Hello, our restaurant business is getting better and better, and the demand for ingredients has indeed increased a lot. Can you think of a way to increase the supply? We attach great importance to the freshness and quality of ingredients, and hope to have long-term and stable cooperation with you."

The supplier said on the other end of the phone: "Xiao Li, we also want to meet your needs, but we have encountered some problems in purchasing raw materials recently, and it is a bit difficult to increase supply."

Xiao Li thought for a moment and said, "How about this? We can increase the purchase price appropriately, and you can find a way to overcome the difficulties and increase the supply. In addition, we will also help find a supply channel for raw materials and try to help you solve the problem."

The supplier thought about it and said, "Okay, Xiao Li, for the sake of our cooperation, I will think of a solution. But I still need your help with the raw materials issue."

Xiao Li quickly said: "Okay, no problem, we will definitely try our best."

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Li started to contact other potential backup suppliers. He collected information about some suppliers through various channels, and then called them one by one. When communicating with a new supplier, Xiao Li gave a detailed introduction to the restaurant's situation and needs: "Hello, we are Wang's Full-line Restaurant, which has just opened in Osaka. Business is very good and the demand for ingredients is large. We hope to establish a cooperative relationship with your company. I wonder if you can provide a stable supply of fresh ingredients?"

The other party showed some interest on the phone: "We have a general understanding of your restaurant's situation. We can provide ingredients, but the price may be a little higher."

Xiao Li responded: "We can discuss the price, but the premise is that the quality of the ingredients must be guaranteed and they must be fresh. Our restaurant pays great attention to the quality of the ingredients, and I hope you can understand this."

After some communication and negotiation, Xiao Li finally found several backup suppliers and reached a preliminary cooperation intention with them. He reported the situation to Wang Jianye: "Mr. Wang, I have communicated with the existing suppliers and they promised to increase the supply as much as possible. In addition, I have also found several backup suppliers and reached a preliminary cooperation intention with them, which should ensure a stable supply of ingredients."

After hearing this, Wang Jianye nodded and said, "Very good, Xiao Li, you have worked hard. But you still need to pay close attention to the supply and quality of the ingredients, and report any problems in a timely manner."

As the food supply problem was solved, the operation of the Osaka branch gradually stabilized. Wang Jianye did not relax because of this. He continued to pay attention to market dynamics and changes in customer demand. He knew that in the fiercely competitive catering market, only by constantly adapting to changes and continuing to innovate can Wang's entire chain of hotels take root deeper in Japan and grow stronger.

At a team meeting, Wang Jianye said to everyone: "Although the Osaka branch is currently developing well, we cannot be satisfied with this. We should pay more attention to new trends in the market and see where we can improve and innovate to keep our hotel competitive."

Xiao Wang, who is in charge of market research, said, "Mr. Wang, I recently found that consumers in Osaka are paying more and more attention to healthy eating. We can consider launching some healthy and low-fat dishes to attract these customers."

Wang Jianye's eyes lit up after hearing this: "This is a good idea. The chef team can conduct research and development in this direction. On the premise of ensuring the taste, we can launch some healthy snacks and barbecue dishes. In addition, in terms of publicity, we must also highlight the healthy concept of our dishes."

The chef team members nodded and said they would start research and development as soon as possible. In the following days, the chefs began to try to use some low-fat ingredients, such as chicken breast and fish, and combined the Osaka cooking method with the original flavor of the hotel to develop new dishes.

After a period of hard work, the chef team launched several healthy and low-fat dishes, such as chicken breast and vegetable cakes made in the Okonomiyaki style, and low-fat fish skewers grilled with special sauces. These dishes were well received by customers as soon as they were launched.

After tasting the chicken breast and vegetable pie, a health-conscious customer said to the waiter, "This dish is really good. It is delicious and healthy, and it meets the needs of people like us who pay attention to healthy eating." The waiter smiled and responded, "Thank you for your recognition. We will continue to launch more healthy dishes."

