1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 309 Guokui! Fragrant and crispy guokui~ (6.2k two-in-one)

"Awei, will you come to work tomorrow?"

Since Ah Wei had already said all that, Zhou Yan naturally couldn't refuse and looked at him with a smile.

Kong Liwei was stunned: "It's settled like this? Isn't that too hasty? Shouldn't Professor Zhou interview me again?"

Zhou Yan said, "I already interviewed him in class. His knife skills are good, his fire-roasting is good, and he works quite efficiently. He's a good candidate."

"Actually, I have many tricks that Master Zhou doesn't know, such as peeling potatoes upside down and showing off a bottle of Tianfu Cola in one go..." Kong Liwei listed them off as if they were his own treasures.

Zhou Yan: "..."

What kind of clown is this?

Xia Yao, who was standing to the side, had already turned away silently; she couldn't hold back her laughter any longer.

What's going on with Zhou Yan's fellow disciples?
Everything is so funny.

No wonder Zhou Yan sometimes acts mischievously; he must have been influenced by them.

Zhou Yan looked at Kong Liwei and said, "By the way, we haven't discussed salary yet. How much do you earn per month in Leming?"

"My monthly salary plus years' wages is 56.8 yuan. Teacher Zhou, are you really going to double my salary?" Kong Liwei rubbed his hands together, his smile revealing anticipation: "Then my salary will be higher than my old man's, and my status in the family will rise significantly!"

"Are you going to surpass your family's scruffy-headed mongrel?" Xiao Lei asked curiously.

"Uncle Xiao, really! Life is already so hard, why expose it?" Kong Liwei sighed. "Uncle, has nothing major happened at home yet?"

Xiao Lei stopped smiling and clenched his fists.

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "Then I'll calculate your salary at 120 yuan a month. If the restaurant does well in the future, there will be room for improvement."

"One hundred and twenty?!"

“The boss is awesome!”

"loyalty!"

Kong Liwei was incredibly excited.

What are the work hours like? Is there dormitory available?

“My working hours are from 4:30 in the morning to 7:00 in the evening. In the morning, I make steamed buns and noodles, and at noon and in the evening, I make Chinese food.” Zhou Yan thought for a moment and said, “You can come to the store at 6:30 in the morning. It will be busier in the morning. There is a lunch break after the business closes at noon, and you can go home after the business closes in the evening. I work six days a week and rest on Sunday.”

“I’ll arrange a dormitory for you. I’ve rented the shop next door, and I can set up a dormitory room for you on the second floor, but it will take a few days to set it up. For the next few days, you can just make do in my living room.”

“Sunday is a day off! I haven’t had a day like this in years! Leming Hotel is busiest on Sundays.” Kong Liwei nodded happily. “It’s only a few days, Teacher Zhou, how about I sleep with you? It’ll be warmer if we squeeze in.”

Upon hearing this, Xia Yao's eyes widened slightly, and she looked at Kong Liwei with some wariness.

"Don't touch me! You're the one who's sleepy!" Zhou Yan decisively refused.

He never sleeps next to a man, for fear of being paired with another man.

Xiao Lei said, "Awei, come sleep in my room. There's an empty room next to the pigsty. If you're afraid of the cold, you can sleep next to the pigs. It's almost Chinese New Year, and our two pigs are very fat."

"Uncle-Master, thank you." Kong Liwei's expression was somewhat complicated.

Xiao Lei said, "Seriously, there's an empty room. You can stay there for a few days until Zhou Yan has tidied up your dorm room before you go over."

Zhou Yan and the others are staying on the second floor of the hotel, which isn't very spacious. Your presence there would be somewhat redundant.

“Okay, Uncle-Master, stop talking, I’ll go! I’ll go, okay?” Kong Liwei nodded.

Uncle Xiao is quite familiar with his father. It's no exaggeration to say that he looks good, so staying at his place for a few days wouldn't be a problem.

"This arrangement works too." Zhou Yan had nothing to say, as it saved him some trouble.

Xia Yao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Awei, are you coming to work tomorrow?" Zhou Yan asked him to confirm.

Kong Liwei nodded firmly: "Okay! I'll get the paperwork done this afternoon, go home and pack my things, and I'll come to work first thing tomorrow morning!"

“Okay, it’s settled then.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

If one door closes, another opens; that way, the employee recruitment task is complete!

The notification tone didn't sound, which might be because Kong Liwei hasn't officially started working yet. I'll check again tomorrow morning.

