Section 7: The Dream of the Restaurant

There are many factors. Location, safety, variety of dishes, and quality. These are the main aspects, while the management methods are largely similar.

Do you have something to attend to

I know about hot pot. My family has one, made of copper

"Where do we have such high profits? Don't talk nonsense." The boss lady became anxious

No problem. What if it cannot be done

I see there are no issues. My uncle is quite close to my mother, but he may not come to the mainland, oh, he is said to be coming to the north

Rong Fei told her his name, and she also mentioned that her husband is named Zhang Cheng, while she is called Tao Lili. They truly did not charge them for this meal

Clothing

In this case, if you are able to contact him, could you arrange for me to meet him

Yes, I would like to engage in some business, if you have connections.

"No, I don't know him." Rong Fei shook his head, "Let's get back to the point. You must believe me, the profits of a hotel are proportional to its grade. The profit from selling steamed buns in a month may not even match that of a single table of dishes. You have been here for over a month, right? This is my third visit, which indicates that there are already repeat customers. Profits come from old customers, and if you change to a hot pot restaurant, at least half of the old customers will still come to support you."

I can cook a little. I can make Sichuan cuisine, which is very delicious

The boss lady's heart raced, a millionaire? Within a year or two? Her goal was merely to earn enough money to build a house in her village, which would only cost around ten thousand yuan. What does a million yuan even mean? Yet, the young man, with his calm and assured demeanor, did not seem like a fraud. The principles he spoke of happened to resonate with her, and she rubbed her temples, feeling that today was unusual.

"No one here likes Sichuan cuisine; it's too spicy for anyone," the boss said with a look of confusion.

"It's settled then." The boss's wife laughed heartily, her laughter resonant. Of course, she was unaware of the difference between a 20% stake and 3,000 yuan in cash. A person's ambitions are often reflected in their choices regarding benefits.

Cooking simple dishes does not require advanced skills, frying peanuts should be manageable, right? If not, I can come and help you

Rong Fei smiled and said, "Anyone engaged in the service industry needs to be protected. There is even a concept of protection money abroad. What if someone comes to eat and doesn't pay? What if someone makes a fuss about the food being unsanitary? What if corrupt members of the government unreasonably charge fees for sanitation and the like?"

Are you a student at the School of Engineering? Do you have any good suggestions? Listening to the dialect of her hometown, the proprietress felt a sense of familiarity. "Hey, young man, are you from the North?" Rong Fei smiled and replied, "My mother is from the North, so I guess I am half from the North too." "Oh, I see. You all are knowledgeable, so what suggestions do you have?" At this time, there were not many customers, and the proprietress handed Rong Fei an old newspaper, which he spread out on the table. "The success of a restaurant depends on the number of customers. What brings customers in? Besides the food being economical, delicious, and flavorful, the main factor is the environment. Oh, that includes the tables, chairs, utensils, the waitstaff's attire, and the layout of the restaurant..." The proprietress listened to Rong Fei with only partial understanding. "For example, this table is quite dirty. Apart from us poor students, upper-class individuals won't come here. You should buy some new furniture; even if you don't replace it, you should at least clean it. There should be paper towels on the table; this name is not good; it should be called napkins, and there should also be toothpicks. As for the waitstaff, they should dress neatly, their hands must be clean, and their nails should be trimmed regularly. Most importantly, they should warmly greet the customers. When customers come in, they should first be served tea, and then presented with the menu. Don't just sell noodles; the profit from dishes is several times higher than that from noodles. When customers order dishes, they will also want wine, and the profit from wine is even higher—this place should install a fan; in summer, it will attract more customers..."

After class at noon, Rong Fei invited Lu Feng to have noodles at https://www.hetushucom.com, without inviting Li Jianguang and others

Can you do it

I am currently in my second year of university, and I have approximately two and a half years until graduation. During these two and a half years, I will volunteer to wash dishes for two hours every day, how does that sound

"You are really funny." Lu Feng laughed heartily

Do not rush. Continue to listen to what I have to say. What if we open a hot pot restaurant? If we still calculate at half profit, each pot would cost 10 yuan. If the daily customer flow decreases by 70%, with 60 people that would be 600 yuan, and the pure profit would not be less than 400 yuan. How much would that be in a month? You can calculate it yourselves.

Ah, young brother, as you said, the business has really succeeded. How can we express our gratitude to you

Oh, two bowls of noodles, and please give me some tissues to wipe the table. Rong Fei pointed at the greasy table and said in authentic Beijing dialect, "Sister, may I offer you a suggestion?"

"Give me a few napkins." Rong Fei frowned as he sat down next to the greasy table

Have you heard of hot pot? Sichuan hot pot?

Oh, your family runs a restaurant, right? You speak very well. The owner came out from behind the kitchen curtain, saying, "We can only make noodles; we don't know how to do anything else."

Lu Feng found it somewhat strange. Rong Fei had a much closer relationship with Li Jianguang than with him, so why did he only call him? Lu Feng, being from the south, always had a disdain for the northern style of noodles; having them occasionally was acceptable, but he was unwilling to eat them regularly. Since Rong Fei had extended the invitation, he gladly accepted. The last class was Mechanics of Materials, but the teacher was absent due to other matters, leaving only self-study. Rong Fei exchanged a glance with Lu Feng, and the two left the classroom and headed straight to a small noodle shop.

Where can something be sold for ten yuan? What is the wage of the workers? The young man is becoming increasingly unreliable in his statements. The boss's wife was first astonished by such a huge profit, but then felt it was overly unrealistic

The secret? The boss lady clearly had not considered it

Then let's draft an agreement? Rong Fei also smiled and looked at the book.

Lu Feng wiped his mouth as he came out, grinning as he said to Rong Fei, "Old Five, you did well; a bit of nonsense got you a hearty meal."

