God-Given Business Genius - Chapter 125

"Looking at this secret inspection list, the proportion of Shanghai Restaurant is quite high. Is there anything that concerns you?"

"As expected, Team Leader Jo, you're sharp."

"I asked because you seem to be scrutinizing it more keenly than other brands. If you share the related information, we can manage it better."

I smiled slightly at Jo I-ruk's words. Of course, I have to be concerned.

"Shanghai Restaurant... It's a brand launched relatively recently, before Song Cafe, right? Since it's still in its early stages, isn't that why you're paying more attention to it?" Hyun Ye-won tentatively offered her opinion.

Until just now, she was so stiff she couldn't even meet my eyes. But as soon as work talk started, she became serious as if nothing had happened.

"The fact that it's the most recently launched food franchise is certainly a factor. The other places are now in the stage of establishing themselves, and they've proven through multiple secret inspections that they're maintaining quality."

"I see..."

"But that's not all."

When we launched other franchise brands besides Shanghai Restaurant, we didn't pay this much attention.

That's not to say we were negligent. It's just that we're particularly on edge about Shanghai Restaurant.

"The reason is simple. It's because it's Chinese cuisine."

"Pardon?"

When I mentioned launching Shanghai Restaurant, An Derek just sent a subtle glance without saying anything, but Jung Ha-neul secretly approached and whispered:

-It won't be easy. Of course, Chef Song must have started knowing all this, but.......

As a master of Chinese cuisine, well-versed in the related industry, and having experienced the hardships of running a restaurant, he could voice such concerns.

"Chinese cuisine has a high entry barrier, and because it requires quite advanced skills, there's a considerably high dependence on the chef."

"Really? Is that so?"

"Of course. Ye-won-ssi, if you had to choose between opening a jajangmyeon restaurant or a dak-galbi restaurant, which would you prefer?"

"Ah..."

Hyun Ye-won let out a small sigh at my question. She seemed to understand immediately.

"Usually, it's dak-galbi. Not because dak-galbi is easier to run as a business, but because the accessibility itself is different. Many people make dak-galbi at home, but jajangmyeon is difficult to attempt, right?"

"That's true."

Hyun Ye-won nodded and agreed continuously.

Chinese cuisine is more difficult to make at home compared to other foods. That's why it's hard for someone who hasn't spent a lifetime handling a wok in a Chinese restaurant to boldly decide to open a Chinese restaurant.

"That's why Chinese restaurant locations usually have little to no premium. Because the people interested in Chinese restaurants are almost fixed. They're only those already in the related industry."

"I see."

"So that was the reason. I did think that the opening costs for Shanghai Restaurant were lower than other places."

Jo I-ruk would know better as he's often involved in new openings.

It's all because of the entry barrier. There are people who say they'll open a chicken restaurant after retirement, but you rarely hear of someone wanting to open a Chinese restaurant after retirement.

"That's why if you don't know how to cook yourself, you struggle a lot after starting a Chinese restaurant. If the chef decides to be difficult, there's no other way. So you end up being swayed by the chef, and the cooking inevitably degrades into ways that are easier for the chef."

"...So that's why you're paying more attention to Shanghai Restaurant."

"It's for similar reasons. Of course, at Shanghai Restaurant, we educate the franchise owners to be familiar with all menu recipes and cooking methods... but how many owners actually man the kitchen themselves?"

Of course, they'll be diligent at first.

When they've just opened and are trying to attract customers, they'll wake up at dawn and not feel tired, wanting to serve better food to each and every customer.

But all tragedies come from boredom.

"Once they start making some money, it's human nature to want to work comfortably. That's when they start looking for someone to take over the kitchen work."

It's an inevitable progression.

Except for a few with exceptional diligence, most ordinary people tend to change like this.

"But Shanghai Restaurant's profit structure doesn't allow for paying the chef a lot of money."

"That's right. It's a high-volume, low-margin structure set up under the assumption that the owner directly handles the kitchen work."

"Chinese chefs can have much more freedom and better pay at other Chinese restaurants, so there's no need for them to work at Shanghai Restaurant where they have to follow strict manuals for less money."

"Ugh. It's complicated."

Hyun Ye-won muttered, holding her head.

"Then what do we do? If the owner doesn't want to do kitchen work, but can't find a chef?"

"It's simple."

I knew very well where these kinds of conversations eventually lead.

"They end up filling the position with subpar personnel."

"Subpar..., excuse me?"

Hyun Ye-won looked at me with a slightly surprised face. I calmly continued my explanation.

"First, they use chefs who are on the blacklist to the extent that other Chinese restaurants won't hire them."

"Oh my."

"Of course, they're not proper personnel. If they're rejected by all Chinese restaurants, there must be problems with their work attitude, attire, skills, hygiene... at least two or three issues."

"I suppose so."

"Second, they bring in inexperienced part-timers fresh out of school and put them in the chef's position."

"What?"

Hyun Ye-won shook her head as if it was nonsense.