With the introduction of healthy and low-fat dishes, the Osaka branch attracted more health-conscious customers and further expanded its customer base.

……

With the success of the Osaka branch in healthy and low-fat dishes, Wang Jianye and his team were greatly encouraged. However, they were not satisfied with the status quo, but set their sights on a broader space for development.

At a management meeting, Wang Jianye looked at his team members and said, "The Osaka branch's healthy dishes have received good response, which is a good start. But we can't just focus on the present, there are still many cities in Japan with huge market potential. Next, we are considering opening a branch in Nagoya." The team members nodded one after another, their eyes revealing their anticipation for new challenges.

So Wang Jianye led the team to Nagoya for another inspection. As soon as they arrived in Nagoya, they found the unique industrial atmosphere and rich food atmosphere of the city intertwined. On the streets, there were a variety of specialty snack shops, and the faces of the pedestrians were filled with enthusiasm for life.

As they walked, Wang Jianye said to the team: "Nagoya is different from Osaka and Tokyo. It has a unique food culture, such as miso pork chops and Nagoya chicken wings. We need to learn more about it and incorporate these characteristics into our dishes."

Xiao Zhao, who was in charge of market research, quickly took notes and continued, "Mr. Wang, I found that people in Nagoya have high requirements for the quality and uniqueness of food. In addition, there are frequent commercial activities here, and there are many office workers and tourists. Our dishes and services must meet the needs of different groups of people."

Wang Jianye nodded in approval: "Then let's start from here. The chef team needs to develop new fusion dishes based on Nagoya's special ingredients and taste preferences. The service team also needs to study how to provide more considerate services for different customer groups."

After returning to Tokyo, the chef team immediately started to work on the research and development. In the kitchen, they kept trying to combine the special ingredients of Nagoya with the original style of the restaurant. Chef Zhang put a piece of miso pork chop on the workbench and said to Chef Xiao Li next to him: "Xiao Li, let's think about how to make this miso pork chop new and keep the special flavor of our restaurant."

After thinking for a while, Xiao Li said, "Master Zhang, how about we add some Mexican spices to the marinade of the pork chops to add a unique flavor, and make the outer coating crispier?" Lao Zhang's eyes lit up after hearing this: "This is a good idea, let's try it." So they started to make it, mixing the sauce, marinating the pork chops, coating them with flour and fried powder, and frying them in oil until golden. When the pork chops were cooked, the two tasted a bite, and Lao Zhang frowned: "The spice taste is a bit strong, covering up the taste of miso, let's adjust the ratio."

After many attempts and adjustments, they finally made a satisfying miso pork chop. The pork chop has a crispy skin, and when you bite it, you can taste the richness of miso and the unique flavor of Mexican spices, which complement each other.

At the same time, the service team is also studying how to improve service quality. Xiao Lin, the person in charge, said to the team members: "When we serve office workers, our service must be fast and efficient because they have limited time; when it comes to tourists, we need to introduce more culture and characteristics behind the dishes to give them a richer experience. Can you think of any other good ideas?"

A waiter said: "Sister Kobayashi, we can make some multilingual menus to make it easier for foreign tourists to order food. We can also set up a small corner in the store to display Nagoya's special souvenirs to increase the cultural atmosphere."

Xiao Lin nodded in agreement: "This is a good idea. Let's think about it and see if there are other aspects that can be improved."

In the process of preparing for the Nagoya branch, the team also encountered some difficulties. It was not easy to find a suitable store, either the location was not ideal or the rent was too high. Xiao Wang, who was in charge of site selection, said to Wang Jianye with some worry: "Mr. Wang, I have looked at several stores in the past few days, but none of them meet our requirements. What do you think we should do?"

Wang Jianye patted Xiao Wang on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry. Site selection is a big deal and we can't just make do with it. Let's expand our search scope and communicate more with real estate agents. We will eventually find a suitable one."

