Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

So, the chefs started a new round of dish development.

They try to use different combinations of ingredients to make the condiments and constantly adjust the production process.

After many experiments, a new dish called "Huyun Fusion Rice" was born.

This staple dish has both the fragrance of lotus leaf rice and the rich taste of bibimbap, and it also adds some Korean special sauces. It has a unique taste and is deeply loved by customers.

After the new dishes were launched, they were warmly welcomed by customers.

A customer who frequents the restaurant said: "This new staple food is so delicious! It has the taste of our Weishan Lake and the characteristics of Korean cuisine. It is really eye-catching.

Your restaurant never fails to surprise us.”

As the restaurant's popularity continues to grow, more and more people are beginning to pay attention to the Weishan Lake branch of Wang's All-in-One Hotels.

Some catering colleagues also came to learn and exchange experiences with Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li.

During a catering industry exchange event, a local catering business owner said, "Mr. Wang, your restaurant is so successful in Weishan Lake, what is the secret?"

Wang Jianye smiled and replied: “In fact, there is no special secret, it is just to do catering with heart, understand the needs of customers, and constantly innovate dishes and services.

At the same time, we must focus on team building and work together to run the restaurant well.”

……

As the business of the Weishan Lake branch of Wang's All-Season Restaurant grew like bamboo shoots in spring, gradually getting on the right track, Wang Jianye, Chen Yu and Master Li were full of expectations. They thought they could steadily expand the market in this place surrounded by beautiful lakes and mountains, and deeply root the unique charm of fusion cuisine.

However, the business world is like a battlefield, with unpredictable changes. A fierce business war is approaching quietly but fiercely.

In the Weishan Lake area, there is an old restaurant that can be regarded as a mainstay in the catering industry - "Lake Fresh Feast".

Over the years, it has been like a steady helmsman, relying on the unique and inexhaustible rich lake seafood resources of Weishan Lake and the traditional cooking skills passed down from generation to generation. It has firmly occupied an important position in the local catering market, like a towering mountain that is difficult to shake.

The owner of the restaurant, Zhou Dashan, is a big and strong man with a face tanned by the sun from years of interacting with fishermen by the lake.

He has a generous and righteous personality. He has extensive connections in the Weishan Lake area and is acquainted with people from all walks of life.

With his excellent business acumen and excellent communication skills, his business is booming and the sign of "Lake Fresh Feast" is well-known in Weishan Lake area.

When "Lake Fresh Feast" keenly noticed the sudden rise of Wang's entire restaurant chain, which was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, breaking the original market structure and bringing potential threats, Zhou Dashan could no longer sit still.

He knew very well that this silent battle had already begun, and if he was not careful, he might lose the empire he had painstakingly built over many years.

So, he acted decisively and immediately called together the core team of the store to discuss countermeasures in the hotel's conference room which was decorated with a water town atmosphere.

In the conference room, the atmosphere was as solemn as the gloom before a storm.

On the walls, carefully framed paintings vividly show the stunning scenery of Weishan Lake in all four seasons: in spring, the lake is sparkling and the water plants are swaying; in summer, the lotus leaves are endless green and the lotus flowers are red in the sun; in autumn, the golden reeds are swaying in the wind and flocks of migratory birds are circling over the lake; in winter, the frozen lake is like a huge mirror, reflecting the cold sunlight.

However, at this moment these beautiful scenes formed a sharp and ironic contrast with the tense and depressing atmosphere inside.

Zhou Dashan sat at the head of the conference table, his broad palms tightly grasping an antique teacup, his brows tightly twisted into the shape of the Chinese character "川", and the wrinkles on his forehead became more and more obvious, as if engraved with the vicissitudes of life and the worries of the moment.

His eyes revealed a hint of anxiety, but more of it was anger after being challenged. His eyes were like burning flames, as if to devour all threats.

He placed the teacup heavily on the table, making a dull and powerful sound, breaking the brief silence in the conference room.

"Everyone knows that Wang's All-inclusive Restaurant, which serves some fancy fusion dishes, has become quite popular here recently and attracted a lot of attention.

Humph, they are trying to steal our jobs! Let's talk about what we should do? "Zhou Dashan's voice was deep and powerful, echoing in the conference room like a huge bell, with unquestionable majesty.