A new noodle restaurant has opened outside the west gate of the Industrial College, offering large bowls for fifty cents, which can nearly fill one up, and the taste definitely surpasses that of the cafeteria's "pig food." The restaurant was originally run by the college's labor service company and had always seen lackluster business. However, with the relaxation of policies, this summer it rented out a 20 square meter space to an individual operator. The tenants are a couple who recently moved from the north; they are warm and welcoming, and they provide generous portions. As a result, it quickly became a favorite among the male students. However, due to financial constraints, most people cannot afford even the large bowl of noodles for fifty cents, and can only indulge occasionally.

Lu Feng, in the past they always referred to him by his rank, but Rong Fei now calls him by his full name, "Zhuhai is also considered a hometown for overseas Chinese; you have relatives in Hong Kong, right?"

I have a distant uncle in Hong Kong. I got in touch with him two years ago, and he came back for a visit last year, bringing me this. He raised his wrist, revealing an electronic watch

I am going to Zhuhai to see him

A large bowl of noodles was served, and the owner specially placed a boiled egg on top of the noodles

Do not be nervous, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee has already established the national policy of reform and opening up. The country's foreign exchanges will become increasingly broad. Having relatives in Hong Kong, Macau, or even Taiwan is a good thing, so what are you afraid of? Are you not paying attention to the news?

Hot pot restaurant? How much capital is needed? Just the hot pot alone is unaffordable. The owner increasingly feels it is unrealistic

Sure, why should I tell others?

To be precise, it is spicy. How could Rong Fei tell him that decades later, in cities large and small, the streets and alleys would be dominated by Sichuan hot pot? No one would believe it if he said it.

"How about tomorrow?" Rong Fei asked

Are you really going? What business are you engaged in

This is a secret. Our secret. Alright, let's eat

The shop owner is a couple, with the female proprietor being around thirty years old, plump and well-fed. They have hired a young girl to serve, who appears to be about seventeen or eighteen years old and is quite slender

Do you know how many people live in this area? If each household dines at your restaurant just once a year, it would be overwhelmed. Moreover, do not underestimate the consumption level of the residents. Trust me, just the teachers and students from the industrial college alone could make you a millionaire within a year or two. " Rong Fei pondered, "Sister-in-law, what do you think is the secret to running a restaurant?"

Tao Jianping? It seems that Rong Fei has heard this name somewhere. This feeling can sometimes be quite frustrating; there is clearly something in my mind, yet I just cannot grasp it.

Rong Fei smiled. For those who experienced the Cultural Revolution, engaging in business had become a distant memory. How could the profits of a restaurant be less than half? "After deducting your rent, electricity costs, depreciation of furniture, and salaries for the waitstaff, you should at least net around 40 yuan. Monthly, that should amount to approximately 1,200 yuan, which is not insignificant in Beiyang."

"I will write you a list, and you can prepare the medicine accordingly," Rong Fei said with a smile. "I will come tomorrow afternoon and will definitely have the ingredients ready." He took out a notebook and quickly began to write. "Hmm, these are the items. It is possible that one or two may not be available, but that is alright." He tore off the page and handed it to the proprietress, from which it was evident that the true person in charge of the restaurant was this plump and beautiful proprietress.

What happened

"Clothing..." Rong Fei clearly expressed disappointment

I will not charge for this meal; consider it my treat. Even if the business deal does not go through, it is still a pleasure to meet you, this clever young man. By the way, what is your name

Then it's settled, but I don't know what I should prepare

Mind your words. Do not think that just because we are friends, I will not sue you for defamation

I only asked you about this watch because I saw it. What does your uncle do?

What do you want? The boss lady did not hear clearly

Let us not speak of matters so distant for now; instead, let us talk about you. When will you come to prepare the Sichuan hot pot you mentioned for us

The location has been taken into consideration; the primary reason they lease the premises of the academy is essentially due to the location. "What is safety?"

"Little brother really knows how to speak. If my restaurant is still here in two and a half years, I will truly thank you." The landlady pondered, "If it succeeds, I will give you 3,000 yuan as a contribution to help you marry a wife."

How much revenue does your small shop make in a day? Let me estimate for you. If we consider a total of 200 customers for lunch and dinner, that seems about right? A bowl of noodles costs 0.5 yuan, so the daily turnover would be 100 yuan. If the profit margin is half, that would be 50 yuan

"Why are you asking this?" Lu Feng said warily, looking at Rong Fei. The situation in Hong Kong had once been a nightmare for the entire family

Hey, can you not tell anyone about what happened today, alright

Do you know him

Lu Feng put this matter out of his mind. He remembered the incident with his uncle but completely forgot about the hot pot restaurant. For a long time, he did not visit that small eatery again. Of course, he did not notice that half a month later, the restaurant had transformed into a hot pot establishment, and after New Year's Day, it simply relocated. A Rongcheng Hot Pot restaurant opened across from the cinema two streets away, and its business was thriving.

How about letting me eat for free? Including my friends that I bring along

Safety? I can't tell that you're quite the expert, brother. However, you probably haven't heard of my brother's name; he is called Jianping, Tao Jianping. With him around, I estimate no one would dare to take advantage of a free meal. Haha. The female boss's laughter was very bright

Lu Feng looked at Rong Fei in astonishment. First, he was surprised that a restaurant of only 20 square meters could yield such high profits. Second, when did Rong Fei become so shrewd?

"3,000 yuan, sister-in-law is truly generous. How about this? If the matter is successful, I won't take any money; instead, how about you give me 20% of the shares?"

You bring the hot pot, and I will prepare it for you. If you find it enjoyable, then consider opening a hot pot restaurant. If not, then let it be.