As they were chatting, several of their senior brothers and sisters, including Zhong Yong and Wang Mian, came over for a few words, mostly praising Zhou Yan.

When they heard that Kong Liwei was going to resign and work for Zhou Yan, the other senior members of the group were quite shocked.

"Ah Wei, are you out of your mind? Your master will hang you up and beat you to a pulp!"

"Ah Wei, you do have some courage."

Ah Wei ran away with his head in his hands to go through the resignation procedures.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, everyone dispersed.

"Are you going back now?" Xiao Lei asked Zhou Yan and Xia Yao.

Zhou Yan nodded: "Yes, I'm going to East Street to meet up with my mom and the others before we go back together."

“That’s perfect, we’re heading that way too. Lao Luo and Xiao Luo rented a shop in Gujing Lane next to East Street, I was planning to go take a look.” Xiao Lei looked at him and said, “Why don’t you go and help out too? I don’t have any experience in opening a restaurant.”

"They've already rented the storefront? Why didn't they contact me beforehand? Did they resign?" Zhou Yan was somewhat surprised to hear this. His master had mentioned it to him before, saying that he should help Lao Luo if he needed it.

But if the storefront is already rented, what's the point of looking at anything else?

No wonder I didn't see Luo Yonghao and his son Luo Xiao today.

Xiao Lei nodded: "I resigned. I just resigned a couple of days ago. Guo Dong said that the shop is almost ready and will be open for business in the next couple of days."

"Isn't this a bit too hasty..." Zhou Yan was speechless. Although there are opportunities everywhere in this era, and individual business owners can make money if they work a little harder.

Old Luo, who had spent most of his life working in the restaurant kitchen, secretly took care of all these tasks with his clueless little Luo, which gave him a sense of unreliability.

There is a lack of respect for the catering industry.

When Zhou Yan was a food blogger, he interviewed countless successful restaurateurs and also witnessed many novices in the industry who took out loans to enter the business and lost everything within three months.

Xiao Zhou is a very typical case.

Being able to cook and being able to run a good restaurant are two different things.

I had only met Uncle Luo a few times. He was an honest and unassuming person, a great cook, but not the type to get along well with customers.

"What's Xiao Luo like? Is he good at talking?" Zhou Yan asked thoughtfully.

“Then he can definitely talk, he’s not mute,” Xiao Lei said.

Zhou Yan: "..."

"Master, can you speak properly?"

"Oh...you mean that guy who talks like Lao Luo, someone who's so quiet you won't utter a word."

"That's it..." Zhou Yan sighed inwardly. Now he could only hope that the store location they found was reliable and that they could slowly build up their reputation.

After all, Lao Luo had worked at Leming Hotel for two or three decades and was a national second-level chef, so his culinary skills were beyond doubt.

Zhou Yan had eaten his stir-fried pork with salt and pepper, and the taste was quite reliable.

As long as you can build a good reputation, your business will be good.

"Xia Yao, shall we also go and take a look at my martial uncle's shop?" Zhou Yan asked Xia Yao for her opinion.

“Okay, you can do whatever you want.” Xia Yao nodded without hesitation.

Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang exchanged a glance, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"It's alright, Uncle-Master. He can only handle small matters," Zheng Qiang reassured him.

“Yes, that makes sense.” Xiao Lei nodded.

After saying goodbye to Kong Qingfeng, the group rode their bikes out of the training base and headed straight for East Street.

After asking several passersby, Zhou Yan finally found an alley with a sign and turned in. His heart sank.

If this were in the future, with a clear positioning and by finding a few popular restaurants to create buzz, even restaurants in remote locations could have a chance to break out of their niche and gather initial popularity and positive word-of-mouth.

But this was 1984, and people used to eat out on the same few streets.

Who would come to this Gujing Lane to eat?

And it's not even a shop located at the entrance of an alley facing the street.

After riding the car for several dozen meters, we finally saw a decent-looking shop. An old man and a young man were climbing a ladder to hang up a signboard. The brand-new signboard read: Luo's Restaurant.

"Old Luo, slow down. You're not getting any younger, why are you climbing up and down like this?" Xiao Lei said.

Luo looked down, somewhat surprised: "Shi Tou, Zheng Qiang, Zhou Yan, you're here."

"Never mind us, just hang up the sign first." Xiao Lei parked the car and went over to hold the ladder steady.

