Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

Zhao Qiang patiently explained to the landlord: "Boss Zhang, don't worry, we rent your shop for long-term operation. We will take good care of the shop and renovate it according to your requirements, and we guarantee that we will not cause you any trouble. Moreover, we are strong and will never default on the rent."

After many communications and negotiations, the landlord was finally moved by Zhao Qiang's sincerity and agreed to sign the lease contract.

At the same time, Wang Jianye was not idle. He actively prepared other matters for the store opening, established contacts with domestic food suppliers, and learned about the supply and prices of various food ingredients. He also maintained close communication with Chen Yu, followed the progress of market research, and adjusted and improved the store opening plan based on the information Chen Yu fed back.

In a telephone conference with Chen Yu, Chen Yu said: "Mr. Wang, according to our market research, Jinan people pay more attention to the taste and cost-effectiveness of dishes when it comes to catering consumption. In addition, they attach great importance to traditional festivals and family gatherings. We can do something in these areas."

Wang Jianye listened carefully and said, "Xiao Chen, you are right. When developing dishes, we must emphasize the taste and set reasonable prices. In addition, for traditional festivals and family gatherings, we can design some special packages to create a warm dining atmosphere."

As time went by, Zhao Qiang finally found a store that was ideal in every way. It was a two-story building located next to a new commercial complex, surrounded by several large communities and with considerable traffic. The interior of the store was spacious and bright, with a square layout, which was very suitable for catering operations.

Zhao Qiang excitedly called Wang Jianye: "Boss Wang, I found a great store with a good location, large space, and complete surrounding facilities. Come and take a look!"

After receiving the call, Wang Jianye immediately arranged his trip and flew to Jinan. When he saw the store recommended by Zhao Qiang, his eyes lit up.

"Mr. Zhao, this store is amazing! Thank you so much!" Wang Jianye said excitedly.

Zhao Qiang smiled and said, "Haha, Mr. Wang, this is the result of our joint efforts. Next, we can start the decoration and preparation for the opening."

After deciding on the store, Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li gathered together again to discuss the next plan. They knew that although they had found an ideal store, there was still a long way to go in terms of decoration, staff recruitment, and menu improvement. However, they were full of confidence that with the wisdom and hard work of the team, they would be able to make all Wang's restaurants shine brightly in Jinan and add a unique touch to the local food culture.

In terms of decoration design, they faced new challenges. They had to reflect the hotel's multicultural integration characteristics and integrate the local cultural elements of Jinan. Wang Jianye invited a well-known local designer to communicate with him in detail about the design ideas.

"Designer, we hope that the decoration of this store can not only reflect our restaurant's concept of integrating food from all over the world, but also make customers in Jinan feel friendly and have a sense of belonging. Do you have any ideas?" Wang Jianye asked.

The designer thought for a while and said, "Mr. Wang, I suggest that we adopt a modern and simple design in the overall style, while incorporating some traditional Chinese elements, such as wooden screens and paper-cutting art decorations with Jinan characteristics. In terms of color matching, warm tones can be used as the main color to create a warm and comfortable dining environment."

Wang Jianye nodded and said, "That's a good idea. In addition, we also hope to set up some display areas in the store to showcase the ingredients of our dishes, the cooking process, and the food culture of various places, so that customers can gain knowledge while dining."

The designer carefully wrote down Wang Jianye's request and said, "No problem, Mr. Wang. I will come up with a detailed design plan as soon as possible according to your requirements."

In terms of personnel recruitment, Chen Yu was personally responsible and developed a detailed recruitment plan. He posted recruitment information through various recruitment channels, attracting the attention of many job seekers. During the interview process, Chen Yu not only examined the professional skills of job seekers, but also paid attention to their understanding and tolerance of multiculturalism.

"Hello, what do you know about fusion cuisine?" Chen Yu asked a job applicant who was applying for the position of chef.

The job seeker replied: "Manager Chen, I think fusion cuisine is to combine the food characteristics of different regions to create new flavors and dishes. I have tried some fusion cooking before, and I think it is a very creative catering concept."

