Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 223 Repayment (5,000 words)

Shuxiangju in the capital.

Some guests arrive early, some arrive late; some guests finish their meal and leave as early as 1 p.m.

Li Zhe personally escorted them to the door, inquiring about their dining experience and areas for improvement. These guests were all family, so they spoke freely, offering Li Zhe numerous questions and suggestions.

After seeing off the last group of guests, he had filled an entire page with notes...

Li Zhe returned to the store and saw Tan Jingya directing the waiters to tidy up the tables and chairs: "Manager Tan, thank you for your hard work today."

Tan Jingya, supporting her slender waist, sighed softly, "It's been a few years since I've done this, it's really tiring, I need to get used to it more." She looked at Li Zhe and asked, "Mr. Li, are the guests satisfied with their meal?"

"Overall, it was pretty good," Li Zhe affirmed, then asked, "How would you rate the restaurant's service today?"

Tan Jingya frowned slightly: "I feel the same way as you. Overall, it's not bad, and the employees are very enthusiastic, but I've also discovered some problems. I was just about to find some time to report to you."

Li Zhe glanced at his watch: "Once we're almost done cleaning up, call Manager Wang, the three chefs from the kitchen, and Supervisor Lin to the private room on the second floor for a meeting."

Tan Jingya nodded: "The kitchen is preparing staff meals right now, why don't we wait until everyone has finished eating before starting the meeting?"

"That's fine, I'll join you guys for a meal too," Li Zhe said with a smile. He had been entertaining relatives and friends today, and had drunk quite a bit of alcohol, but hadn't eaten a single bite of food, so he was a little hungry.

Ten minutes later, the staff meal was ready.

The employees carried their own lunchboxes to serve their meals—three dishes and a soup: Mapo tofu, stir-fried shredded potatoes with meat, stewed cabbage, plus a bowl of egg drop soup, with steamed buns and rice as the staple food.

Li Zhe also served himself a meal; although there wasn't much meat, it tasted pretty good.

In this day and age, these meals were considered quite good for an ordinary family.

After the meal, Li Zhe gathered the group in a private room on the second floor.

He glanced at everyone and said with a smile, "Thank you all for your hard work today. The guests were generally satisfied with our restaurant, which is all thanks to your efforts." He picked up his teacup and said, "Come on, let me toast everyone with tea instead of wine."

After putting down his teacup, Li Zhe continued, "Let me tell you about the dishes that received the highest praise today."

The first dish is double-pepper fish head, which is very popular with people who like fish or spicy food.
The second dish was Kung Pao Chicken. Guests generally agreed that adding diced cucumber made it more refreshing, less greasy, and added a richer flavor. This modified dish was a great success.

This isn't to say that the old-style Kung Pao Chicken is bad; it's delicious too. The problem is, you can find the old-style Kung Pao Chicken at any Sichuan restaurant, but only Shu Xiang Ju makes Kung Pao Chicken with cucumber.

If you want your restaurant to be successful, you need to have your own unique features and give people a compelling reason to come.

"The third dish was boiled pork. Everyone generally agreed that the pork was tender, spicy and delicious, and the spinach at the bottom of the plate was also very tasty."
The fourth dish was Mao-style braised pork belly. The customer commented that it tasted authentic, with three layers of pork belly, and the meat was tender and juicy without being greasy. This dish was excellent not only because of Chef Wu's culinary skills, but also because of the excellent purchasing team.

As he spoke, Li Zhe looked at Wang Jianjun and said, "The quality of ingredients is very important. We should follow this standard. Only good ingredients combined with good cooking skills can make delicious dishes."

Wang Jianjun replied, "I will strictly control the process."

Li Zhe first praised several highly-rated dishes, then changed the subject: "Overall, everyone's performance today deserves praise, but we also noticed some problems. Since we're talking about food, let's discuss the issues with the dishes."

"The first problem is missing dishes. For example, some customers wanted to eat Kung Pao Chicken, but for some reason it never came; other customers ordered shredded pork with garlic sauce, but were served Kung Pao Chicken instead."

I'd like to know, is this a problem with the waiters, a problem with the kitchen, or is there a communication problem between the waiters and the kitchen?

