Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 236 Han San's Guidance (Monthly Tickets+)

Han San looked around the restaurant. Xia Maosheng led everyone up to the second floor. The staircase from the second to the third floor was covered with a thick cloth, as private rooms were being built up to prevent dust from seeping down. Xiao Wei planned to use wood for everything, which would be quick and create a nice atmosphere. The construction was handed over to Lao Xu from the lumberyard.

Han San glanced at the completely blocked staircase and asked, "What's this all about?"

Xia Maosheng said, "The upstairs used to be offices. Xiaowei asked them to be demolished so that we could make some private rooms. They're working on it right now. There's dust in there, so we're blocking it so it won't affect our meals."

Han San said, "Aren't so many tables enough? Aren't there several private rooms?"

Xia Maosheng ushered everyone into the private room, saying, "The first floor is basically for casual dining. The people eating here are all government employees, so the private room is a bit better. Come in, it's warmer inside than outside." He then turned on the light in the private room.

Han San peeked into the private room and said, "Okay, it's pretty well done. Well, let's all just eat outside. There are so many of us, one private room isn't enough. It'll be more lively outside, all crammed together."

Everyone sat down at the tables on the second floor, with about ten people divided into two tables.

The preparations were thorough, and the food was served quickly. Since it was getting late, Xiaowei invited Chef Zhai and Sister Zhang to sit down and eat with them, and then arranged for a car to take them home. Everyone sat down and started eating without any formalities. Sister Shang paused at the table with her chopsticks and said with a smile, "I've worked in restaurants for half my life, and this is the first time I've ever eaten a full meal like this. I should have prepared some better dishes."

Everyone laughed. Han San, with a straight face, pointed at the dishes on the table and asked, "Sister, do you mean these guys are trying to fool us with something bad?"

Sister Zhang had already started eating and said with a smile, "That's right, you have to be careful. These guys are slippery, wicked, and stingy. We usually eat potatoes with soybean paste all day long, and they don't even give us a scallion."

Boss Shi said, "You guys have a really good relationship. It seems these bosses are quite popular. Come on, let's have a drink."

After a long day, no one drank much alcohol. After dinner, Sister Zhang and the others cleaned up, and everyone went downstairs to sit, drink tea, and chat for a while. Once Sister Zhang and the others had finished washing up, they turned off the lights, locked the doors, and got into the car. Fortunately, the Sea Lion was big enough to easily accommodate about ten people.

Chen Hui drove first to take Han Sanshi and his group to the guesthouse and make arrangements, then had Liu Hongliang drive to take Master Zhai and Sister Zhang, the six people, home one by one before coming back to pick up the three brothers and return to the courtyard.

After locking the car in the heated garage, the four of them chatted and laughed as they entered the old building. They unpacked the TV, placed one in Xiaowei's parents' room, and moved the other to the living room. Chen Hui quickly unpacked and reassembled the Little Genius TV, and the four of them began their battle with the television.

The next morning, the four of them groggily got up and went to the guesthouse, where they had breakfast with Boss Han Sanshi and his group before heading to the restaurant.

Boss Shi is installing the pool table, and Han San is installing the equipment.

The electrician and Master Chang, who supplied the power, arrived early with the materials and assisted in the process.

They chatted and laughed while working, and the morning passed quickly.

There were four tables on the second floor at noon, so everyone ate on the first floor. Han San said with a smile, "We really need to set up private rooms. Your business is really good. Looking at this place, it's still a bit small."

Xiao Wei said, "It's not small anymore. Unlike Fengtian, there are many small shops here. The purchasing power here is still a bit lower than there. Once the third floor is renovated, it will definitely be enough."

Han San said, "Then you still need to find a way to make something special. Now you have enough people, but everyone gets tired of eating the same thing every day. Restaurants in Fengtian or those roadside snack stalls don't have this problem. They can make the same menu for ten or twenty years without any problem. But you might not be able to do that. You need to come up with some new dishes every now and then and do something fresh and innovative. Your chef is skilled, so treat him well and discuss the dishes with him more often. You have to rely on him for this."

Xiao Wei thought for a moment, nodded and said, "Third Brother is right. I'll discuss it with Master Zhai after everything is settled here."

Han San said, "It doesn't necessarily have to be high-end, and novelty doesn't have to be expensive. The key is freshness. For example, pure farm-style dishes, in winter, a whole pork stew, in summer, a whole fish feast. The cost may not be high, but it's attractive."

Boss Shi said, "We have to do the expensive stuff. The people who eat here have the means. You can do that occasionally, but in the long run, we need to go for something more upscale. We need to create a mix of things, raise the bar, and keep offering something new and exciting. That's how we make this restaurant a success."

Han San said, "Go to Fengtian more often. Once you open here, you won't need to keep an eye on things. Just go out and explore. You can bring back a lot of unique things to make, like abalone and bird's nest banquets, whole roasted lamb, Western food, and all those Japanese or Korean things. We have them all over Fengtian. Go eat and learn. If all else fails, spend a little money to buy a few recipes, introduce a new dish every few days, and add a specialty every ten days or so. That'll make your shop thrive."

Boss Shi nodded and said, "The key is reputation. Once you have a good reputation, business will be easier. With your cooking skills, you won't be ashamed anywhere."

Xia Maosheng said, "Actually, we could get one or two of the bones from An Laowu's, and also make some of Lao An's one-pot stew. I think that would work. When the weather gets warmer, we can clean up downstairs and bring out some seafood and river fish."

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "Okay, we'll try it out then, and if it doesn't work, we'll replace it."

Chen Hui said, "Let me tell you, don't even think about it. I'm planning to open a branch. Don't even think about it without paying a technical fee."

Xia Maosheng's eyes lit up, and he smiled at Xiao Wei, saying, "That's right, we can consider this in the future, opening branch stores, one in each city of the province. Then Brother Han's idea will be perfect."

Chen Hui waved his hand and said, "I'm not including you guys. My brand is so prestigious, I'll do it all myself, hahaha. I'll let you witness the rise of a food empire firsthand, and you can be envious."

Xiao Wei said to Xia Maosheng, "If you want to open a branch, it would be best to bring this whole thing along: cakes, restaurants, karaoke bars. It's just that the investment is huge, but I don't think it will be hard to find a location."

Chen Hui tapped the table and said, "Xiao Wei's idea is good. I think this setup is better than opening a separate restaurant. However, finding a chef is not an easy task."

Han San glanced at Chen Hui and said, "Don't you have a culinary school? Most of the students there study it just to find a job and earn a wage. Not just anyone can open a restaurant."

Xia Maosheng nodded and said, "Yes, that makes sense. Third Brother sees things clearly."

Boss Shi took a sip of his century-old liquor and said, "You can't forget about me, you have to get another billiards place."

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "This is not easy to do. It requires a large investment and there will be a lot of trouble once it's started. We're outsiders, so I'm afraid someone might mess with us at any time."

(End of this chapter)