After some efforts, Xiao Wang finally found a suitable store. The store is located near the commercial center of Nagoya, surrounded by office buildings, convenient transportation and a large flow of people. After an on-site inspection, Wang Jianye said with satisfaction: "This is a good location, and the surrounding people are very consistent with our target customers. The next step is to decorate and prepare for the opening."

The decoration team designed a unique decoration scheme based on the characteristics of Nagoya and the overall style of the hotel. The store uses some elements of Nagoya's traditional architecture, such as wooden structures and warm-toned lighting, to create a warm and comfortable atmosphere. At the same time, pictures of Nagoya's scenery and special food are hung on the walls to showcase the local culture.

The team also encountered some obstacles in terms of food supply. Some suppliers of Nagoya specialty ingredients were skeptical about their fusion cuisine concept and worried about poor sales. Wang Jianye once again personally stepped in to communicate with the suppliers.

Wang Jianye told the supplier: "Our branches in Tokyo and Osaka have been successful, and fusion dishes are very popular with customers. Nagoya has a unique food culture, and we hope to combine it with our characteristics to create more attractive dishes. By cooperating with us, your food sales will definitely increase."

The supplier said hesitantly: "Boss Wang, I know you have the ability, but this fusion cuisine is a new thing after all, I am still a little worried."

Wang Jianye continued, "How about this, we can sign a short-term cooperation agreement first. During this period, we will increase our publicity and promotion efforts to let more people know about our dishes. If the sales volume does not meet expectations, we are willing to bear certain responsibilities."

After Wang Jianye's patient communication, the supplier finally agreed to cooperate.

The Nagoya branch finally opened successfully. On the opening day, the store was bustling with customers attracted by the unique decoration style and novel dishes. After tasting the fusion miso pork chop, an office worker said to the waiter: "This pork chop tastes really special. It has the familiar miso aroma and a different flavor. The service speed is quite fast, which is very suitable for us office workers."

A customer who looked like a tourist tasted the Nagoya chicken wings fusion dish after being introduced by the waiter and gave a thumbs up: "This chicken wing is delicious. You also introduced the culture behind the dish in detail, which made us understand the food and have fun."

As word of mouth spread among customers, the business of the Nagoya branch was getting better and better. However, Wang Jianye did not relax. He regularly came to the Nagoya branch to observe customer feedback and market trends.

One day, a customer reported to the waiter: "The variety of drinks in your store is a bit limited. It would be better if you could add some local specialty drinks." The waiter told Wang Jianye this feedback.

Wang Jianye immediately realized that this was an area that needed improvement. He called a team meeting and said, "Customers have complained that we don't have enough beverages. Let's think of ways to add some Nagoya-style drinks and also consider pairing them with our dishes."

After research, the team responsible for beverage development launched several special drinks, such as juice made from local fruits in Nagoya and special tea drinks with miso elements. These drinks were well received by customers as soon as they were launched.

During the operation, Wang Jianye also found that several similar restaurants had opened nearby, and the competition was becoming increasingly fierce. He said to his team: "Competition is here, which is a challenge as well as an opportunity. We must leverage our strengths, continue to innovate our dishes and services, and keep our customers interested in us."

Therefore, the chef team began to develop new seasonal dishes. In the spring, they launched cherry blossom-themed fusion snacks, incorporating cherry blossom elements into Nagoya specialty snacks, which attracted many customers to come and taste them.

As time went by, all Wang's hotels also gained a firm foothold in Nagoya.

At a high-level meeting, Wang Jianye told the core members of the team: "We have achieved certain results in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, but we cannot limit ourselves to these. Next, we can consider opening a branch in Hokkaido. Hokkaido has rich seafood resources and a unique food culture, which is a new opportunity for us."

Team members expressed their opinions one after another. Xiao Zhao, who was in charge of market research, said, "Mr. Wang, the seafood in Hokkaido is of very high quality, and the local dairy products are also very famous. We can develop new dishes based on these special ingredients, such as using Hokkaido seafood with Mexican peppers to make a unique seafood stew, or using local dairy products to make fusion desserts." (End of this chapter)