Chef Han said, "I make both Kung Pao Chicken and Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce. As soon as the menu is sent to the kitchen, the kitchen assistants will prepare the side dishes. I will also check the menu, so the possibility of missing any dishes is not high."

Lin Qiaomei, as the supervisor, took the initiative to speak up: "This problem does exist. Our restaurant hasn't officially opened yet, and the waiters aren't very familiar with the restaurant's environment. In addition, there are quite a lot of customers, so there might be issues with misremembering tables."

She added, "I suggest we put number plates on the tables so that it's easy to see which table is which, which can help avoid serving the wrong dishes."

Tan Jingya nodded: "That's a good idea. Not only do waiters sometimes forget the wrong table number, but guests sometimes forget it too. For example, when settling the bill, if the waiter asks the guest which table number they have, the guest might not be able to answer or might give the wrong table number. If there's a problem with the bill, things could get even more serious."

“Then let’s do it this way? Write a clear number on each table.” Li Zhe finalized the decision and continued, “Some customers have also reported that the portion sizes for the same dish vary significantly between different tables. What do you three chefs think about that?”

Chef Han said, "It's probably because the kitchen helpers are new and the coordination between us isn't very good yet. I'll discuss it with the two chefs later and determine a specific portion size standard."

Tan Jingya said, "I also noticed a problem today: the same dishes are sometimes served on different plates. For example, Mapo Tofu is sometimes served on a deep plate and sometimes on a round plate, and the presentation is different. We should standardize the way dishes are plated in the future."

Li Zhe glanced at his notebook and continued, "There's another problem. Some customers have never eaten Sichuan cuisine before, and they'll ask the waiters for recommendations. But some waiters themselves haven't eaten Sichuan cuisine and don't know much about it, so they can't recommend anything to the customers, which makes them seem very unprofessional."

Tan Jingya nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "I think next time we do a restaurant tasting, we can let the waiters participate as well, so they can taste our own restaurant's dishes themselves. Then when customers ask, they'll know how to introduce the dishes to them."

Lin Qiaomei offered, "Tomorrow, I will conduct a targeted training session on this topic, teaching them how to recommend dishes to guests."

Li Zhe felt it was still somewhat lacking: "The turnover rate of waiters is very high, and it's impossible for every new waiter to have tried all the dishes. Moreover, everyone's tastes are different, and they will have their own subjective opinions when making recommendations."

Perhaps we could work on the menu. For example, we could categorize dishes by spiciness: mild dishes could be marked with one star, medium dishes with two stars, spicy dishes with three stars, extra spicy dishes with four stars, and non-spicy dishes without stars.

Tan Jingya's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea. When customers order, they can directly know the spiciness level of the dishes, which can also reduce the workload of the waiters."

"Then it's settled. Manager Wang, remember to add it when the menu is printed after the dishes are officially finalized." After giving his instructions, Li Zhe looked around at everyone: "Does anyone have any other questions? If so, feel free to ask, and we'll resolve them on the spot."

Tan Jingya said, "We are a Sichuan restaurant, so there are a lot of spicy dishes. When you eat spicy food, you will want to drink water to relieve the spiciness. However, tea is usually hot, so it is inevitable that the more you drink, the spicier it will become. I suggest that we can add some drinks to relieve the spiciness."

“That’s a good idea, we can all look into it.” Li Zhe continued, expanding on his ideas, “Actually, I think besides drinks, we could also prepare some snacks. After ordering, while waiting for their food, customers can grab some snacks to eat. Filling their stomachs and keeping them occupied will reduce the frequency of them asking for their food.”

"good idea!"

As soon as Li Zhe finished speaking, he received unanimous approval from the three chefs. This undoubtedly relieved their pressure.

After further discussion, Li Zhe concluded, "We need to make some changes to address these issues. Once these problems are resolved, our restaurant can officially open for business."

……

May 2, morning.

Mona Lisa Restaurant.

Li Zhe walked into the restaurant carrying his briefcase and ordered a black coffee from the waiter. Lately, the food had been getting better and better, so Li Zhe had been drinking lattes less often.

After receiving the news, the second sister came down from the second floor and sat opposite Li Zhe: "Why didn't you go upstairs when you came? You came here to sit."

Li Zhe pointed to the coffee machine across the street: "I was attracted by the aroma of this coffee as soon as I entered the restaurant, so I didn't go upstairs."

