God-Given Business Genius - Chapter 180
"It's beautiful!"
Hyun Ye-won exclaimed with an "Wow~" of admiration.
Anyone would have the same thought upon seeing the first offline store of the newly launched franchise, <Churros & Black>.
With its cute and stylish signboard, and the interior lavishly decorated in a black & white concept, it was eye-catching even to passersby.
Moreover, they had set up a photo zone for taking pictures. It looked like a hotspot where people would flock to, no matter who saw it.
Just by looking, one could envision the authentication shots people would take, holding Oreo churros against the store sign.
"Branding it like this definitely makes it look much more unique and distinctive!"
Hyun Ye-won said while furiously scribbling something in her notebook. I couldn't fathom what she was jotting down.
I surveyed the still incomplete store interior, looking around carefully.
For this store, making a striking first impression was particularly important. I couldn't afford to miss any small detail.
"Oh my, CEO Song has arrived."
At that moment, the person overseeing the on-site work approached and greeted me. He was the director in charge of interior design for this complex shopping mall.
I simply address him as 'Manager'.
"Haha. Hello, Manager. Am I coming around too often?"
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I added a comment, to which he waved his hand in denial.
"Not at all. We're also paying a lot of attention to this place. We're grateful that you're visiting so often despite your busy schedule, CEO Song."
He says that, but inwardly he's probably cursing me as a 'fussy person'. But what can I do? I need to see it for myself to be satisfied.
"The lighting will go in the marked positions, right?"
"Yes. We've prepared them as you requested. Would you like to see?"
"Please do."
The manager brought the lights over. When he connected the wires, the lights suddenly came on.
It was a soft, neutral-toned lighting.
"Will this be alright?"
The manager asked in a worried tone.
"Usually, restaurants use a slightly warmer tone than this. It makes the food look more appetizing and creates a more comfortable and cozy atmosphere."
That's right. I was well aware of that.
"It's not cold enough to be an issue, but it's not the best lighting for a restaurant. We prepared this color as you specifically requested, CEO Song, but..."
"This is perfect."
I cut him off decisively.
"I understand. We'll proceed with the installation then."
The manager bowed slightly and stepped back. The site began to buzz with activity again. Everyone started moving busily to install the lights.
Hyun Ye-won, who had been listening from behind, sidled up and whispered.
"Um, CEO Song. Is there a reason you're using this lighting?"
Looking to the side, I saw her eyes sparkling with curiosity. She looked just like a student waiting for her teacher's words.
Suppressing a smile that threatened to escape, I said:
"Of course there's a reason."
Where should I begin explaining this?
"First, churros are a snack, not a meal, so a warm color tone isn't crucial. That allows us to experiment with different lighting options."
While warm-toned and neutral-toned lighting each have their pros and cons, in my opinion, neutral lighting was more necessary this time.
"This place relies heavily on promotional effects through photos. We need to stimulate people's desire to come all the way from Seoul to take authentication shots."
"That's right."
"And for portrait photos, neutral color temperature looks much prettier."
"Ah!"
Hyun Ye-won's eyes widened as if she finally understood.
"Warm-toned lighting creates a cozy atmosphere, but coziness is somewhat at odds with sophistication. It also doesn't complement skin tones as well."
Sophisticated places tend to have a slightly uncomfortable atmosphere.
Just as few people feel as comfortable in a department store as they do at home. Lighting closer to white rather than yellow gives a trendier feel.
"Look at the light placement too. They're quite densely arranged, aren't they?"
"Oh, you're right. The spacing is closer than in typical restaurants."
"That even distribution prevents shadows on faces."
"Wow, I see!"
Every single thing is calculated, you see.
There are various other reasons too—warm lighting makes spaces appear smaller, while neutral lighting gives a wider and cleaner impression. But let's stop the explanation here.
The color of lighting greatly influences the atmosphere of a store, which is why I wanted to see this with my own eyes.
It's also the reason I made time in my busy schedule to come here personally.
"All done~!"
As one of the workers came down from the ladder, the lighting installation was finally complete.
Beside me, Hyun Ye-won exclaimed "Wow" once more. I felt much the same.
The completed <Churros & Black> store looked unmistakably like a hotspot tailored for SNS authentication shots.
I smiled with satisfaction.
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Ding.
I looked at the screen upon hearing the mobile notification sound.
[Sim Chae-yoon: Lord~. Is this how we should proceed with the advertisement video?]
[Sim Chae-yoon: (Private video link)]
Lord? Was Sim Chae-yoon's religion Christianity? Thinking that, I sent a reply.
