God-Given Business Genius - Chapter 168

I looked at the mother and son with a slightly more subdued posture than before. The first thing I wanted to ask was this:

"The owner here is you, ma'am, correct?"

"Yes, that's right."

"And your son just helps with serving?"

"Yes."

They both nodded obediently. It was a good sign that the owner was clearly defined. It was much better than both of them ambiguously claiming the title of owner.

"The first issue is this. It's not just about the food, but it starts with your son's attire."

"Ah."

At my comment, the son, Park Jun-beom, seemed to understand and looked embarrassed.

"You're wearing shorts and slippers. Who would appreciate someone serving food in a restaurant dressed so casually? No matter how clean you keep the place, if the server looks like that, it lowers the credibility of the establishment."

"I'm sorry..."

Park Jun-beom bowed his head in agreement. He probably became more lax in his appearance because it was his mother's restaurant. He wouldn't have dressed like that if it were someone else's business.

"Also, get a haircut. While appearance isn't everything, you're in a service industry. You need to pay attention to your looks when you're dealing with people."

"Yes, ma'am."

Having said this, I hoped he understood. Hoping to see him in a more presentable appearance next time, I shifted my gaze.

"And Owner."

"Yes?"

Choi Mi-seon looked up at me with anxious eyes. She seemed worried about what criticism she might hear next.

Of course, the army base stew could use more than a few critiques...

"While conducting the blind taste test earlier, I thoroughly inspected the kitchen. In the food industry, hygiene is life, isn't it?"

It was the most basic aspect, yet also the easiest to neglect.

Unless it's an open kitchen where everything is visible, the interior of most restaurants is a secret space known only to the operators.

Who can guarantee that there aren't establishments that just cut off the visible moldy parts of ingredients and use the rest? We often see news about restaurants reusing side dishes.

So it's really difficult. It's not like anyone appreciates the daily diligence and attention. It's purely a battle with one's own conscience.

In that sense, the owner here...

"I was surprised."

She deserved praise.

"There wasn't a single spot that wasn't clean. I thought you might have been notified of my visit in advance."

"Oh, goodness. How could that be? If I had known, I would have put on more makeup today."

"You're beautiful enough as you are. The state of your kitchen is among the best I've seen."

"Really?"

"Yes. You should be proud. You've done an excellent job maintaining it, Owner."

As soon as I finished speaking, Choi Mi-seon's face crumpled as if she was about to cry. Her carefully crafted recipe had been thoroughly defeated, and she had just been scolded by me, so she must have felt devastated.

But now, having her efforts recognized in this way, it seemed to melt a vulnerable part of her heart.

Looking closer, I could see that Choi Mi-seon's hands were covered in calluses and scars from repeatedly formed and burst blisters.

"All I've learned in my life is kitchen work. It's the only thing I know how to do."

Choi Mi-seon said with a slightly trembling voice.

"I've worked hard. Raising my son alone, I worked as a housemaid when I was young, then as a dishwasher and kitchen helper. And finally, I managed to open my own place, but..."

"Mom."

Park Jun-beom patted Choi Mi-seon's shoulder.

"If this restaurant does well, I have no other wishes. CEO Song, I'll do whatever it takes. Please help us survive..."

I could feel her desperate heart in the grip of Choi Mi-seon's hand as she held mine tightly. Who wouldn't be sincere about their livelihood? Still, seeing people grab my hand as if it were a lifeline made a corner of my heart heavy with responsibility.

I placed my hand over Choi Mi-seon's and said:

"Don't worry. I'll make sure people line up to come to this restaurant."

"Thank you, CEO. Thank you..."

To lighten the mood, I continued with a smile.

"For that to happen, I'll need to teach you the recipe first, right? How did you find the army base stew you ate earlier?"

"It was delicious. I could definitely taste the depth of flavor."

"That's because I used this."

I smoothly pulled out a pack of bone broth from my bag. These days, instant products are so well-made that you can easily find this kind of quality in the market.

"Also, I used well-fermented kimchi and seasoned it with salted shrimp. It greatly enhances the umami flavor."

Choi Mi-seon nodded, listening intently to my words. I could see her determination to revive the restaurant somehow.

"But this isn't enough."

"Pardon?"

"What I made is indeed a 'delicious army base stew'. But for restaurants tucked away in corners like this, that's not sufficient."

At the very least, to make people line up and to keep business thriving even after the broadcast hype dies down, a 'just' army base stew won't cut it.

"You need something unique to this place. There needs to be a reason why people must come here specifically to eat."

"Uniqueness..."

"Imagine you've traveled two hours by car to come here. As the owner, would you absolutely want to eat this army base stew?"

"Probably not. There are many other delicious foods out there."