My second sister said, "You like coffee, why don't you open a Western restaurant? Western restaurants are more profitable than Chinese restaurants."

Li Zhe laughed and said, "I not only like drinking coffee, but I also like drinking tea. Moreover, I think that Western restaurants have a relatively small audience in China, which is not conducive to future market expansion."

The second sister disagreed somewhat: "That's not necessarily true. It's only been a few years since the reform and opening up, and people are becoming more and more accepting of Western culture. More and more people will eat Western food in the future. Moreover, Western restaurants are more upscale, so their profits will be higher. I estimate that in a few years, Western restaurants will no longer be the exclusive domain of foreigners. At that time, ordinary people with better economic conditions and young couples will also come to Western restaurants to eat."

Li Zhe gave a thumbs up: "Your analysis is correct. The customer base for Western restaurants will indeed increase in the future, and good Western restaurants will certainly make money. But compared to the market size of Chinese restaurants, there will still be a considerable gap. Our approaches are different. I value broad coverage, while you value differentiated and in-depth cultivation."

"Broad coverage? Differentiated in-depth cultivation?" Second Sister heard this for the first time, waved her hand and laughed, "Okay, I can't argue with you, so I just use these terms. But they do sound pretty professional."

The second sister got excited and asked, "Little brother, do you think I can open a branch of a Western restaurant this year?"

"Wow, you really have this plan?" Li Zhe silently calculated in his mind that Shen Yanan's shop hadn't been open for too long.

"Isn't it because business is good that I've gotten creative?" Shen Yanan had asked Li Zhe before why he wanted to open a restaurant. Li Zhe's answer was that the restaurant was a sales outlet for off-season vegetables, and the two complemented each other.

Off-season vegetables are scarce now, and only Li Zhe's family can provide them. In winter, other restaurants simply don't have any fresh vegetables, so Li Zhe can use off-season vegetables to build the restaurant's reputation.

Shen Yanan thought Li Zhe's words made a lot of sense. The Mona Lisa Restaurant hadn't been doing very well before, but since Li Zhe started supplying off-season vegetables, the restaurant's business had gradually improved.

Given this, could she leverage the scarcity of off-season vegetables to open another Western restaurant? She believes it's possible.

Li Zhe thought about it seriously: "Second sister, if you really want to expand the store, then prepare in advance and open another branch in the second half of the year. Although the yield of off-season vegetables will increase this winter, they will still have a scarce attribute and will still have a certain effect on attracting customers."

"Brother, with your words, I feel much more confident." Shen Yanan rubbed his hands together, eager to try. "Let's not wait until the end of the year. I have some money on hand now. How about we open a branch right now?"

Li Zhe analyzed, "It's already the end of February. If you start preparing now, finding shops, decorating, recruiting... the earliest you can open is probably the end of March or April."

And it might be even later. After all, Western restaurants are much more upscale than my place, both in terms of decor and service—you know that better than I do. By then, after another month or two of this, the summer vegetables will be ready, and your branch's advantage will be gone. I think it's safer to wait until the second half of the year.”

Shen Yanan took a deep breath, suppressing the restlessness in her heart: "That's true, then let's wait a little longer."

Li Zhe advised, "Second sister, if you really want to open a branch, I suggest you register a trademark for your restaurant. Otherwise, if others see that your restaurant is doing well, they might open a restaurant with the same name, and you would suffer a huge loss."

Shen Yanan said thoughtfully, "You're right. I'll register the trademark first."

Li Zhe glanced at his watch and took out a stack of documents from his briefcase: "Second sister, this is a list of the types and prices of canned food products I've collected. Take a look. How's the price information for export orders coming along?"

Shen Yanan also took out a document from her bag: "This is the price list for the canned food orders that the foreign trade company gave me."

Li Zhe took the order purchase price list and compared it with the cannery's ex-factory price:

Canned meat:

The purchase price of a 1-jin (500g) can of steamed pork is 3 yuan, the ex-factory price is 2.5 yuan, the gross profit is 0.5 yuan, and the profit margin is 20%.

Braised beef canned food costs 3.5 yuan per can, with a factory price of 3 yuan per can, resulting in a gross profit of 0.5 yuan and a profit margin of 16.6%...