Zhou Yan also stepped forward to support Xiao Luo's ladder. This young man was eighteen years old and looked a bit like Lao Luo, with a square face and a rather honest and upright appearance.

Under Xia Yao's direction, the plaque was quickly hung up.

Xiao Lei took two steps back and gave Xia Yao a thumbs up: "Hmm, very smooth. As expected of an artist, your eyes are like rulers."

"You flatter me," Xia Yao said with a smile, feeling that her appearance today had been somewhat useful.

Old Luo climbed down the ladder and looked at Xia Yao curiously, asking, "Who is this girl...?"

Xiao Luo stood to the side with his hands hanging down, somewhat shy, not daring to look at Xia Yao.

"Comrade Xia Yao, Zhou Yan's friend, a college student, and also a painter," Xiao Lei introduced.

"Wow, that's impressive." Old Luo gave a thumbs up when he heard that the college student was a college student.

The words were addressed to Xia Yao, but the thumbs-up was directed at Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan could only pretend not to see it.

"Old Luo, you've been quietly doing big things! If Guodong hadn't told me today that you quit your job and started your own business, I wouldn't have known you'd already opened a shop," Xiao Lei said with a click of his tongue, walking into the shop.

"I was saying that the signboard was up and everything was cleaned up today, and I'd let you know tomorrow so you could come over for an opening dinner in a couple of days." Old Luo followed us into the restaurant, turned on the wall light, and the dark restaurant was illuminated. The restaurant wasn't big; the main hall was fifty-six square meters, with ten new eight-immortal tables set up. It was a bit long and narrow, with the kitchen in the back.

"I just set up the tables and chairs today, and the kitchen is all set up too. Take a look and tell me if there's anything that needs fixing. Let's fix it before we open for business." Old Luo introduced the place to everyone, his face beaming and his eyes brimming with excitement.

"I think it's done pretty well. It's still lit when the lights are on." Xiao Lei looked left and right, his gaze finally settling on Zhou Yan: "Teacher Zhou, what do you think?"

Lao Luo and Xiao Luo's eyes also fell on Zhou Yan, their expressions slightly tense.

Zhou Yan looked at Lao Luo and asked, "Uncle Luo, did you find this shop yourself?"

Old Luo said with a smile, "It was introduced by a relative. It's his friend's old house. They moved to Chengdu to work and settled down, so the house is empty. The rent is only thirty-six yuan a year. The shops on the street outside are not even as big as mine, and they cost fifteen yuan a month. It's only a few dozen meters away."

Zhou Yan pursed her lips. This relative meant well but did something wrong!

This is also the most common mistake that restaurant novices make: they always try to save money on store rent, and once they find a cheaper option, they want to find an even cheaper one, and then spend the money on things they think are more important.

But the most important thing for a restaurant is popularity. If it's located in an alley, how would even the oldest folks know there's a restaurant in there?
Even if they see it, they most likely won't go into the store to make a purchase; instead, they'll suspect it's some kind of shady business.

If all the shops on a street have a rent of fifteen yuan, it means that the street's foot traffic justifies that price.

Not to mention the dozens of meters after turning into the alley, sometimes just crossing a road or walking a few more shops to the side can result in a completely different flow of people.

Veteran restaurateurs will spend months looking for a suitable location; if they can't find one, they'd rather not open the restaurant at all.

Even if the rent is a bit high, if there's enough foot traffic and money to be made, I'm willing to spend a little more to take over the shop.

Xiaobai rented a cheap storefront and used the money he saved to buy brand new tables and chairs, lay floor tiles, repaint the walls, and make a nice sign...

Then, with no customers, they slunk away and closed down.

There are countless such cases.

Sometimes you'll find a restaurant suddenly open in some nook or cranny next to your house, only to quietly close down a month later.

Behind this story must be a bankrupt small restaurant owner who was crying uncontrollably under the covers in the middle of the night.

Zhou Yan was speechless about the shop that Lao Luo had set up. It was obvious that the two men had put a lot of effort into it and invested a lot of money. The more they did this, the more uncomfortable he felt.

I reckon all their savings have been poured into this.

Look at this kitchen. It's basically set up according to the standards of his restaurant. It's fully equipped with all kinds of kitchen utensils, and all kinds of pots and pans are brand new.

"Master Zhou, take a look and give me some advice," Old Luo said, rubbing his hands together.