The marketing manager, Liu Hai, is a little thin and wears a pair of black-framed glasses. His eyes behind the lenses sparkle with a shrewd light.

He pushed his glasses, cleared his throat, and spoke first: "Mr. Zhou, in my opinion, we have to make some changes on the price.

They are a new store, so the initial investment is definitely huge and the cost cannot be reduced.

We can take advantage of this and launch a series of special lake dishes, keeping the prices so low that those price-sensitive customers cannot refuse.

Just think about it, our steamed white fish usually sells for 68 yuan per serving, but we can offer it at a special price of 38 yuan, which will definitely attract a large number of customers.

This move will definitely leave them powerless to fight back on price.”

Chef Zhang Fu has a stocky build, with the muscles on his arms faintly visible against the backdrop of his white chef uniform, and his face carries the air of a veteran who has worked in the kitchen for many years.

He nodded vigorously and agreed, “That’s right, Mr. Zhou.

We also have to highlight our traditional advantages in our dishes.

We have been cooking seafood from Weishan Lake for many years and the taste is impeccable.

We can further optimize our signature dishes, starting with the selection of ingredients, and strictly control the quality, choosing only the freshest and most plump lake seafood.

We will also work on the cooking techniques so that customers can know as soon as they taste it that the lake seafood in our "Lake Fresh Feast" is the most authentic and best suited to their taste.

Take our braised carp for example, we adjusted the sauce recipe to make the taste richer and more mellow.”

Zhou Dashan nodded slightly and fell into deep thought.

His fingers tapped rhythmically on the table, making a "tapping" sound, as if he was weighing the pros and cons of each suggestion.

After a moment, he raised his head and said with a firm look, "Okay, let's do it.

Liu Hai, you should plan a price promotion as soon as possible and make the promotional posters eye-catching so that customers can see our benefits at a glance.

The activity plan should be detailed, including the types of special dishes, prices, and activity time, all of which should be clear.

Zhang Fu, you and your brothers in the kitchen should study this carefully and improve the signature dishes to make them taste even better.

In addition, we must also arrange for someone to keep an eye on all Wang's restaurants to see if they have any new moves. Only by knowing ourselves and the enemy can we win every battle."

Liu Hai and Zhang Fu looked at each other and said in unison, "Okay, Mr. Zhou!" Their voices were full of determination. Soon, the "Feast of Lake Fresh" was like a fully wound spring, and it took action quickly.

At the entrance of the store, a huge red poster is posted high up, with words such as "Special price for lake seafood, if you miss it, you have to wait another year" written in eye-catching yellow fonts. Next to it are various tempting pictures of lake seafood dishes, which make people salivate at the sight.

The interior of the store was also decorated to be particularly lively, with colorful balloons hanging in every corner and ribbons fluttering in the wind.

The waiters were dressed in neat uniforms, with warm smiles on their faces, enthusiastically introducing the special dishes to every customer who came into the store.

This move was like a timely rain, quickly attracting a large number of local residents, especially those customers who usually pay attention to value for money.

For a while, a long line formed in front of the door of "Lake Fresh Feast", the restaurant was packed, the waiters were busy, and the kitchen was bustling with the sounds of pots and pans colliding and the chefs shouting.

At the same time, the customer flow of Wang's Hotel Weishan Lake branch was significantly affected.

The restaurant, which was once bustling with activity, now seemed a little deserted. The waiters stood aside, their eyes revealing a hint of anxiety and worry.

After Wang Jianye learned about the situation, he was extremely anxious and immediately summoned Chen Yu and Master Li to his office to discuss countermeasures.

In the office, sunlight shone through the window onto the ground, forming bright spots of light. However, the mood of the three people was as if shrouded in gloom, so heavy that they could hardly breathe.

Wang Jianye sat behind his desk, his hands crossed in front of his chest, his expression serious, his eyes firmly looking at Chen Yu and Master Li.

"Everyone has seen that the 'Feast of Lake Fresh' has given us a head start.

We can’t just sit there and wait for death, we have to find a way to deal with it.”

Wang Jianye's voice was steady and powerful, but it could not hide the anxiety in it.

Chen Yu frowned, pushed up his glasses, and fell into a moment of thought.