[Lord?]
A response came immediately.
[Sim Chae-yoon: Yes! You're the advertising lord, so you're the Lord!]
[Sim Chae-yoon: Just leave everything to me from now on. Aye aye!]
[Sim Chae-yoon: (Emoticon)]
The cute cat emoticon acting coy was quite adorable.
Lord, huh. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I found myself absently scratching my cheek.
'If anything, I should be the one feeling grateful.'
Perhaps it's because I had built a rapport with Sim Chae-yoon before her broadcast debut. These days, Sim Chae-yoon, known by the name 'Chae-chae', was a rising mukbang YouTuber whose popularity was skyrocketing.
There must be numerous advertisers who want to work with Sim Chae-yoon.
Yet, Sim Chae-yoon readily accepted my advertising proposal, which required her to visit an offline store far from the metropolitan area.
'The Oreo churros menu was introduced at Song Kitchen, and Sim Chae-yoon's broadcast effect was particularly significant. As a continuation of that, Sim Chae-yoon agreed to take on this advertisement too. I'm glad it worked out well.'
Moreover, Sim Chae-yoon was actively helpful in coordinating the filming schedule.
She even rescheduled a collaboration with another broadcaster to accommodate this.
'And even after the agreed advertising schedule ended, she consistently mentions it once in a while. She also frequently uses my franchise foods in her regular mukbang broadcasts.'
I should be the one bowing down to her.
She says it's because she's my fan and naturally talks about my food because she likes it so much, even calling herself a successful fan or something.
From my perspective, I could only be grateful.
I clicked on the video link Sim Chae-yoon sent.
The main content was Sim Chae-yoon eating churros with exaggerated reactions, and the manager of the direct store being surprised.
"Pfft. This is fun."
Even putting aside the fact that it was an advertisement, the video itself was entertaining.
[The video is fun. I think it's good to upload as is. Oh, please mark it as an advertisement when you upload.]
[Sim Chae-yoon: Yes, as always, right? Understood~!]
Come to think of it. After a moment of contemplation, I casually asked.
[Do other places usually not mark their ads?]
It was a question that seemed to be checking on other companies' practices, but in reality, it was asking, 'Do you mark ads for other places besides ours?'
'Probably most places don't even say it's mandatory to mark ads. It's more beneficial for the companies if it doesn't look like an ad...'
Although I had hinted at it before, I had never explicitly said it, so I was a bit worried.
I hope Sim Chae-yoon continues her activities for a long time. Along with my brand.
Ding!
At that moment, my phone notification rang once more.
[Sim Chae-yoon: Not many places request it, actually ㅎㅎ]
[Sim Chae-yoon: But maybe because I started with your ads, CEO Song?]
[Sim Chae-yoon: I feel uncomfortable if there's no marking]
[Sim Chae-yoon: So I always mark it as an ad video if it's an ad!]
Phew. That's a relief.
I won't be seeing Sim Chae-yoon's name in any controversies a few years down the line.
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With a slightly heavy heart, I stood in front of the store.
Hoo.
After taking a short breath, I placed my hand on the door handle. As I gently pushed it open and entered, the owner, seemingly having received prior notice, was waiting inside.
"Have you been well, CEO Song?"
Park Man-su bowed his head slightly. Perhaps because he had been severely scolded by me last time, he seemed noticeably subdued.
But that didn't mean there was room for compromise.
No matter how many times I reconsidered this market, my conclusion remained unchanged. This was not a place where pasta prices could exceed 10,000 won.
While one premium menu item with steak might be acceptable, if the overall menu pricing was high, it would likely lead to failure.
I took a seat at one of the tables. Park Man-su naturally sat across from me.
"You've thought about it a lot, haven't you?"
"...Yes. I've really thought about it a lot."
Park Man-su's words weren't lies, judging by the dark circles under his eyes. Still, I appreciated this attitude.
People who struggle with decisions like this are less likely to have regrets later.
If he halfheartedly followed my advice and lowered the prices, he might change his mind later and raise them again. If he stubbornly refused to lower the prices, every time he incurred a loss, the memory of this day would linger like a lingering attachment.
"I'll respect whichever direction you choose. This is your restaurant, and I understand your intentions fully."
Of course, he would have to bear the consequences of that choice.
"How do you plan to adjust the prices?"
My cold gaze fell on Park Man-su. He flinched as if pricked by something sharp.
He let out a low groan, then carefully opened his mouth.
"I..."