Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

In order to better implement this bilingual standard and to further promote the integration of northern and southern cultures, Wang Jianye also launched the "Dialect Ordering Discount" campaign.

Customers can enjoy certain discounts as long as they order in Nantong dialect or Xuzhou dialect.

On the first day of the event, the restaurant was particularly busy.

A customer with a Xuzhou accent walked into the store and shouted, "Boss, give me a Xuzhou clay pot chicken with more chili!" The waiter smiled and replied, "Okay, wait a moment! I'll make it for you according to the Xuzhou taste!" When checking out, the customer found that he had received a discount because he ordered in Xuzhou dialect, and said happily, "This is an interesting activity, I'll come again in the future."

An old lady from Nantong walked into the store with her little grandson.

The little grandson said in his childish Nantong dialect: "Auntie, I want to eat crab roe buns."

The waiter smiled and said, "Good girl, I'll be right here."

They also received a discount because they ordered in Nantong dialect.

The old lady said happily: "This activity is great. It allows us to use our Nantong dialect."

With the implementation of bilingual service standards and the launch of the "dialect ordering discount" campaign, the atmosphere in the restaurant has become better and better.

Customers can not only taste delicious dishes, but also feel the unique charm of the collision and fusion of northern and southern cultures.

The cooperation between local employees in Nantong and the chefs from Xuzhou is becoming more and more tacit.

When cooking, the chefs in the kitchen will pay more attention to the taste needs of Nantong customers, while also cleverly preserving the unique flavor of Xuzhou cuisine; and the waiters will also be more understanding and patient when communicating with the kitchen.

During a daily dinner, everyone sat together and talked about the changes that had taken place during this period.

Lao Chen said with emotion: “I used to focus on cooking in the old way and didn’t consider the situation in Nantong.

Now through these activities, I gradually understand it.”

Xiao Wang, a local chef from Nantong, said, "Master Chen, your Xuzhou dishes are really good. We have learned a lot from you."

As time went by, the restaurant's business became more and more prosperous.

It not only attracts local customers from Nantong, but also many tourists.

On the one hand, tourists come to taste the food that blends the flavors of the north and the south, and on the other hand, they also want to experience this unique cultural atmosphere.

During a festival, a group of out-of-town tourists walked into the restaurant.

One of the tourists asked curiously: "Your bilingual service and cultural integration are quite interesting. How did you come up with the idea?" Wang Jianye smiled and explained: "Our employees come from different places and have different cultures. The collision of these cultures can become a unique advantage if it is handled well.

Customers like it and we are happy too.”

Xiao Li, a waiter at the restaurant, added: "We are now used to this model. It feels wonderful to see the northern and southern cultures interacting with each other here."

After hearing this, the tourists nodded and praised: "It's really thoughtful. Not only do we enjoy our meals here, but we also learn a lot about culture."

As the restaurant's reputation grew, so did the challenges it faced.

Some peers saw the successful model of Wang Jianye's restaurant and followed suit, launching similar cultural integration activities and services.

This makes the market competition more intense.

Wang Jianye realized that relying solely on the existing model was not enough and that continuous innovation and improvement were needed.

He began to think about how to further improve the quality of dishes and services while maintaining the cultural characteristics of the north and the south.

Wang Jianye convened a general staff meeting. Standing on the podium, he said solemnly: "Everyone knows that the market competition is very fierce now, and we cannot be satisfied with the status quo.

We need to think about how to take our food and service to the next level.”

Lao Chen spoke first: "Boss, I think we can combine some of the special techniques of Xuzhou cuisine and Nantong cuisine to create new dishes.

For example, if we use fresh seafood from Nantong and cook it in the Xuzhou style, it might have a different effect.”

Wang Jianye's eyes lit up after hearing this: "That's a good idea! Do you have any other ideas?" The waiter Xiao Zhang said: "We can be more personalized in terms of service.

Understand where customers come from and provide more considerate services based on the cultural habits of different regions."

Everyone contributed and put forward many valuable suggestions.

After the meeting, Wang Jianye and the kitchen team began to develop new dishes.

After many experiments, a new dish called "Nantong Seafood Xuzhou Stew" was born.