Canned vegetables:

The purchase price of canned tomatoes is 2.3 yuan per can, the ex-factory price is 1.7 yuan per can, the gross profit is 0.6 yuan, and the profit margin is 35%.

The purchase price of green beans is 2.8 yuan per can, the ex-factory price is 2 yuan per can, the gross profit is 0.8 yuan, and the profit margin is 40%.

The purchase price of pickled cucumbers is 3 yuan per can, the ex-factory price is 2 yuan per can, the gross profit is 1 yuan, and the profit margin is 50%.

Canned fruit:

The purchase price of canned yellow peaches is 2.5 yuan per can, the ex-factory price is 1.9 yuan per can, the gross profit is 0.6 yuan, and the profit margin is 31.5%.

The purchase price of canned apples is 2.2 yuan per can, the ex-factory price is 1.7 yuan, the gross profit is 0.5 yuan, and the profit margin is 29.4%...

After comparing the purchase price and the ex-factory price, Li Zhe handed it to Shen Yanan, who was standing next to him: "Second sister, take a look."

Shen Yanan carefully examined the comparison data and said, "Not bad, the ex-factory price of these canned goods you found is not high. If we buy them at this price, we can make a profit."

Li Zhe nodded: "Based on these data, canned vegetables have the highest gross profit margin and profit margin, while canned meat has the lowest. Second Sister, does the vegetable company have any requirements regarding the types of canned goods it purchases?"

"There are no clear requirements yet." The second sister pointed to the table. "Actually, you can see some clues from the prices. The weather is quite cold in the Soviet Union, and what they lack most are vegetables, so canned vegetables have the highest profit margin."

Since they're short of canned vegetables, let's produce more. When they run out of canned meat, they'll naturally raise their purchase price for the corresponding canned goods. These old Sus are shrewd."

Li Zhe asked, "Second Sister, which foreign trade company are we specifically cooperating with? What is the initial order size?"

"Dongfang Foreign Trade Company's orders are no less than 20 tons each time, and the payment cycle is about 20 working days."

Li Zhe thought for a moment and said, "How about we set the first batch of orders at 20 tons? What do you think?"

"No problem. But I can only come up with 2 yuan."

Li Zhe roughly calculated that 20 tons of canned goods equals about 4 cans. If only a deposit is paid upfront, and the remaining balance is paid to the cannery after the foreign trade company pays the purchase price, the financial pressure won't be too great.

"Okay, I'll make up the rest."

The second sister nodded: "Then let's focus on buying canned vegetables, since that's the most profitable."

"I'll try my best." Li Zhe said "try my best" because canned pickles and canned green beans did indeed have the highest profit margins, but the supply of these two types of canned goods was not very large.

"Second sister, this is what I'm thinking. The reason we were able to do foreign trade business is mainly because of the help from your elders. I think we can give them 20% of the profits as a return."

In Li Zhe's view, foreign trade is all about information and channels.

Shen Yanan's elders must have used their personal connections and resources to secure foreign trade orders.

This 20% profit margin is a reasonable return.

If Li Zhe doesn't show any reaction, then he's being unreasonable, and this kind of cooperation might not last, let alone grow into a large and strong enterprise.

"You're very kind, brother. I thank you on behalf of that elder." Shen Yanan didn't refuse, and her gaze towards Li Zhe held a hint of appreciation.

Li Zhe did not mention to Shen Yanan that he had two other partners. This was not because Li Zhe intentionally concealed it, but because Shen Yanan might not want to know.

As for giving 20% ​​of the profits from the stock to that elder, Li Zhe had mentioned it to Jin Baiwan and Hong San before. However, at that time, they didn't know the purchase price of the canned goods or how high the profit margin was, so Li Zhe didn't specify a clear distribution ratio.

Only after discovering that this business deal was indeed profitable did they decide to give the other party a 20% share of the profits.

If Jin Baiwan and Hong San disagree with this profit-sharing ratio, then Li Zhe will pay for it himself this time. However, Li Zhe definitely won't take them with him for future orders.

Based on Li Zhe's understanding of Jin Baiwan and Hong San, he felt that the other two would agree and should be able to understand his actions.

But when it comes to money... nobody can say for sure.

Li Zhe still needs to prepare for both possibilities...

(End of this chapter)