After Meng Zhao left, several employees gathered together and whispered among themselves, "Who was that young lady just now? Why was the manager so careful in front of her?"
"You don't know? She was the original owner of Mengji. Our manager learned his skills from her."
Upon hearing this, the man looked surprised and put down the rag in his hand. "It's her! How come she's so young? I thought she would be older than us."
"I heard he's not even eighteen yet, and he already owns several shops. That's amazing. I wish I could earn that much money someday."
Aunt Suyun happened to be passing by and overheard their conversation. She suddenly spoke up, "Say what you're saying, don't neglect your work. Do your job well, save up some money, and you won't have no chance of opening a shop in the future."
After leaving Chef Zhou's shop, she went to Steward Zhou's shop. This shop looked a bit bigger and was in a better location. Not to mention anything else, the clothes worn by the passersby were mostly better than Meng Zhao's.
The most important thing in opening a shop is choosing a location, especially in ancient times when travel was inconvenient. The number of people in the surrounding area and their spending power basically determined the upper limit of a shop.
A comparison of the two shops reveals the difference between them; Manager Zhou's shop is clearly of higher quality.
The person who came to Manager Zhou's shop was Aunt Shuhua. She and Aunt Suyun were both from Shenjia Village. They never thought that one day they would be able to go on a business trip.
Meng Zhao had told them this term, explaining that a business trip meant going out on official business. Because of the travel back and forth, and the unfamiliarity with the place, as well as the need to teach newcomers, there was a stipend for anyone going on a business trip.
The two calculated that they could earn twice as much in half a month as they did last month, so they didn't complain at all and instead worked even harder to teach the newcomers.
Meng Zhao and Shen Yun stayed at the inn for one night. The next day was the opening day of the two shops. Chef Zhou and Manager Zhou each found a local lion dance team to attract customers, using the same street parade method that Meng Zhao had used before.
She first went to the backyard to taste the braised meat and bone broth. She was relieved to see that it tasted the same as what she had made. After all, even though the raw materials were the same, the taste of the food made by different people would be slightly different.
Therefore, Meng Zhao was very strict about the proportions of the ingredients, and it seems that the two of them followed this very well.
The lion dance had just begun, attracting a large crowd to watch it, while a few people went into the store to make purchases.
There are two main staff members at the front of the shop: one is in charge of the braised meat counter, and the other is responsible for cleaning and serving dishes. Today is the first day of opening, so two more people have been arranged to hand out tasting samples at the door.
The rest of the people were in the backyard, where they were responsible for preparing ingredients and cooking noodles.
Looking at the well-organized state of the shop, Manager Zhou said happily, "Madam Meng, it's all thanks to you! The people I sent there were able to get started right away, which really saved me a lot of trouble."
"It's all as it should be. You've chosen a good location for your shop, so the profits will definitely be substantial in the future."
Manager Zhou stroked his beard. He had bought this shop for over three hundred taels of silver. Although he had some wealth, spending so much at once was still quite painful for him.
In addition to the initial investment in hiring workers, decorating, and ingredients, he spent a total of four hundred taels. He was unsure whether he would make a fortune or lose his retirement savings.
However, the sight before him put his mind at ease. The lion dance was captivating, and with the free samples and the promotion of giving away bowls and plates with purchases exceeding a certain amount, a line had already formed at the entrance.
From the crowd, one person exclaimed excitedly, "Mengji Braised Pork Offal? I've had Mengji Braised Pork Offal in Qingshi County before, and the taste was absolutely amazing! I never expected to find it in Qinyang County!"
"Is this the Mengji Braised Pork you've been talking about? How do you know it's the same company? What if both owners have the same surname, Meng?"
The man then realized what was happening, clicked his tongue, and said, "You're right. Oh dear, I have to go in and try it. You should come too. If it's really the same place, I'll let you try it so you won't keep saying I'm exaggerating."
Qingshi County and Qinyang County are not far apart, and the two places have relatively close ties, so it is not uncommon for someone to have eaten at Meng Zhao's shop in Qingshi County.
Many of the customers who came into the store today had heard of Mengji Braised Offal's reputation. They came in and asked, "Boss, is your Mengji Braised Offal the same as the Mengji Braised Offal in Qingshi County?"
Manager Zhou nodded quickly and said with a smile, "Yes, yes, the taste is the same. It's all from the same company. You'll know as soon as you come in and try it. It's still the same taste."
As a result, more and more people are coming into the store. Manager Zhou has come to appreciate the benefits of franchising. Once the brand becomes big, people will naturally be attracted to the store by the brand effect, which is much better than opening a new braised meat store on his own.
Meng Zhao didn't participate much in the operation of the franchise store; he mainly focused on inspections. The specific implementation was handled by Chef Zhou and Manager Zhou. After staying for two days and seeing that the business was doing well, he prepared to go back.
Upon hearing that Meng Zhao was leaving, Chef Zhou quickly advised, "Madam Meng, why don't you stay a few more days? If you stay in Qinyang County, I can ask you for advice if anything comes up, and I'll feel much more at ease."
On the way back from Hongnong County, and during the two days of opening in Qinyang County, Chef Zhou was truly impressed by Meng Zhao's knowledge and ideas.
Although Meng Zhao and his second uncle both taught him a lot, the two were very different. His second uncle was always disappointed in him and would look at him with great disdain if he did something wrong. Although he was grateful for his second uncle's teaching, it was indeed very discouraging at times.
Meng Zhao, on the other hand, was always kind and generous. Even when Chef Zhou said something foolish, she would not look down on him. Instead, she would carefully explain to him what he did wrong and why he should do it that way.
Meng Zhao's requests were all genuinely helpful to the shop, and he listened attentively, wishing he could memorize every word. Seeing Meng Zhao about to leave, he felt extremely reluctant to part with him.
Meng Zhao smiled and said, "Your shop is now open. The next step is to maintain good relationships with your customers and prepare delicious dishes. If you have any questions, you can ask Aunt Suyun and Aunt Shuhua. They have been with me for a long time and know a lot."
“Then how about I escort Lady Meng back to Hongnong County? It’s not safe for two women to travel alone,” Chef Zhou said earnestly, still looking reluctant.
Meng Zhao looked disapproving. "You're the manager. This shop has just opened, how can we do without you? Besides, when the deliveryman came to deliver the goods last time, I sent someone back with a message. People from home have already come over. We'll go back to Hongnong County together, so you don't need to worry."
Chef Zhou reluctantly agreed, and despite having many things to do at the shop, he still went to see Meng Zhao off.
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