"That's why you need a dish that makes people think, 'Oh, since we're here, we must try this before we leave.'"

It's an extremely difficult task.

If it were as easy as it sounds, every restaurant in the world would be a huge success.

Just seeing Choi Mi-seon's face darken at my words, I could tell how challenging this mission was.

"I'll think about it too, but you should also research and study various options. The first goal is this: create a 'signature menu'."

I decided I needed to push Baek Jae-ha a bit harder.

"The next time I see you, you should have at least two or three new menu candidates prepared. Understand?"

"Yes."

Choi Mi-seon's face showed that while she wasn't confident, she was determined to give it her best shot. It's natural to lack confidence right now. I nodded and stood up.

"Well, I need to visit other restaurants, so I'll be going now. In the meantime, please send photos or videos of your preparation process to our production team, and remember, don't tell the other restaurant owners in the area about my visit, okay?"

"Yes."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Thank you for your hard work during the filming, and take care until I visit again."

As I bowed slightly, Choi Mi-seon and Park Jun-beom bowed in return.

I quickly got up and headed to the next restaurant. I had to hurry as there were still many places to visit.

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"Good work, everyone!"

Clap.

As soon as the "cut" sign was given, various greetings like "Good job!" and "See you tomorrow!" echoed around.

Whew. I got up from my seat, fanning myself. Even in this weather, my face felt hot after being under the lights for so long.

"Both of you worked hard."

As I greeted them, Im Hye-eun responded with a bright smile.

"Oh my, CEO Song worked the hardest! You were busy going from one restaurant to another today, weren't you?"

"Haha. Well, that's my job, isn't it?"

With my name prominently featured in the program, it's only right that I should work the hardest.

"Do-kyung-ssi, it must have been tough for you too, sitting there the whole time."

"Oh, no...! I didn't do much. I'm worried I didn't deliver my lines properly because I was so nervous."

"Haha. Do-kyung-ssi doesn't need to say anything, though?"

"Pardon?"

"You acted with your expressions! I'm sure you secured quite a bit of screen time. I'm envious. That's a talent too, you know."

"What??"

Do-kyung looked utterly confused. But I had a pretty good idea of what Im Hye-eun meant.

'It was all over your face. What you were thinking.'

Especially when looking at the owners of the restaurants with poor hygiene that came later... his expression was truly something else.

That's why he didn't need to speak. I never knew someone could curse with just their eyes until now.

"...?"

Leaving the bewildered Do-kyung behind, Im Hye-eun addressed me once more.

"Among the three restaurants we visited today, don't you think the mother-son army base stew place we saw first will create the most buzz? What do you think, CEO Song?"

"Ah, yes. We did conduct a blind evaluation there."

"I'm excited to see how it will change. The other two places as well, of course."

I thought so too.

It seemed like the place that could show the most dramatic change. If Choi Mi-seon's desperate attitude is well captured in the broadcast, it could also elicit sympathy from the viewers.

"But while the restaurant owners only need to worry about their own menus, you have to develop new menus for all three restaurants simultaneously. Will you be okay?"

"Haha. I can brainstorm ideas in my spare time. If I think together with the restaurant owners, it probably won't take as long as you might expect."

Often, just refining and developing the ideas that the owners casually throw out can lead to surprisingly good results.

"Oh, you sound confident! As expected of CEO Song. The rookie who appeared like a comet in the food industry. Are you saying it's no big deal for you to come up with ideas like this?"

Im Hye-eun teased me in a playful tone.

Of course, given how long I've been researching food, I'm naturally at a much greater advantage than others.

But that wasn't my only trump card.

I grinned and said:

"I'm the CEO, you know."

"Yes?"

"CEOs don't usually do the work themselves, right?"

I shrugged my shoulders and added:

"We have a new menu development team."

My appearance on the show was also partly for promoting <The Song>. Therefore, I had already secured the cooperation of my employees for the necessary parts of the broadcast.

"Ah...! Come to think of it, <The Song> has stores where the menu changes frequently, like pop-ups, right? I wondered how that was possible. I guess your new menu development team must be quite substantial."

"Haha."

I laughed, vaguely avoiding a direct answer.

Because at the moment, there was only one person on that team. Although Baek Jae-ha was doing the work of a hundred people.

After a moment of silence, I added:

"...That's the plan."

We can't keep running that team as Baek Jae-ha's one-man show forever.

I had already felt it was time to recruit new talent for the new menu development team and had posted job openings.

"Wow. You're really something."

Im Hye-eun gave a small exclamation and then looked around. Then, she lowered her voice and whispered to me.

"By the way, CEO, this is a bit sensitive, but... is it okay if I ask about this?"

"What is it?"

Im Hye-eun whispered with a slightly tense expression.

"How is the Fair Trade Commission issue progressing?"