This dish uses fresh sea fish and shellfish from Nantong, cooked using the Xuzhou braising technique, adding Xuzhou's unique spices while cleverly retaining the freshness of the seafood.

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

A customer praised the dish highly after tasting it: "This dish is so creative. It has both the freshness of Nantong seafood and the fragrance of Xuzhou braised food. It tastes amazing!" In terms of service, the waiters will get to know the customers' hometowns through simple communication when they enter the door.

If the customer is from the north, the service will be more generous and enthusiastic; if the customer is from the south, the service will be more delicate and thoughtful.

Once, a customer from the north walked into the restaurant.

The waiter greeted the customer warmly in Mandarin with a slight northeastern accent: "Big brother, welcome! We have a variety of special dishes, and we guarantee that you will enjoy the food!" The customer smiled and said, "Your service is really warm, and it feels like I'm back home."

With the launch of new dishes and the upgrade of services, Wang Jianye's restaurant stands out in the fierce market competition.

It not only occupies an important market position in Nantong, but also attracts customers from surrounding cities and even further away.

The success of the restaurant has also boosted the enthusiasm and sense of belonging of the employees.

Everyone is proud to work in this restaurant that blends northern and southern cultures.

During the training, the young chef Xiao Zhao said with emotion: "Working here not only improves my cooking skills, but also allows me to experience the charm of different cultures. I am really lucky."

On a warm evening, the restaurant was still bustling.

Soft lights shine on every table, and customers are laughing and talking happily.

Wang Jianye stood in a corner of the restaurant, looking at the lively and harmonious scene, his heart filled with relief and satisfaction.

From the initial conflicts among employees to now working together to create a unique cultural catering model, the journey has been full of hardships and efforts. "This is just the beginning, and we will face more challenges in the future, but as long as everyone unites as one and keeps innovating, I believe our restaurant will definitely go further."

Wang Jianye looked at the busy and cheerful employees with a firm gaze, as if he saw a brighter future for the restaurant.

However, as the restaurant's popularity grew, problems with management details gradually emerged.

Due to the booming restaurant business and large daily customer flow, the storage and usage management of ingredients has become complicated.

Sometimes food is wasted, which makes Wang Jianye very worried.

At an internal meeting, Wang Jianye said seriously: "Everyone knows that our restaurant business is good now, but the problem of food waste cannot be ignored.

This not only increases costs, but also goes against our philosophy of saving.

What good ideas do you have? "Purchasing Supervisor Lao Liu said: "Boss, I think we can improve the accuracy of procurement and estimate the amount of ingredients used based on the daily customer flow to avoid over-purchasing."

The chef also added: “In the kitchen, we can optimize the combination of dishes and make more reasonable use of ingredients.

For example, some leftovers can be made into side dishes or ingredients, so don’t waste them easily.”

Wang Jianye listened and nodded in agreement: "These are all good ideas. Let's take action from now on."

After that, the restaurant took a series of measures.

The purchasing department has developed a detailed purchasing plan based on historical customer flow data and market trends to ensure the freshness of ingredients and the purchase of appropriate quantities.

The kitchen has come up with "creative dishes using leftover ingredients", turning cucumber peels, radish tails, etc. into delicious side dishes, which have been well received by customers.

Wang Jianye also did not relax when it came to internal employee training.

He invited professional service trainers and cultural lecturers to provide regular training for employees.

Service trainers focus on improving employees' service attitudes and skills, and teach them how to better respond to customer needs and emergencies.

In a service training course, the trainer asked the waitress Xiaoli: "If you encounter a customer who is in a bad mood, what will you do?" Xiaoli thought about it and answered: "I will first listen to his complaints patiently, then comfort him in a gentle tone and do my best to solve his problem."

The trainer nodded with satisfaction: "Very good, this is the service attitude we need."

Cultural lecturers focus on in-depth explanations of northern and southern cultures, allowing employees to better understand the connotation and heritage of Xuzhou and Nantong culture.

"Nantong's blue printed cloth has a unique history and craftsmanship, and Xuzhou's Han culture is even more extensive and profound. We need to skillfully integrate these cultural elements into our services so that customers can feel the charm of different cultures."