Zhou Yan said, "Then I'll be frank. The shop's decor is quite nice, clean and tidy. The two of you and ten tables are just enough to keep you busy. The kitchen is also well-organized. Uncle Luo has been working in Leming for twenty or thirty years, so he definitely knows more about these things than I do."

Upon hearing this, Lao Luo and Xiao Luo smiled.

Zhou Yan continued, "However, the shop is located in a rather remote area. I just saw that the other end of Gujing Alley is a dead end with an old well, so only people who live in this alley or fetch water would pass by."

I'm not entirely sure about the residents' identities and spending power, but this level of foot traffic is hardly enough to support a restaurant. To get business, we need to find ways to attract customers from the street outside, like putting up a sign at the alley entrance.

Alternatively, try to spread the word through your relatives and friends, letting people know that there's a Luo's Restaurant in Gujing Alley, with good food and reasonable prices, and build up its reputation first.

Lao Luo and Xiao Luo stopped laughing.

Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang, who had been looking around, also stopped and their expressions became somewhat serious.

Xia Yao pursed her lips; she thought Zhou Yan was right.

Zhou Yan's words were sharp, but upon closer examination, they made a lot of sense.

But for the passionate Lao Luo and Xiao Luo, it was like being doused with ice water in the dead of winter, chilling them to the bone.

"The situation... isn't that bad, is it? I see quite a few people coming and going on the street outside," Xiao Lei said with a dry laugh.

"I'm talking about the current situation of this shop and the solutions we need to take. Now that the shop is open here, we need to find a way to make the business thrive and make money; that's the most important thing." Zhou Yan looked at Lao Luo and said, "Uncle Luo, don't you agree?"

Old Luo nodded. "Zhou Yan makes a good point. Neither Xiao Luo nor I have ever run a restaurant before, so this suggestion was indeed a bit ill-considered. We should take some measures. Zhou Yan, could you elaborate on how to attract customers from the street?"

Zhou Yan thought for a moment and said, "Let's talk to the two families at the alley entrance and give them some money each month to put up two eye-catching directional billboards on the wall at the alley entrance, with an arrow pointing into the alley. The advertising slogan should be straightforward: Luo's Restaurant is now open for business, with the former head chef of Leming Restaurant in charge. Welcome to try our food."

"Wouldn't it be a bit inappropriate to bring Leming Hotel along?" Old Luo looked conflicted. He felt it was somewhat unfair to use his former employer as a stepping stone.

People with too much moral shame can't be businessmen. Zhou Yan said with a hint of helplessness, "Then just remove the middle sentence."

"Okay." Old Luo nodded.

Zhou Yan continued, "During mealtimes, if there aren't many customers in the restaurant and one person can handle the workload, then send someone to the alley entrance with the menu and shout to attract customers."

Zhou Yan's gaze fell on Xiao Luo beside him: "The first time might be a little awkward, but you'll get used to it, and it's quite a good training ground."

"I...I might not be able to do it." Xiao Luo's face turned visibly red, and he scratched his head awkwardly.

"Okay, I'll write it down first. Maybe it'll come in handy later." Lao Luo nodded with a smile, still quite optimistic. "Actually, I've been observing the renovation these past two days. There are still quite a few people coming and going every day. Many people on this street use this old well. Some come to draw water, and some come to wash clothes."

"That's good, as long as there's popularity." Zhou Yan nodded and said no more.

Luo was brought back to Leming by his advisor back then, and it hasn't been easy for him.

If it were anyone else, those first two sentences would be superfluous.

Telling the truth really offends people.

If this restaurant business succeeds, great; if it fails, Lao Luo will definitely have to come back to him.

Some things can only be said after the event has occurred.

Teaching someone once is enough.

Old Luo took out a calligraphy brush and a stack of wooden signs from the side, then pulled out a notebook and looked at Zhou Yan, saying, "Master Zhou, you write well, can you help me write the menu?"

“I’ve already set the price, but I didn’t know who to ask to write it down for me. You just happened to be there.”

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded, took the brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote down the dishes and prices recorded in the notebook one by one.

The prices on this menu are clearly based on those at his restaurant: twice-cooked pork is 2 yuan, shredded pork with garlic sauce is 1.2 yuan...

The menu is quite extensive, including steamed, stir-fried, and braised dishes, totaling sixteen dishes, and the prices are reasonable.

