1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 97 Zhou Yan! Your house has collapsed! (Bonus chapter for 1000 monthly votes!)
Zhou Erwa's restaurant was selling like hotcakes, leaving Yang Laosan and Zhu Feng dumbfounded. All their usual customers who liked to buy braised meat had been lured away, and they hadn't sold a single one of the dozen or so kilograms of meat they had prepared.

In contrast, Zhao Minghui's braised peanuts are selling extremely well.

In the afternoon, he went back and braised another 15 jin (7.5 catties). He continued to taste and buy as he went. It didn't matter if they didn't buy, he would just give a few pieces to the passing workers to try.

The peanuts were still warm, and their taste and texture were even better than when they were cold, resulting in a very high sales rate.

Braised peanuts cost 45 cents a pound, and you can get a bag for 30 cents. They're perfect for having with drinks or as a snack for kids.

The two sweet-skinned ducks he prepared today have also sold out.

Zhang Xiuqin was in charge of packing and collecting money, and her smile was particularly bright.

She never expected that Zhou Yan's casual suggestion would make their business so successful.

The braised peanuts she hadn't been optimistic about before sold incredibly well today; more than ten kilograms sold out in no time.

They can earn an extra four or five yuan today just by selling braised peanuts!

Yang Laosan and Zhu Feng huddled together, whispered a few words, and then went their separate ways.

"Yang's Braised Food and Zhu's Braised Food are having a joint first anniversary celebration! Pig's head meat is 1.9 yuan per jin! Pig's ears are 2.4 yuan per jin! The taste is really good!" The two immediately started shouting, and the price was 3 mao per jin cheaper than they usually sell it for.

The losses from braised pig's head are actually quite significant. Zhou Yan only makes half the profit at 2.5 yuan per jin. With the price dropping by 0.3 yuan per jin, they are really feeling the pinch.

There's nothing I can do. I can only sell during this one hour after get off work each day. If I can't sell them, all this pork head meat will be stuck with me.

Learning from Wang Laowu's experience, the textile factory workers now have much higher standards for the quality of the meat sold at the gate. They dare not gamble on whether they will be arrested for selling leftover braised meat from yesterday.

The meat I braised this morning has been sitting out all day. If I take it home, it will turn black by tomorrow, and I won't be able to sell it a second time.

Customers who couldn't buy it at the restaurant on Tuesday but were still craving it came over to buy it after hearing about the price reduction.

A piece of pork head meat that costs 9.9 yuan per kilogram is not something you can usually buy.

I don't know if it's a real anniversary sale or if they were forced to lower their prices by Zhou Erwa Restaurant.

However, this is a good thing for the guests.

Braised pig's head meat at 2.5 yuan per pound is delicious, but braised pig's head meat at 1.9 yuan per pound allows you to eat more slices and have more drinks.

There will always be a group of customers who are more price-sensitive and will decisively choose the cheaper option, even if the taste is just so-so, when faced with a price difference of six cents.

Before Zhou Erwa Restaurant started selling braised meat, they used to buy braised pig's head from these two restaurants.

Of course, if the price difference is only two or three cents per pound, then one would seriously consider which one tastes better.

As darkness deepened, the guests ate their meals more quickly, eager to get home before nightfall.

After the guests left, it started to drizzle outside.

Comrade Zhou was covered in dust and patted the embankment for a while before coming over, wearing a bamboo hat on his head.

"You guys go home first. I'll collect the dishes from the remaining tables. We can wash them tomorrow morning. Go home first so you don't get soaked!" Zhou Yan handed the lunchbox he had packed for his dad to his mom and urged her on.

"Alright! Zhao Hong, don't accept it anymore, let's go home. It looks like it's going to rain heavily." Aunt Zhao took off her apron and called to Zhao Hong.

"Zhou Yan, you can leave it to me to wash tomorrow morning," Zhao Hong said, taking off her apron and walking towards the door. Zhou Fei had been waiting at the door for a while and handed her a raincoat.