The cultural lecturer said.

Through these trainings, the professional quality and cultural literacy of employees have been significantly improved.

The restaurant has reached a new level in terms of service quality and cultural atmosphere creation.

……

Nantong, a city on the river and the sea, has always had a bustling catering industry.

There are all kinds of restaurants everywhere, and South Street is the core area of ​​catering competition.

Wang Jianye's Wang's branch stands out in this prosperous area. With its unique fusion of northern and southern dishes and good service reputation, it has won the love of many diners. The restaurant is often full and full of laughter.

However, as the saying goes, "A tall tree attracts the wind", a malicious conspiracy is quietly descending upon this popular restaurant.

In a corner of Nantong's catering industry, a secret alliance was quietly established.

Several jealous businessmen gathered in a dim conference room. The windows were closed, the curtains were drawn tightly, and the lights were dim and dim, giving the whole room a depressing atmosphere.

The leader, Old Sun, was slightly fat, with a frown on his face and a sinister look in his eyes: "Wang Jianye's business is getting more and more popular, and he has taken away all our customers. We have to think of a way to deal with him!" The pockmarked face Old Li next to him echoed: "Yes, Old Sun, if you have any ideas, please tell us now. If this continues, we will all be dead."

Old Sun rubbed his hands, a sly look flashed in his eyes: "I heard that the market supervision department has been cracking down on food safety issues recently. Let's do a 'hygiene surprise inspection' and anonymously report that the ingredients in his Wang's branch are expired.

Let him have a taste of pain, and see how he can still be so proud! "After hearing this, the others nodded, with malicious smiles on their faces.

So, they made careful plans, collected some unfounded evidence, and anonymously reported the Wang branch to the market supervision department.

Not long after, on a sunny morning, a group of market regulators, dressed in neat uniforms and with serious expressions, arrived at the door of Wang's branch.

At this time, the restaurant was in the busy moment preparing to open for business. The waiters were busy placing tableware and wiping tables and chairs in the store. From the back kitchen came the sounds of cooking utensils colliding and food being processed.

Wang Jianye was checking the day's shopping list in his office when he heard a commotion downstairs. He felt a little uneasy: "What happened? Why is it so noisy?" He stood up and walked quickly to the door of the store, only to see the market supervisor already standing in the store, and the customers and waiters around him were looking at him with confusion.

Wang Jianye's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly calmed down, walked towards the supervisor with a smile, and asked politely, "Hello, what do you have to do for us?" The supervisor in charge looked serious, took out a letter of complaint, and said, "Someone reported that the ingredients in your store are expired, so we are going to conduct a surprise inspection today."

Wang Jianye knew in his heart that this might be a malicious act by his competitors, but he was not panicked and said calmly: "Okay, leader, welcome to check.

Our food management has always been very strict, please rest assured to check. "

As he spoke, he led the supervisors towards the cold storage.

The door of the cold storage slowly opened, and a gust of cold air blew in.

The interior of the cold storage is spacious and bright. All ingredients are neatly arranged by batches. Different types of meat, vegetables and condiments are stored in separate areas, making them easy to see at a glance.

Wang Jianye pointed at the ingredients and said confidently: "Leader, you see, our ingredients are stored in batches, and each batch has detailed purchase receipts and inspection certificates."

After saying this, he motioned to his assistant to bring a folder containing a thick stack of receipts and supporting documents, which clearly recorded the time, location, supplier, and inspection status of each purchase.

The supervisor took the folder and flipped through it carefully. He looked up at the food in the cold storage from time to time, with a hint of surprise in his eyes: "Your management is quite standardized."

Wang Jianye smiled and replied: "We have always attached great importance to the safety and quality of ingredients, which is our responsibility to our customers.

The purchasing department will keep records every day and take photos of key links for archiving to ensure that every step can be traced.”

It turned out that Wang Jianye had long anticipated that his peers would resort to unfair means, so he had always required the purchasing department to strictly control the management of food ingredients.

He knows very well that in the catering industry, food safety is the lifeline and must be foolproof. (End of this chapter)