Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

Wang Jianye was not idle either. He sat in a cafe, took out his mobile phone, and personally called some food suppliers in the surrounding counties and cities. "Hello, is this Mr. Zhang? I'm Wang Jianye from Wang's All-in-One Restaurant..."

Wang Jianye patiently introduced the situation of all Wang's hotels, expressed his sincerity for cooperation, and hoped to find suppliers willing to cooperate.

……

In the catering world of Weifang, "Weifang Shiyunlou" has long been the dominant player.

The store is located in a prime location in the city center, with an antique architectural style, flying eaves, carved beams and painted buildings. The golden sign hanging high up sparkles in the sun, attracting the attention of passers-by from afar.

Inside the store, the classical Chinese decoration style exudes elegance and grandeur. The solid wood tables and chairs are neatly arranged. On the walls hang many huge paintings showing the customs and folkways of Weifang. Some depict the production scenes of Yangjiaobu New Year paintings, and some show the lively scenes of dragon boat races on the Bailang River. Diners come and go, with constant laughter and joy, and the store is always crowded every day.

However, the calm lake was rippled by the preparation and emergence of the Weifang branch of Wang's full range of hotels.

Ever since Wang Jianye and his team stepped into Weifang, it was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.

They searched everywhere for suitable stores and negotiated cooperation with suppliers. Their unique business philosophy and novel menu planning gradually spread in the industry.

Sun Fu, the owner of Shiyunlou, is a slightly fat man with a slightly bald head. He spends the whole day buried in the large leather chair in his office. Through the window, he can see Wang's Restaurant, which is making intensive preparations for its opening not far away.

His brows were furrowed, and the smoke from the cigarette in his mouth made his face look even gloomier.

"Humph, this Wang's Restaurant really dares to snatch food from the tiger's mouth!" Sun Fu cursed in his heart.

Prior to this, he used all his connections to spread rumors that Wang's Restaurant's dishes were unhygienic and that the ingredients were inferior, and he also made every effort to hinder the store leasing and ingredient purchasing channels.

But Wang Jianye's team was like tenacious weeds, resolving the problems one by one with extraordinary perseverance and wisdom.

Not long after, Wang's Restaurant Weifang branch opened successfully amid the sound of festive firecrackers.

On the opening day, the front of Wang's Hotel was filled with flower baskets and was bustling with activity.

The decoration inside the store is simple, stylish and warm. The waiters are dressed in neat uniforms and greet every customer with a warm smile.

The unique dishes, which combine flavors from all over the world with the local characteristics of Weifang, attracted customers to take photos and check in as soon as they were served.

The high-quality service has won customers' praise. From the enthusiastic guidance when entering the door to the thoughtful service during the meal, customers feel at home.

For a time, Wang's Restaurant became famous and attracted a large number of diners, including many old customers of Shiyunlou.

Sun Fu sat in the office of Shiyunlou, looking at the increasingly deserted lobby of the store. The anger in his heart was like a flame poured with oil, and it suddenly soared high.

He slammed the teacup in his hand to the ground with a loud "crash", which startled a waiter passing by the door.

Sun Fu gritted his teeth, stared at the fluttering colorful flags of Wang's Hotel outside the window, and said to himself: "Great, you have really established a foothold in Weifang.

If the soft approach doesn't work, don't blame me for using the hard approach."

After that, he pressed the intercom button on the table and shouted loudly: "Zhao Qiang, come to me right away!" After a while, Zhao Qiang, the manager of Shiyunlou, hurried into the office.

Zhao Qiang is thin and wears a pair of black-framed glasses. He is usually smart and capable, but when facing the furious Sun Fu, he couldn't help but tremble with fear.

Sun Fu slammed his hand on the table, causing the documents on the table to jump up. He shouted, "Zhao Qiang, look at this Wang's Restaurant. It's too arrogant! They dare to run wild on our territory and steal our customers away.

We must find a way to bring all the customers back.

I have decided to start a price war! I will drastically reduce the prices of the popular dishes in the store, and I don’t believe that those customers who are greedy for bargains will not come back. "

Zhao Qiang showed a trace of worry on his face. He pushed his glasses and said cautiously, "Boss Sun, once this price war starts, our profits will be greatly reduced.