"These characters are beautifully written! They'll make the place look much more classy!" Old Luo picked up the sign and looked at it again and again, beaming with satisfaction. He put the sign down and looked at everyone, saying, "I plan to invite my relatives and friends to lunch at the shop the day after tomorrow. It will be the official opening day. I was originally going to invite you all from Suzhou, but I'll just let you know here."

“Okay, we don’t have a banquet to hold the day after tomorrow, I’ll definitely come then.” Xiao Lei nodded.

“Okay, I’ll come with my martial uncle.” Zheng Qiang nodded.

Zhou Yan said, "Uncle Luo, I probably can't come. The shop is busiest at noon. I'll come to support you on the weekend."

He chose to refuse.

He simply couldn't spare the time at noon, otherwise the whole day would have been wasted.

as well as……

He was a little reluctant to go into the shop and stare at a group of fellow apprentices and uncles, only to find that there were hardly any customers.

"Okay, your shop is so busy, you must be prioritizing business." Old Luo nodded with a smile, not surprised at all.

“That’s right, you just do your thing,” Xiao Lei said.

They knew exactly how much money Zhou Yan would lose if his restaurant closed for a day, and no one would be willing to do that.

After having a cup of tea, Zhou Yan and Xia Yao said their goodbyes and left.

"You don't seem to think much of Master Luo's restaurant?" Xia Yao said softly as they left Gujing Alley.

"Even the best wine needs advertising. This location is terrible. We saved on rent, but the real problem is not having any customers," Zhou Yan sighed.

Outside Gujing Lane is not Dongda Street. Shuncheng Street is not as bustling as Dongda Street. There are shops converted from residential buildings on both sides of the street, which mostly sell daily necessities. You can see one or two noodle shops here and there.

There is a certain flow of people, but most of them are passersby; those who want to eat head straight for East Street.

If a restaurant is located on the street, and the aroma of its food fills the air, there's a good chance of attracting customers, especially since many people are walking or cycling.

The alley was too deep; even the aroma of the food couldn't waft out.

Xia Yao glanced back and, standing at the alley entrance, couldn't even see the sign for Luo's Restaurant. She immediately understood what Zhou Yan meant.

No one goes out to eat like they're exploring a mystery, finding a small restaurant in an unknown alley and then easily sitting down to enjoy their meal.

Earning money isn't easy, and eating out isn't a daily routine, so we definitely need to eat something good; certainty is very important.

The reason why Zhou Yan's restaurant business is so good is because of its high degree of certainty. Customers know that after sitting down, they will be able to eat delicious dishes that taste like they can't be made at home or in other restaurants.

“Perhaps Uncle Luo can overcome all odds with his brute strength and rely on his superb culinary skills to quickly build a reputation and make Luo’s Restaurant a success.” Zhou Yan smiled. “We should try to think positively and not be too pessimistic.”

“Exactly.” Xia Yao smiled and said, “Let’s go find Momo and Grandma.”

"Okay." Zhou Yan got into the car and drove Xia Yao to East Street.

Dongda Street is lined with food stalls selling snacks.

"Sweet-skinned duck~~fragrant and sweet, absolutely delicious!"

"Tofu pudding! Emei tofu pudding!"

"Guokui! So fragrant and crispy!"

"Ye'erba~ Dongba~~"

The sounds of vendors hawking their wares filled the air, and steam rose from each stall, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere that seemed to dispel some of the winter chill.

"East Street is still the most lively and bustling," Xia Yao couldn't help but sigh, then looked at Zhou Yan and said, "You have such good taste."

“Choosing a good location is the basic operation for opening a store.” Zhou Yan’s lips curled up, unable to suppress the smile.

"Are you hungry? Is there anything you want to eat?" Zhou Yan asked.

Xia Yao pointed to the stall in front of her and said, "I want to eat guokui (a type of flatbread). There are three people queuing up to buy it at that stall, and they look like locals. It must taste good."

“You know your food, come on, let’s go buy one to try, and if it’s good, we can bring one for them too.” Zhou Yan rode his bike over.

On the tricycle, a large honeycomb briquette stove was set up with a flat-bottomed iron pan, where round, plump flatbreads were fried until golden brown, and the steam carrying a fragrant aroma looked particularly tempting.

The woman making the guokui (a type of flatbread) was a slightly chubby woman with short hair. There was a sign next to her that read "Cai Sanmei Juntun Guokui" and listed the prices: Beef guokui 3 jiao/each, Pork guokui 2 jiao/each.

　There will be another update later, you can wait until tomorrow to read it.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)