God-Given Business Genius - Chapter 146

"Ah, what happened with the charcoal grill machine?"

Jo I-ruk answered my question as if he had been waiting for it.

"We're developing it with Owner Moon. We've contacted most of the factories, and production will begin soon. We plan to start taking pre-orders on the website next week."

"Good. Please proceed with that."

"Yes."

Then, Roh Se-hee stood up.

"I've researched recent trends in the food service industry."

Roh Se-hee distributed the materials she had prepared. Only long-standing employees were present at this meeting, excluding new hires.

Centered around me were Jo I-ruk, Roh Se-hee, Park Sang-won, and Yang Ji-a. Also, Baek Jae-ha and Hyun Ye-won, whom I had specially permitted to observe.

"The popularity of 'Honey Butter Chips' released last year is still ongoing. While not as intense as during the sold-out crisis, other companies are flooding the market with imitations. Similar styles of nuts, popcorn, and pretzels are also gaining popularity."

Right. That did happen.

I recall that after a brief surge, most imitations disappeared, with only a few steady sellers surviving.

"The trend has lasted longer than expected, so I wonder if we should launch a related new product now. For <Bingwa> or <Song Cafe>."

"It's too late."

I cut her off decisively.

"Trends move quickly in the food industry, don't they? The reason imitations are having a moment now is largely because the original Honey Butter Chips are struggling with scarcity. But they've announced factory expansions and increased production, so this craze will soon subside."

Not much time left. If we wanted to ride this wave, we should have jumped in earlier.

But if we react to every fleeting trend like this, inventory management becomes difficult when the fad dies down.

That's partly why I didn't react, and also because <Bingwa> and <Song Cafe> are already doing well with their competitive pricing, so I didn't feel the need to follow this trend.

"Instead, how about the milk tea that's popular in Taiwan and Hong Kong these days?"

"Milk tea... you mean."

"Tea with milk added. Sweetened, of course. It would be nice if we could make bubbles with tapioca too, but that might be too difficult."

We're not a bubble tea specialty brand. Considering the time it takes to cook the pearls, it's too labor-intensive.

<Song Cafe> operates on a high-volume, low-margin principle, so we can't have menu items that hinder turnover rate.

"People aren't averse to foreign cultures these days, are they? I think it would be good to launch milk tea as a new menu item for <Song Cafe>... Jae-ha."

After some thought, I called out to Baek Jae-ha, sitting at the very end.

"Yes."

"Can you try developing it?"

"I'll experiment with various versions."

"Okay. Please do that."

As I was about to wrap up, I noticed Hyun Ye-won, sitting next to Baek Jae-ha, tilting her head and scribbling something down.

She looked clearly perplexed. It seemed there was something she didn't understand, but she was struggling to hold back, thinking it wasn't her place to interject.

"Hyun Ye-won-ssi."

"Y-Yes?!"

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask. You're here to learn, that's why I allowed you to attend the meeting."

"Ah..."

Hyun Ye-won rolled her eyes around as if gauging the reactions of those around her. When everyone chimed in with "Yes, go ahead!" her face brightened considerably.

"Um, then may I ask why we're not franchising this milk tea separately?"

Oh, quite a sharp question.

I gestured for her to explain in detail. Hyun Ye-won then began her explanation as if she had never been hesitant before.

"While it's still unfamiliar in our country, as you mentioned, milk tea is quite popular in Taiwan and Hong Kong. I think that as more Koreans travel abroad these days, they're becoming more familiar with milk tea, and the demand has increased significantly."

That's correct. I nodded.

"Looking at overseas examples, there are many franchise brands specializing in milk tea... but there aren't similar cases in Korea yet. I believe <The Song> has enough capability to pioneer a new path."

A response befitting an enthusiastic new employee.

At first glance, it doesn't seem wrong. But...

"We already have <Song Cafe>, so adding another cafe brand might actually have a negative impact on both."

"...!"

"After all, aren't we dividing the same pie? While a soup rice shop and a Chinese restaurant can coexist because they have different targets, a milk tea specialty shop and a general cafe inevitably overlap in customers."

At my words, Hyun Ye-won looked surprised, but her expression still showed that her doubts weren't completely resolved. Sure enough, after a moment's hesitation, she spoke up again.

"Even so, they don't overlap completely, and in the end, wouldn't increasing market share be advantageous for <The Song>?"