Moreover, if this continues for a long time, it will probably be detrimental to the brand image and subsequent development of our Shiyunlou.

"Look..." Sun Fu interrupted him impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense! If we don't win back the customers now, how can our Shiyunlou survive in Weifang in the future? Let's suppress them first.

You should make arrangements immediately and start lowering the prices tomorrow. Cut the prices of our signature dishes by half. I want to see how they can compete with us."

Zhao Qiang had no choice but to nod and agree: "Okay, Boss Sun, I'll go notify the kitchen and the front desk right away."

After Zhao Qiang left, Sun Fu fell into deep thought again.

He thought that he must let Wang's Restaurant know who is the boss in Weifang. As long as he could drive them out of Weifang, he would not hesitate to lose some profits in the short term.

The next morning, the employees of Shiyunlou arrived at the store early and started working under the command of Zhao Qiang.

A huge red banner was erected at the entrance of the store, with large golden letters reading "Shiyunlou Big Promotion, popular dishes are half-price, if you miss it, you'll have to wait another year!" When you walk into the store, you will see all kinds of discount posters on the walls. Waiters stand at the door holding flyers and enthusiastically introduce the event to passers-by.

"Welcome to Shiyunlou. We are having a promotion right now. Our signature dishes, Weifang Chaotian Pot and Laoweixian Meat Fire Roast, are now half price. It's a great deal. Come and try them."

A young waitress said with a big smile to an elderly couple passing by.

The old couple looked at each other and felt a little moved.

The old man asked: "Girl, is this event real? It's not a scam, is it?" The waitress quickly explained: "Uncle, don't worry, our Shiyunlou has been open in Weifang for so many years, and our reputation is beyond doubt.

This event is particularly large-scale and is designed to give back to new and old customers.

You will know when you try it. The taste is absolutely the same as before, but the price is half the price. "

The old couple was persuaded and walked into the store.

At this time, the lobby of Shiyunlou was already filled with customers who had heard the news.

The waiters carried trays and moved quickly between the tables and chairs, busy serving food and refilling water.

"The food at Shiyunlou tastes good to begin with, and the prices are so affordable now, so it's worth eating here."

A young man said to his companions while eating Weifang Chaotian Pot with big mouthfuls.

My companion nodded in agreement: "Yes, we went to Wang's Restaurant before, but the price was a bit expensive. This place is more cost-effective.

With this price reduction, I feel like I can eat a few more meals.”

However, at the Weifang branch of Wang's Hotel, the situation is completely the opposite.

The store was deserted and the once lively scene was gone forever.

Manager Li Ming paced back and forth in the lobby, looking at the door from time to time, his eyes full of anxiety. He raised his hand to check his watch and sighed again.

At this time in the past, the store would have been full of customers, but now there are only a few tables.

Li Ming couldn't sit still any longer, so he quickly walked to the front desk, picked up the phone and dialed Wang Jianye's number.

"Hey, Mr. Wang, something bad has happened!" Li Ming's voice was filled with obvious anxiety, "The price cut at Shiyunlou is too drastic, and many of our customers have been driven away.

There are not many people in the store now, what should we do?" Li Ming said, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his hand.

At this time, Wang Jianye was in the headquarters office in Dongying.

He had just finished a meeting and was sitting at his desk, listening to Li Ming's report with a serious expression on his face.

He did not speak immediately, but stood up, walked to the window, looked at the bustling street scene outside, and fell into deep thought.

After a while, Wang Jianye said calmly: "Xiao Li, don't panic.

We cannot blindly follow the price, as that will only lead to a vicious cycle and both sides will suffer in the end.

You ask the chef team to act quickly and launch several special low-priced meal packages that highlight the cost-effectiveness. At the same time, the quality of the dishes must be guaranteed and the standards cannot be lowered just because the price is low.

In addition, the service must be more considerate, giving customers a homely feeling, and making them feel that eating here is not just for the cheap price, but also for the high-quality service and delicious dishes. "

Li Ming nodded quickly. Although Wang Jianye couldn't see it, his movements were very forceful: "Okay, Mr. Wang, I'll arrange it right away."

After hanging up the phone, Li Ming immediately called a meeting of the chef team.

In the kitchen, the air is steaming hot and the chefs are busy at work.