Chen Yu nodded and continued to ask: "If you were asked to combine Shandong cuisine with Korean cuisine, what would you do?"

The job seeker thought for a moment and said, "I might use Shandong cuisine's cooking techniques to process Korean ingredients, such as using Shandong cuisine's braised method to cook Korean pork belly, and then add some Korean special sauces to adjust the taste."

Chen Yu was quite satisfied with the applicant's answer. After several rounds of interviews, he finally selected a group of outstanding employees.

In terms of dish development, Chef Li and his team of chefs continued to explore in depth. They constantly tried new combinations of ingredients and cooking methods, striving to perfectly integrate the characteristics of Korean cuisine and Shandong cuisine. After countless trials and adjustments, they developed a series of new dishes, such as Shandong-style kimchi fried pork belly, curry Shandong-flavored tofu pot, Korean sweet and sour carp, etc.

"Master, please try my new dish, stir-fried pork belly with Shandong pickles. I added some Shandong cuisine spices to it, and the taste seems to be richer." Chef Xiao Zhang said excitedly to Master Li while holding a plate of new dishes.

Master Li tasted it and said, "Well, it's good. The addition of spices makes the taste of this dish more distinct. However, the cooking time of kimchi can be shortened a bit to keep its crispy taste."

As the preparations are gradually advanced, the opening date of the Wang's All-in-One Restaurant Jinan branch is getting closer. Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li are full of expectations, knowing that this will be a new challenge and opportunity. They look forward to bringing customers a unique food experience in Jinan and writing a new glorious chapter for Wang's All-in-One Restaurant.

In the final sprint before the opening, they still faced some minor problems. For example, some food suppliers were delayed in delivery, resulting in insufficient food reserves in the kitchen. After learning about this, Master Li immediately contacted other suppliers to urgently allocate food ingredients to ensure that the development of dishes and trial operations were not affected. "Mr. Wang, the problem of food supply has been solved. We have contacted another supplier, and they can provide the food we need on time and in quantity." Master Li reported to Wang Jianye.

Wang Jianye breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Okay, thank you for your hard work, Lao Li. Before opening, we must ensure that all links are foolproof."

At the same time, some minor incidents occurred during the store renovation process. Due to the construction workers' deviation from the design plan, some decoration details did not meet expectations. Chen Yu discovered the problem in time, communicated with the designer and construction team, and readjusted the construction plan.

"Designer, the construction team did not follow our design plan in the decoration of this area. Can you come over and communicate with them again?" Chen Yu said anxiously.

The designer quickly rushed to the site and conducted detailed explanations and communications with the construction team, ultimately ensuring that the renovation work proceeded smoothly according to the design plan.

After a series of efforts and adjustments, the Jinan branch of Wang's Full Series Hotels is finally ready and is about to usher in the important moment of its opening.

……

Amid the intensive preparations, everything at the Jinan branch seemed to be moving in a good direction. However, fate always likes to give people unexpected problems, and the problem of food procurement was the first to emerge.

In the early morning of Jinan, the vegetable market was bustling with hawking and bargaining. Xiao Li, who was in charge of purchasing ingredients, stood in front of a pile of carp with a frown on his face, looking helpless. This batch of Daming Lake carp purchased from a previously contacted supplier should have been lively, fresh and plump, but now the fish bodies have lost their luster and their eyes are sunken, which is obviously not fresh enough. Xiao Li knew that this was a huge hidden danger for the restaurant that was about to open. He was anxious and quickly called Chen Yu.

"Manager Chen, something terrible has happened! There is a big quality problem with this batch of carp from Daming Lake. They are completely unusable. What should we do?" Xiao Li's voice was trembling and his forehead was covered with sweat.

Chen Yu was checking various preparations before the opening in his office. When he heard the news, the pen in his hand fell on the table with a "snap". His face instantly became solemn, and he bit his lip and said, "Xiao Li, don't panic, calm down. I will discuss countermeasures with Mr. Wang right away, you wait for my news there."