His eyes revealed wisdom and calmness, and he analyzed: "Boss Wang, we can't blindly follow the trend and engage in price wars. This is not our advantage.

We have to highlight our characteristics, such as our innovative fusion cuisine, which is unique.

And we have always emphasized the high-quality dining experience. From the moment the customer enters the door, every detail cannot be neglected.

I think we can launch exclusive member services and provide members with more discounts and privileges. For example, members can enjoy a 8% discount on dishes, and on their birthdays they can also receive a carefully prepared special gift package that includes our restaurant's peripheral products and coupons.

In addition, we can also set up a member WeChat group to regularly share food knowledge and new product recommendations in the group, organize member-exclusive offline activities, enhance interaction with members, and increase customer stickiness.”

Chef Li nodded slightly and continued, "In terms of dishes, we need to speed up the research and development of new dishes and further highlight the combination of Weishan Lake seafood and fusion cuisine.

Take Weishan Lake crabs for example, we can combine it with Singapore’s black pepper crab recipe to create a unique taste.

In terms of seasoning, the deliciousness of Weishan Lake crabs should be highlighted, while the rich aroma of black pepper should complement it.

At the same time, we must pay attention to the quality and quantity of the dishes and not lose to them.

Our dishes should be large enough to satisfy our customers and make them happy.”

After hearing this, Wang Jianye's eyes flashed with approval, and he nodded in agreement: "Okay, let's do as you say.

Chen Yu, you should implement the member-exclusive service as soon as possible. From the design and promotion of the membership system to the implementation of member rights, every link should be carefully arranged.

Chef Li, the research and development of new dishes depends on you. Lead the chef team, try more, innovate more, and strive to launch more new dishes that are popular with customers as soon as possible.

We must win this competition and make all Wang's hotels gain a firm foothold in Weishan Lake."

Chen Yu acted quickly and led the team to work day and night.

They carefully designed the membership system and produced exquisite membership cards, which are printed with the logos and unique patterns of all Wang's hotels, highlighting the members' distinguished status.

In terms of publicity and promotion, they distributed flyers at restaurant entrances, surrounding communities, shopping malls and other places with high traffic, detailing the rights and interests of members and how to apply.

At the same time, they also promoted it on social media, attracting the attention of many customers.

They set up a WeChat group for members and share food knowledge in the group every day, such as the nutritional value of different lake seafood and cooking techniques.

Regularly recommend new dishes with beautiful pictures and detailed descriptions to whet members' appetites.

We also organize exclusive offline activities for members, such as food-making experience classes, inviting members to the restaurant kitchen to make fusion dishes by themselves under the guidance of the chef, so that members can have an in-depth understanding of the restaurant's dish-making process and increase their sense of identification with the restaurant.

This move attracted many customers to apply for membership and gradually stabilized a part of the customer base.

Chef Li led the chef team to work day and night, and the kitchen became their battlefield.

They kept trying new combinations of ingredients and cooking methods, and after many failures and adjustments, they finally launched a new dish - black pepper lake crab.

This dish uses fresh crabs from Weishan Lake. Each crab is strictly selected to ensure that it is plump and has delicious meat.

It is served with a carefully prepared black pepper sauce, which is made from a variety of spices and special seasonings. It has the deliciousness of Weishan Lake crabs and the rich aroma of black pepper, with a unique taste and rich layers.

As soon as the new dishes were launched, they were well received by customers.

After tasting it, a young customer gave a thumbs up and praised: "This black pepper lake crab is so delicious! The freshness of the crab is perfectly preserved, and the taste of black pepper adds a different flavor, which is really unforgettable.

The fusion dishes in this restaurant are really creative! "However, "Feast of Lake Fresh" did not stop there.

After seeing all the Wang’s restaurants launch new dishes, Zhou Dashan’s sense of crisis became stronger.

He knew very well that this business war was far from over and that more forceful measures must be taken.

So he decided to fight back with service.

He invested a large amount of money and hired professional service trainers to provide comprehensive training for the service staff in the store.

The training content includes etiquette standards, such as smiling service, standing, sitting, walking posture, etc.; service skills, such as how to communicate effectively with customers, how to handle customer complaints, etc.; food knowledge, so that waiters can have a deep understanding of the ingredients, cooking methods and characteristics of each dish so as to better introduce it to customers. (End of this chapter)