Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

Finally, the survey results were announced, and all Wang's hotels received extremely high scores thanks to their outstanding service experience.

However, the new service initiatives of "Yellow River Mouth Restaurant" failed to impress consumers and it lost in this business war.

All Wang's hotels have successfully won the DY market and established a firm foothold.

Wang Jianye stood at the entrance of the hotel, looking at the lively scene, and said to Chen Yu: "We won this time, but we can't be proud.

The market competition is fierce, and we have to continue to work hard and improve.”

Chen Yu nodded firmly: "Boss Wang, don't worry, everyone is very motivated, we can definitely make the restaurant better."

……

In the mid-1990s, the streets and alleys of Weifang were bustling with activity.

In the streets and alleys, the sounds of bicycle bells and hawkers’ calls are intertwined.

There are rows of shops on the street. Some sell cloth, with sewing machines making the sound of "clicking clacking". Some sell groceries, with a wide variety of goods displayed at the door.

People are wearing clothes of different styles, there are young people in fashionable jackets and middle-aged and elderly people in simple Zhongshan suits. They are walking around the streets, and the atmosphere is full of life.

Wang Jianye, dressed in a neat suit, stood tall and straight on the street of Weifang's most prosperous commercial street.

Despite the long journey, his eyes showed determination and confidence, without any sign of fatigue.

Chen Yu next to him was holding a slightly worn folder, which contained the Weifang catering market research report he had obtained after many days of hard research.

He pushed up the black-framed glasses on his nose, his eyes sparkling with excitement, and said to Wang Jianye, "Boss Wang, look at how huge the flow of people is in Weifang! There are so many people coming and going, so their spending power must be high.

And you see, although there are many restaurants around here, there are only a few that are truly distinctive and large-scale.

If we open a branch here, we will definitely be able to seize the initiative. The potential of this catering market is really huge!" Wang Jianye nodded slightly, his mouth corners unconsciously raised, revealing a confident smile: "Well, Xiao Chen, I think so too.

Weifang is a good place with profound historical and cultural heritage and unique food culture.

If our Wang's full-line restaurant can take root here and bring our special dishes and high-quality services, it will be like opening up a whole new market, and the future development will be limitless!" However, just when they were full of ambition and ready to do a great job, an invisible crisis was quietly looming.

In Weifang’s catering industry, there is an old-established enterprise that can be called a “local tyrant” - “Weifang Shiyunlou”.

The Shiyunlou store is located in a prime location in the city center. Its quaint architectural style is particularly eye-catching among the surrounding modern buildings.

A tall sign hangs at the door, with black background and gold letters, and can be seen from a distance.

The store is elegantly decorated with neatly arranged tables and chairs. On the walls hang paintings showing Weifang's customs and people, some depicting the lively scenes of the Weifang Kite Festival and others showing the scenery of the Bailang River.

Every day, the place is packed with customers. Waiters shuttle between tables and chairs, busy serving food and refilling water for customers. The store is filled with laughter and constant chatter.

Sun Fu, the owner of Shiyunlou, is sitting in his spacious and bright office at this moment.

He is a little overweight and has a slightly bulging belly, giving him a wealthy look.

He wears a pair of black-framed glasses on his face and looks gentle, but the eyes behind the lenses often reveal a hint of shrewdness and cunning.

He crossed his legs, holding a cigarette in his hand, and puffed smoke rings leisurely.

Suddenly, the office door was pushed open with a bang, and his right-hand man Zhao Qiang rushed in hurriedly with undisguised anxiety on his face.

"Boss Sun, it's bad!" Zhao Qiang said, panting, "I heard that the Wang's Quanxi Restaurant, which is doing very well in Dongying, is planning to open a branch in Weifang!" After hearing this, Sun Fu's originally leisurely expression suddenly became serious. His squinting eyes suddenly opened and a hint of vigilance flashed in his eyes.

He extinguished the cigarette in his hand in the ashtray, sat up straight, and said with a hint of surprise and anger in his tone: "What? Why did the Wang family restaurants think of coming to Weifang? They have already made a lot of money in Dongying, but they are still not satisfied. They actually dare to reach out to our Weifang and try to grab our territory?" Sun Fu stood up and paced back and forth in the office, his brows tightly furrowed into the shape of the Chinese character "川".