Li Ming stood in the middle of the kitchen and said loudly: "Everyone stop for a moment, we are facing a big challenge now.

Shiyunlou started a price war and took away all our customers.

Mr. Wang said that we will launch special low-priced packages to highlight cost-effectiveness and ensure quality.

Everyone is thinking about how to combine our dishes with the local specialties of Weifang to come up with some attractive set meals.”

After hearing this, the chefs stopped what they were doing and gathered around.

Chef Zhang scratched his head and said, "How about we combine Weifang's Hele with our seafood and make a seafood Hele set meal? This Hele is a Weifang specialty noodle dish. Paired with our fresh seafood, it might attract a lot of customers."

Chef Xiao Wang went on to say: “I think we can pair the Lao Weixian crispy meatballs with some seasonal vegetables to make a healthy and nutritious meal.

Nowadays, everyone pays attention to healthy eating, so this set meal will definitely be popular.”

At this time, Chef Lao Li, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up: "I think we can make a large platter of Weifang specialties, putting together the classic Weifang delicacies such as meat fire roast, chicken and duck Hele, Chaotian pot, and add our special sauces, so that customers can taste a variety of Weifang specialties at one time, and the price can be kept relatively low."

Everyone was talking to each other, and the discussion was lively.

After some discussion, we finally decided on several package plans, among which the "Weifang Flavor Special Package" was the most popular.

This set meal includes modified Weifang specialties, such as fresh shrimp and local Hele noodles, carefully prepared Lao Weixian meatball soup and a few crispy meat buns, but the price is very affordable.

In order to improve service quality, Li Ming personally trained the waiters.

He stood in the lobby and said to the waiters: "From now on, our service must be the best.

As soon as customers come in, you should greet them warmly, with a sincere smile and a focused look.

When ordering dishes, you should explain the contents of the set menu in detail and give reasonable suggestions based on the number of customers and their tastes.

During the meal, we must always pay attention to the needs of customers, add water and replace bone plates in time, so that customers can feel our thoughtful service.

Do you all understand?" The waiters answered in unison and loudly: "Yes!" Soon, Wang's Restaurant launched its new set menu and new services.

A young mother walked into Wang's Restaurant with her child, and a waiter immediately greeted her with a smile: "Welcome, how many people are there? Our restaurant has launched a new Weifang-style special package, which is very cost-effective. It includes our Weifang specialty food, which has been carefully improved by our chef and has a unique taste. Would you like to try it?"

The young mother hesitated: "I have a child with me, I don't know if this package is suitable for me."

The waiter quickly introduced: “Don’t worry, ma’am.

This set meal includes Hele noodles, which children will definitely love, and meatball soup, which is rich in nutrition.

And the price is very affordable, much cheaper than ordering a la carte.”

The young mother was persuaded and nodded: "Okay, then I'll have one."

During the meal, the waiters always pay attention to the needs of the customers.

The child accidentally dropped the spoon on the ground, and the waiter was quick to hand over a new spoon; the young mother just took a sip of water, and the waiter immediately came forward to fill it up.

The child praised the meatball soup highly. The waiter immediately introduced with a smile: "This meatball soup is made by our chef using fresh pork according to the traditional craftsmanship of old Weixian County, and we add some of our exclusive seasonings. It tastes especially delicious."

The young mother said with satisfaction: "Your service is really good and the food is delicious. I will come here again in the future."

With the launch of new packages and high-quality services, Wang's Restaurant has gradually attracted back some customers.

Over at Shiyunlou, Sun Fu was very annoyed when he saw that Wang's Restaurant's business was picking up again.

He called Zhao Qiang and others to discuss the matter again.

In the conference room, Sun Fu sat in the first seat with a gloomy face.

Zhao Qiang said cautiously: "Boss Sun, this Wang's Restaurant is really capable. It can actually attract customers back despite our price war.

Do you think we should increase the discount or introduce some new dishes?" Sun Fu frowned and thought for a while, then said, "Let's see the situation first. If their business continues to improve, we will make another move.

I just don’t believe that our Shiyunlou can’t beat a foreign restaurant like that.”

In the following days, the competition between Shiyunlou and Wang's Restaurant became increasingly fierce in terms of price and service. (End of this chapter)