Chen Yu got up in a hurry and walked quickly to Wang Jianye's office. The door of the office was half-open, and Wang Jianye was concentrating on reviewing a document. Chen Yu didn't even bother to knock on the door, and walked in directly.

"Mr. Wang, something big has happened! The carp we purchased from Daming Lake are not fresh enough and cannot be used in making dishes. What should we do? The new supplier has not been determined yet, but the opening time is getting closer!" Chen Yu said anxiously, his hands unconsciously gesturing in front of him.

Upon hearing this, Wang Jianye's brows knitted tightly into the shape of a "川" character. He put down the documents in his hand, leaned back in his chair, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Xiao Chen, don't panic yet. We can't be defeated by this little difficulty. You should contact Zhao Qiang immediately. He has a wide network of contacts in Jinan. Ask him to recommend a few reliable suppliers. I will also think of solutions from other channels. Let's do it on two fronts."

Chen Yu nodded, turned back to his office, and immediately called Zhao Qiang. On the other end of the phone, Zhao Qiang was negotiating business with a partner. Hearing Chen Yu's anxious voice, he said without hesitation: "Manager Chen, don't worry, I'll take care of it. I've been doing business in Jinan for so many years, and I'm quite familiar with food suppliers. I'll contact a few reliable ones for you and try to solve the problem as soon as possible."

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Qiang quickly put down his work and started looking through his contacts. As he looked through the contacts, he kept muttering, "Which supplier has fresher fish... Oh, Lao Zhang seems to have a good one." He called a supplier named Lao Zhang and asked about the supply and quality assurance of carp in detail. Lao Zhang assured that the Daming Lake carp they supplied were all caught from the lake early that morning and were absolutely fresh. Zhao Qiang contacted several other suppliers and, after some comparison and screening, finally decided on a supplier with a good reputation and reasonable prices.

Zhao Qiang informed Chen Yu of the supplier's contact information and said, "Manager Chen, I have worked with this supplier several times before. The quality of their fish has always been very good. You can rest assured. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me."

Chen Yu was very grateful and said, "Boss Zhao, thank you so much! If it weren't for your help this time, we really don't know what to do. We will always remember your kindness."

Chen Yu immediately arranged for Xiao Li to contact a new supplier and repurchased a batch of fresh Daming Lake carp. When the lively carp were delivered to the kitchen, the chefs breathed a sigh of relief. Chef Li personally checked the quality of each fish to ensure that it met the requirements for dish preparation.

Finally, the day of the Jinan branch's opening arrived amid everyone's eager anticipation. The morning sun shone on the streets, giving the city a golden coat. At the entrance of Wang's All-Series Restaurant Jinan Branch, big red lanterns were hung high, and red ribbons fluttered in the wind, exuding a strong traditional Chinese atmosphere. Two rows of bright flower baskets were placed at the entrance of the store, and the fragrance of flowers filled the air. Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li came to the store early, dressed in neat clothes, with smiles on their faces, but their eyes revealed a hint of nervousness and expectation.

As time went by, more and more customers came into the store. However, the situation in the early days of opening was not as optimistic as they expected. There was not much customer flow, and the occasional customers who came into the store had mixed reviews on the dishes.

A gray-haired old man, wearing a washed-out Zhongshan suit, sat at the table. After tasting the Shandong-style pickled cabbage fried pork belly, he frowned and said, "Why does this taste a bit strange? It's different from the dishes we usually eat in Jinan. The dishes in Jinan are salty, fresh and mellow. The taste of this dish feels a bit mixed."

A young lady nearby, wearing a fashionable dress, smiled and said, "I think it's OK, quite creative. But some of the flavors do need some getting used to, like the kimchi fried pork belly, maybe it would be better if the kimchi taste was a little lighter."

Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li stood aside and heard these words clearly. They felt like a heavy stone was pressing on their hearts. Wang Jianye sighed slightly and said, "It seems that our grasp of the JN market is still not accurate enough. We must find a way to improve it as soon as possible." (End of this chapter)