After thinking for a moment, he said to Zhao Qiang, "Go, call Lao Qian, Lao Li and the others here quickly. We have to discuss countermeasures carefully. We must not let them succeed so easily."

Zhao Qiang responded, turned around and walked out quickly to inform people.

After a while, Lao Qian, Lao Li and several other core members of Shiyunlou came to the office.

Lao Qian is the chef at Shiyunlou. He has a sturdy build and strong arms, and you can tell at first glance that he has acquired these skills from years of flipping woks in the kitchen.

He has superb cooking skills and is well-known in Weifang's catering industry. The dishes he prepares are delicious and many customers come for his cooking skills.

Lao Li is in charge of purchasing and external liaison for Shiyunlou. He is a smooth person with extensive connections, and thrives in Weifang's business circle.

When everyone was present, Sun Fu cleared his throat and said, “Everyone knows that Wang’s All-Series Restaurant is going to open a branch in Weifang.

This is no small matter. They have been so successful in Dongying. If they also gain a foothold in Weifang, our Shiyunlou business will definitely be greatly affected.

Everyone, tell me, what should we do? "Old Qian scratched his head and said in a muffled voice, "Boss Sun, I think our dishes are not bad! When they come, we will compete with them in cooking skills. With our cooking skills, are we afraid that we can't beat them? When the time comes, once the customers taste our dishes, they will naturally know who is better."

Sun Fu shook his head and said, "Old Qian, cooking skills are important, but they are not the only means of competition.

They have been able to make such a big business in Dongying, so they must have their own set of management methods and characteristics.

We can't just rely on our cooking skills, we have to think of other ways to trip them up in other ways."

At this time, Lao Li rolled his eyes and said, "Boss Sun, I think we can spread some false negative news about Wang's Restaurant in the industry, saying that their dishes are unhygienic and the ingredients are inferior.

When it comes to doing business, word of mouth is a big deal. As long as people have a bad impression of them, customers will think twice even if they are really capable.

In addition, we have been in Weifang for so many years, and we know many people and have extensive connections.

We can make things difficult for them in terms of store leasing and food procurement channels, so that they cannot open a store in Weifang. Even if they manage to open a store, they will not be able to run it. "

After hearing this, Sun Fu's eyes lit up, a sly smile appeared on his face, he reached out and patted Lao Li on the shoulder, and said, "Lao Li, your idea is good! Let's do it this way.

Lao Qian, go back and tell the people in the kitchen to be more careful. If any customers ask about Wang's Restaurant, just do as we said and reveal some negative news to them. But don't be too obvious and don't let the customers see any flaws.

Zhao Qiang, you are responsible for spreading the news. Find more channels, find those small vendors and taxi drivers who like to spread gossip, and spread the news. The wider the better.

Lao Li, the store rental and food procurement are up to you. You must block them and not let them have any chance. "

Everyone nodded and said they would try their best. Lao Qian muttered, "Okay, although I think cooking is still the most important, but since Boss Sun has arranged it this way, let's do it."

Old Li had a smug look on his face, as if he had already seen the scene of all Wang’s restaurants being driven out of Weifang.

Zhao Qiang was also very motivated and said, "Boss Sun, don't worry, I will definitely get this done properly."

At this time, Wang Jianye and Chen Yu were discussing the details of opening a store in Weifang in a slightly old coffee shop.

There were not many people in the cafe. There were a few yellowed old photos hanging on the wall and soft music was playing.

Chen Yu flipped open the worn folder, pointed at the information inside and said, "Boss Wang, I have contacted several suitable stores. They are all in good locations, near the commercial street with a large flow of people.

The price is within our budget, and as long as we have a good talk with the landlord, we should be able to get it.

In addition, I have also contacted several food suppliers and had preliminary discussions with them. They are very interested in cooperating with us. They think that our Wang's All-in-One Restaurant has a good reputation in Dongying and there is a future for cooperation with us."

