He Cong turned his head away, revealing his beautifully sculpted jawline.
When he smiles, there's a gentle curve at the corner of his lips, like tiny dimples.
This is the first time someone has ever acted like this towards him...
They're asking for an exorbitant amount.
Three hundred taels.
It sounds like three hundred copper coins.
And they were even self-righteous.
He Cong was amused.
Ruan Yi couldn't help but chuckle, discovering that besides being fierce and fond of scaring her, her younger sister also had a sense of humor.
Manager Yu couldn't help but chuckle, but dared not say anything more.
Seeing that He Cong was only smiling and not expressing his opinion, Ruan Meng tried to persuade him gently.
"You should eat one bite at a time, shouldn't you?"
"We're already having trouble finding a place to live, so how can I talk to you about long-term development? Doesn't that sound like empty talk?"
"We can maintain the popularity of He Family Restaurant and continuously attract customers by updating the menu..."
He Cong finally calmed down and pointed out:
"However, this also exposes a problem..."
"Previously, the menu at He Family Restaurant was relatively fixed. So, regular customers who wanted to order certain dishes could just come over."
"Frequent changes to the menu not only create a sense of disorder, but also produce various kinds of dishes that are different from the original ones, which in turn ruins the impression of old customers on Hejia Restaurant."
"The essence of a classic lies not in its quantity, but in its consistent quality."
Ruan Meng's eyes lit up, and she glanced at He Cong a few more times.
“I agree with you. But what I just said was only a temporary measure.”
"Actually, I also suggested separating the seafood business from the existing business of He Family Restaurant..."
Manager Yu frowned. "Not cooperating anymore?"
He Cong, however, remained calm and understood the implication.
"After the girl has established herself?" he asked tentatively.
Ruan Meng nodded.
"Set up a separate seafood business?"
Ruan Meng continued to nod.
"Specializing in seafood, so that anyone who wants to eat seafood will think of this place?"
Ruan Meng nodded again.
"Like the He Family Restaurant, it has established a certain reputation. Then, if someone tries to make trouble like they did today, they might not be able to stir up any trouble..."
He Cong adjusted his posture, sitting even straighter. "How can you be sure, young lady, that no one will be able to copy it?"
Ruan Meng said firmly, "When I do things, I only strive to meet my own standards. As for how others imitate me, that's not within my consideration."
Without needing much explanation, He Cong and Manager Yu realized that while the ingredients at He Family Restaurant weren't particularly rare, their ability to maintain a good reputation, along with their consistent taste and quality, was their enduring competitive advantage.
Ruan Meng laughed and said, "Even if we set up new businesses now, the residents may not accept them right away."
"It's best if others imitate us; we can incorporate all of their methods and promote our dishes. Once all the raw materials and cooking methods are published, it will be a competition of true skill."
"As long as we do our best, we can dominate the market!"
He Cong looked serious and asked Ruan Meng, "How can you be sure that your taste will surpass that of others?"
Ruan Meng smiled calmly and asked He Cong, "Does Young Master He know why other restaurants' dipping sauces can't compare to ours?"
He Cong did not answer rashly, but looked at Ruan Meng.
Ruan Meng looked at Manager Yu, who tentatively replied:
"The girl said, firstly, the ingredients must be fresh, and secondly, the seasonings must be perfect!"
Ruan Meng showed an approving look; Manager Yu had remembered everything she had said.
"Previously, I used chili peppers from the market for seasoning, and compared them with wild millet chili peppers from the mountains. Manager Yu, the chef, and the staff all tasted the differences..."
Manager Yu and Ruan Yi nodded.
"Wild millet chili peppers have a rich aroma and a natural spiciness that ordinary chili peppers cannot match."
"This is just one of the seasonings. For example, the oyster sauce that needs to be added is made by my family and me. The thickness varies depending on the heat and process."
"Manager Yu has been very kind to us, so I haven't treated him like an outsider. I might as well speak frankly..."
"After the houses are built, I plan to proceed with the existing menu to help residents get used to seafood..."
"I will speed up the development of seasonings. In addition to oyster sauce, there is another seasoning that can remove the fishy smell of seafood."
"Wild chili peppers will also be included in the harvest schedule, with the harvest period at least three months from now..."
"There are also wild Sichuan peppercorns and other spices. If we prepare the seasonings properly, it will be much more efficient. I'll consider doing this as my next business venture..."
He Cong's features were relaxed, and his expression was upright. He extended an olive branch directly.
"We can build you a house. As for the seasonings you mentioned, we can start preparing them right now..."
"For the He family, time is money. Why not go all the way from the start?"
Wouldn't it be more time-efficient to complete all the steps Ruan Meng had to take at once and skip directly to the last step?
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