"That could be the case. If we're thinking about a strategy to increase market share. On the premise that <Song Cafe> and the milk tea specialty shop each concede a bit of sales to each other, it might even be profitable for the headquarters."

"Then isn't that fine? But why..."

"That's not enough."

The company's profit can't be the only top priority, can it?

"It could end up being a betrayal to the franchise owners who decided to become part of <Song Cafe> trusting in us."

"Ah!"

Hyun Ye-won jumped as if struck by lightning.

Yes. That logic sounds very familiar, doesn't it? Of course it does. It's the law of the jungle practiced by <Hyeonmu>.

"Sometimes we get confused when we only look at numbers, but we must not forget that each of those numbers represents the livelihood of our franchise owners."

At my words, Hyun Ye-won pressed her lips tightly.

"How unfair and infuriating would it be for franchise owners to be forced to give up their sales to each other?"

"...You're right. I'm sorry. My thinking was short-sighted."

"No, it's alright."

She might not have thought that far. It's not particularly surprising, but Hyun Ye-won seemed somewhat dazed.

It was evident that she was struggling to focus on the meeting.

'It seems she's shocked to realize that she still holds the values of <Hyeonmu>.'

Values are like that originally. They seep in unknowingly and become familiar. If Hyun Ye-won was surrounded by people with such ideas, she would naturally absorb such thoughts.

Now that someone else has pointed it out, she seems surprised as it suddenly hits home. But the fact that she can recognize and correct such aspects on her own already makes her an impressive person.

'I should talk to her after the meeting ends.'

For now, the matter at hand takes priority.

Roh Se-hee continued her briefing.

"And while it's not mainstream, a noteworthy point is that a Chinese dish called 'malatang' is forming a cult following, and..."

All explanations concluded smoothly.

After internalizing the general flow, I cleared my throat softly.

"Ahem."

All eyes turned to me.

"Alright. The reason I gathered all of you together this time is... as you might have guessed."

I said with a grin.

"To talk about our next franchise."

"......"

"......"

Everyone seemed unsurprised, as if they had expected this. Well, it's not often that we have such a formal meeting.

"The idea I've come up with this time is... this."

Thud.

I took something out of the cooler I had prepared. It was a plastic container for portioning food.

"Here, take one each."

Everyone took one and passed it on, looking puzzled.

"Oh? It's light...!"

Yang Ji-a muttered softly, almost involuntarily. That's understandable, as the plastic container was light enough to hold with one hand, which seemed unusual for something containing food.

"Now. Open it."

At my words, everyone opened the plastic containers with curious expressions.

Click.

"...Huh?"

"Oh?"

Exclamations of confusion leaked out.

It was understandable.

What was inside the plastic container was...

Vegetables that looked fresh at a glance.

While cherry tomatoes, corn kernels, and olives added some color here and there, green occupied over 80% of the space.

The only meat was chicken placed in the center. Even that looked healthy at first glance.

In other words, it didn't look particularly appetizing.

"Vegetables?"

Park Sang-won blurted out, barely holding back from saying 'grass'.

"Ah, no. This is a salad!"

"You're right. Chicken breast salad. I used to eat this when dieting..."

"Just looking at it makes me feel healthier."

As expected, the reactions weren't particularly positive.

That's understandable, as the status of 'salad' in the food industry at this time was... just a side dish to accompany pasta or pizza. That was about it.

The concept of eating salad as a 'meal' would be quite foreign.

It's viewed as a diet menu that only those who survive on two potatoes and three boiled eggs a day would eat. Neither filling nor tasty.

Just 'health food'.

In a society where calling for 'Chikin-nim' (Lord Chicken) is the norm, and a bowl of ramen late at night is celebrated as a small indulgence...

This 'health food' is truly a double-edged sword.

"Wait a moment. CEO, the reason you brought this, surely..."

Jo I-ruk trailed off, his face pale.

"Come on~ Team Leader Jo! This must be an appetizer."

"Ah, <The Song> is finally launching a pasta franchise. That's not bad, pasta is simple to prepare."

Park Sang-won and Yang Ji-a chimed in. But Jo I-ruk alone was looking at me with unwavering eyes.

Sorry to disappoint you.

I declared with a grin.

"I'm thinking of creating a 'salad' specialty shop."