"No way! I heard that franchise owners receive at least three months of training? Of course, it's not just recipe training, but even if you study hard from morning to evening, it would take at least a month. How can a part-timer do all that?"

"That's why it's a problem."

It takes at least a month to make an inexperienced novice franchise owner able to work in the kitchen.

But in a busy store, it's nonsense to educate a part-timer for a month.

Naturally, they'll be put into the field after a week at most, or in urgent cases, after just a day or two.

"We've made the manual as detailed as possible so that even beginners can quickly learn... but well, I wonder if they'll even bother to read it."

I can guarantee. The chances of a part-timer working for minimum wage carefully reading the manual and working exactly as instructed are almost zero.

So the taste deteriorates, naturally customers decrease, and then sales take a hit.

"This is what I think is Shanghai Restaurant's biggest weakness. The owners trying to leave the kitchen."

"......"

"We emphasize it heavily during training, but we'll have to keep watching how it turns out. Continuously monitoring and making them feel a sense of caution is also part of what our Ye-won-ssi needs to do."

"Yes, ma’am!"

Hyun Ye-won nodded with a determined face.

"I'll work hard!"

Good. If she can just maintain that mindset, I couldn't ask for more.

As I was nodding, the car came to a stop. Looking out the window, I could see the Shanghai Restaurant sign glowing.

"We've arrived."

"Shall we go in?"

I pulled down the hat I had brought in advance as I got out of the car.

The first secret inspection of Shanghai Restaurant was beginning.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

Ding-a-ling~

"Welcome!"

As we opened the door and entered, the smell of jjajangmyeon with stir-fried pork hit us. It wasn't that the ventilation was poor. It was the natural aroma from continuous cooking in the kitchen.

'It immediately makes my mouth water.'

Even someone without any thoughts would be tempted by this smell. This deserved a plus point for stimulating appetite.

'Business is so-so. We did come at an odd hour.'

Between lunch and dinner. It wasn't bad considering it was the time when customers are usually the fewest.

'It was a store with decent sales.'

"Three people, right? Please sit this way~"

As soon as we sat down, I also quickly examined the tableware. Basic hygiene often shows in these spoons and chopsticks.

"Hmm. Not bad."

I left a brief comment. Jo I-ruk nodded in agreement.

"I'll order appropriately. We need to examine the store's skills."

"Yes!"

After whispering quietly, I raised my hand to call the waiter.

The waiter who brought water and some simple side dishes asked with a bright face.

"Yes. Would you like to order?"

"One jjajangmyeon with stir-fried pork, one jajangmyeon, one jjamppong, and one small sweet and sour pork, please."

"Yes, I'll confirm your order. One jjajangmyeon with stir-fried pork, one jajangmyeon, one jjamppong, and small sweet and sour pork, is that correct?"

I nodded, and the waiter bowed saying they understood before heading to the POS machine. Tick tick, as they entered the order into the POS, the sound of the order being printed came from the kitchen area.

'The kitchen is open-style, but the window is small, so the cooking process isn't fully visible.'

It seems difficult to check kitchen hygiene from where we're sitting.

"Let's eat first and then think about it."

So far, there are no visible issues. If the food is delicious too, it seems we could just do a quick kitchen hygiene check and leave.

"It's... more normal than I expected?"

Hyun Ye-won whispered in a low voice.

"Indeed."

Even Jo I-ruk agreed. I thought for a moment, then asked Hyun Ye-won.

"What was the reason this place was selected?"

"Ah, they were ordering too little sauce compared to their sales. Compared to other stores with the same sales... almost half?"

"Aha."

So that was the reason.

"We'll know when we taste it."

Not long after, the waiter brought the food we ordered.

Jjajangmyeon with stir-fried pork, jajangmyeon, jjamppong, and sweet and sour pork were placed on the table in order.

"Then, enjoy your meal~"

As the waiter bowed and left, I first took a bite of the jjajangmyeon with stir-fried pork.

Slurp!

"......"

As expected.

"H-how is it?"

Hyun Ye-won carefully observed my expression. Without a word, I moved my chopsticks to the jajangmyeon.

I lifted a bite and once again, slurp.

With each chew, I could confirm that the 'maybe' was turning into 'as expected'.

"Try it."

At my words, Hyun Ye-won and Jo I-ruk also took a bite each of the jjajangmyeon with stir-fried pork and jajangmyeon.

"How is it?"

"...Um. It's delicious?"

Hyun Ye-won tilted her head.

"It just tastes like the jajangmyeon I know."

"Right? What do you think, Team Leader Jo?"

At my question, Jo I-ruk thought for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth.

"...It's not that it's not delicious, but it's not the taste I know."

As expected.

"Pardon?"

Hyun Ye-won asked, puzzled.

"It tastes slightly different from the sauce used in Shanghai Restaurant."

Jo I-ruk seems to notice immediately, probably because he's tasted it dozens, hundreds of times.

"Now I understand why the sauce order volume is significantly lower."

I said with a smirk.

"It seems they're mixing other ingredients into the sauce."