"Why wear a raincoat in this little rain? Hurry up, we won't get too wet on the way home." Zhao Hong handed the raincoat to Zhao Tieying. "Fourth Aunt, you wear this and wrap Momo up so she doesn't catch a cold from the rain. I'll just hide behind Zhou Fei."

Zhao Tieying glanced at Zhou Fei, who was wearing a raincoat, and nodded with a smile: "Okay, I'll leave it at your door tomorrow morning. Remember to wear it if it rains in the morning."

"Okay," Zhao Hong replied, lifted Zhou Fei's raincoat, crawled her upper body inside, and rode away.

"I want to sit in the front!" Zhou Momo moved closer to the front of the car, ready to climb in.

“Sit on the hammer, sit in the back when it rains, I’ll hold you.” Zhao Tieying put on his raincoat, picked her up and wrapped her in it.

"I've been busy all afternoon and forgot to bring my raincoat." Old Zhou put the straw hat on Aunt Zhao's head, looking a little embarrassed.

“I have another one here.” Zhou Yan took out a straw hat and put it on Old Zhou. “The road is slippery from the rain, ride slowly.”

"Okay, go back now, don't get caught in the rain." Old Zhou nodded and rode away on his bicycle.

As darkness fell, the light rain gradually turned into a moderate rain, which then poured down in a continuous downpour.

The vendors frantically tore at their tarpaulins, gathering up their money, seasonings, and unsold food.

This autumn rain was unexpectedly heavy.

That's the advantage of opening a shop; if you encounter unexpected weather, you won't be in such a mess or in chaos.

At this moment, the monthly rent of fifteen yuan seems like a great deal.

They say that every autumn rain brings a chill, and Zhou Yan guesses that the temperature is about to drop.

As the weather gets colder, cold dishes will gradually sell less well, especially cold chicken salad, which is icy cold in winter.

The taste of braised meat will be affected, especially in winter, as the fat will harden and the texture will not be as perfect.

However, this is a slow process. Southern Sichuan is not like the north, so the temperature drop is relatively gentle, and he can continue selling for a while longer.

As the weather gets colder, everyone wants to eat something warm, and the peak season for braised beef is about to begin.

In winter, eating a bowl of freshly cooked, steaming hot braised beef and drinking a bowl of delicious beef soup warms you up from head to toe. Who can resist such a temptation?

Zhou Yan closed the door, shutting out the wind and rain.

The dishes and chopsticks were taken to the kitchen washing area, washed, and dried on a dish rack.

Zhou Yan pulled out the cash box from behind the counter, took out the ledger, and recorded the accounts. All the braised pig's head and cold chicken prepared for today were sold out, bringing in 43.32 yuan. More than three jin (1.5 kg) of food were consumed during the tasting.

Twenty more bowls of noodles were sold, increasing income by 12 yuan.

He had already heard about the canteen's reform plan: to eliminate stir-fries and have all the chefs focus on making large-batch dishes, prioritizing low prices and catering to the workers. He was certain that the taste of the steamed buns, porridge, and noodles would be improved.

He expects the restaurant's noodle sales to gradually drop back to eighty bowls, which he hopes will stabilize.

This is normal competition, and Zhou Yan can accept it completely.

However, the cancellation of the stir-fry section in the factory canteen means that Zhou Yan will monopolize the stir-fry business in the textile factory, directly competing with the extremely low-priced large-pot dishes.

Today's revenue was 416.3 yuan, and the profit was 207.1 yuan.

They all broke his own records.

The introduction of braised food has indeed opened up a market for customers who don't usually go to restaurants.

Some customers asked about braised beef, but the price of four yuan per pound was indeed a bit prohibitive, so Zhou Yan decided to keep it vacant tomorrow.

Today, Zhou Yan saw several familiar faces among the guests, people he had met at yesterday's wedding banquet; they were probably his teachers and town government officials.