Wang Jianye picked up the coffee, took a sip, and said, "Xiao Chen, these must be implemented as soon as possible. The sooner the better.

If we want to make a name for ourselves in Weifang, we must race against time and not leave any chances for our competitors.

Time is money. The sooner we open a store, the sooner we can seize the market."

At this moment, the pager on Chen Yu's waist suddenly rang.

He took out his pager and looked at it, his expression instantly turned a little ugly.

"Boss Wang, this is bad," Chen Yu said anxiously, "I just received news that someone in the industry is spreading false negative news about our restaurant, saying that our dishes are unhygienic and that our ingredients are inferior.

Also, the landlords of several shops that I contacted suddenly changed their minds and were unwilling to rent the houses to us, saying that someone was putting pressure on them.

Several food suppliers have also said they would reconsider cooperation. "

After hearing this, Wang Jianye's face darkened. He put down his coffee cup, leaned back in his chair, and after a moment of silence, he said, "It seems that we have encountered resistance. It must be our local colleagues who are causing trouble.

I guess it's Weifang Shiyunlou. They have a deep-rooted position in Weifang. Our arrival must have affected their interests. They want to give us a warning and drive us away."

Chen Yu said anxiously, "Boss Wang, what should we do? If they do this, our plans will be disrupted.

If we can’t rent a suitable store and find a stable food supplier, how can we open this branch?” Wang Jianye patted Chen Yu on the shoulder and comforted him, “Xiao Chen, don’t panic.

Sun Fu's methods are not fair, but we cannot panic.

You should communicate properly with the landlord, bring our company's information, tell them about our business philosophy and development plan, and show our sincerity in long-term operation.

You can also make appropriate concessions on price. As long as you can rent a suitable store, it is worth spending a little more.

When it comes to purchasing ingredients, we should look for more suppliers in surrounding counties and cities and not be blocked by them.

I don’t believe that we won’t be able to open the store without them.

If we can make the restaurant bigger and stronger in Dongying, we can definitely do it in Weifang as well.”

Chen Yu nodded and said, "Okay, Mr. Wang, I'll do it right away.

I don’t believe that the landlords and suppliers can be bribed by them. We are so sincere that we will definitely impress them.”

Chen Yu first came to the door of a shop landlord that he had previously agreed to rent.

This is an old residential area. The corridor is dimly lit and filled with a damp smell.

Chen Yu straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.

The door opened and the landlord, Mr. Li, came out. When he saw Chen Yu, a look of embarrassment appeared on his face.

"Xiao Chen, why are you here again?" Uncle Li sighed and said, "I'm telling you, I really can't rent that house to you. Someone called me and said that if I rent it to you, I'll have a hard time living in this area.

They are quite powerful, and I am just an ordinary person, so I cannot afford to offend them."

Chen Yu said quickly: "Uncle Li, please listen to me.

Our company really wants to operate here for a long time. We will decorate the store beautifully and make it a signature store on this street. Maybe it will even boost business in this area.

We will also pay the rent on time and will never cause you any trouble.

Look, this is our company's information, you can take a look at it.

Moreover, we can add a little more to the price we agreed on originally, what do you think?” Uncle Li hesitated for a moment and said, “Xiao Chen, it’s not that I don’t want to, it’s really… they threatened me that if I don’t listen to them, my children might be bullied in school in the future.

There is nothing I can do about it.”

Chen Yu continued, “Uncle Li, don’t worry, we have the ability to run a good business here.

We have successfully opened several stores in Dongying, and their reputations are very good.

It is a sure win if you rent your house to us.

Please think about it again. It would be a pity to give up such a good opportunity just because of someone else's threats."

Uncle Li thought for a moment and said, "Okay, Xiao Chen, put the information here first and I'll think about it.

But don't get your hopes up, I'm really in a difficult situation."

After leaving Uncle Li’s house, Chen Yu rushed to another landlord’s house without stopping.

Along the way, he prayed silently in his heart, hoping for good news.

He looked at the bustling scene on the street and vowed secretly: "I must find a place for all Wang's restaurants in Weifang."

(End of this chapter)