This shows that yesterday's wedding banquet successfully attracted some new guests for him.

Even though the number of people is not large at present, this circle is relatively easy to snowball as word of mouth spreads.

[Ding! Main Quest: Dominate the Textile Factory! The host has successfully expanded to 1000+ users, becoming the most well-known independent restaurant in the textile factory!]

[Reward for the task has been issued: Spicy Pork Liver]

Just as Zhou Yan closed the ledger, the system notification sounded.

Upon seeing this hint, Zhou Yan's face lit up with joy.

Spicy stir-fried pig liver is one of the famous "Three Tender Dishes of Qiaotou" in Yandu. This dish is quite common in Sichuan restaurants and is almost always on the menu, making it very popular.

It's a common dish, but it really tests a chef's control of the heat.

Pork liver that isn't cooked properly will be tough, bitter, and taste like chewing wax.

If you pursue the ultimate tenderness too much, customers are more likely to throw up their javelins after eating.

Therefore, mastering this balance is a reflection of a chef's ability to control the heat.

Pig liver is a good source of blood-nourishing nutrients.

Zhou Yan has a strong palate and loves dishes like stir-fried pork liver, stir-fried liver and kidney, and dry-pot pork intestines.

Moreover, pork liver is very cheap, costing only three cents per pound, and four ounces of pork liver are needed to stir-fry one serving.

Zhou Yan has already started to consider the pricing issue: should he be greedy and make more money, or should he offer a low-priced dish to his customers?

Without thinking too much about it, Zhou Yan first opened the app to learn how to make spicy pork liver.

Knowledge entered his mind, and countless experiences were integrated into his consciousness, just as he had cooked this dish countless times.

A minute later, Zhou Yan's eyes had regained their clarity.

Spicy stir-fried pork liver, just right!
Zhou Yan quickly figured out how to prepare, stir-fry, and season the pig liver.

Spicy stir-fried pork kidneys, spicy stir-fried pork liver, and spicy stir-fried crispy intestines were his master's specialties, so Zhou Yan was good at cutting pork kidneys and had watched his master cook these three dishes many times.

After mastering the stir-fried pork liver, he felt he also had some confidence in stir-fried pork kidney and crispy intestines.

I'll buy some pork kidneys tomorrow and try them out. I'm not in a rush to sell them; I'll stir-fry them for my family to try at lunchtime first.

If it's not quite there yet, you can always ask your master for guidance.

Zhao Dongke asked him more than once when the stir-fried pork liver and stir-fried pork kidney would be available. Judging from the sales of the canteen's stir-fries, the male comrades generally liked to order this dish, so it had a stable market.

Go for it! Go for it tomorrow!

Zhou Yan took out a wooden board and wrote "Spicy Pig Liver" on it.

After thinking for a while, I wrote down the price: 0.8 yuan.

Pork liver is cheap, but this dish is very oily and requires additional side dishes and ingredients, so the cost is about three cents.

Zhou Yan decided to set the price a bit higher.

Pricing involves not only considering costs, but also the prices of other dishes.

If the stir-fried pork liver is too cost-effective and more people order it, it will inevitably affect the sales of other dishes and lower the average order value.

Zhou Yan added dishes to earn more money, not to work both ways and end up earning less the busier he was.

After hanging the wooden sign on the menu wall, Zhou Yan went to wash up and go to bed, completely satisfied.

It was raining heavily outside, the downpour was surprisingly soothing, and Zhou Yan closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.

……

boom!Boom!

Zhou Yan, who was sleeping soundly, was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

He opened his eyes, still a little groggy, and heard Zhou Jie's voice: "Zhou Yan! Zhou Yan, get up quickly! Your house has collapsed!"
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PS: Third update! Bonus chapter for 1000 monthly votes! Still asking for more monthly votes~
　Third update! Bonus chapter for 1000 monthly votes! Please vote with monthly votes!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)