Chapter 34 Trial Operation
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She Family Restaurant
At 8:30 a.m., the auspicious time, She Hongmei lit the firecrackers on time and then arranged for everyone to enter the store one after another.
Outside the shop, there was a signboard with several lines of large characters written in ink on red paper.
Grand opening special: 10% off! Limited time offer for three days only, don't miss out on this delicious treat!
The handwriting is neat and beautiful, and the content is easy to understand.
This was specially written by She Ning. The first three days were the trial operation phase, during which promotional methods were used to increase customer traffic. This was specifically used to collect sales data on dishes and customer feedback on the dishes. Then, based on the data, the types of dishes, flavors, and daily portions were adjusted to optimize the menu.
The shop is about 20 square meters in size. The overall decoration style is simple and bright. The upper part of the walls is painted in cream color, while the lower part is covered with red ceramic tiles. There are also some slogans posted on the walls. The tables and chairs are specially made by a carpenter. There are tables for two and tables for four. There is also a long table set against one wall, which is suitable for dining alone.
"This kitchen is really well set up." Guan Lihua looked around the store and kept praising it, especially the kitchen.
What a clever idea!
In the crowd, Wang Weiwei, holding She Ning's hand, craned her neck to look ahead, her eyes brimming with curiosity. "This is the first time I've ever seen a kitchen like this."
In the past, in state-run restaurants, people would order food outside, and the waiters would give the order slips to the chefs. Then, when the food was ready, they would go and bring it back themselves. The kitchen and the dining area were separated, and you couldn't see anything about the kitchen.
The Judinglou Hotel, which was later privatized, was the same; the kitchen and the lobby were far apart and could not be seen by anyone other than kitchen staff.
The kitchen in front of us is semi-transparent, with a glass partition above and a food ordering area below. Inside the kitchen, the food preparation area, cooking area, and washing area are separated, and the layout allows people standing outside to observe the environment inside the kitchen.
Next to the ordering area is the food selection area. All the cooked dishes are placed on stainless steel trays. Their trays are specially made to be deeper than those on the market. The stainless steel trays have a heat preservation function at the bottom, and hot water is continuously supplied during business hours to keep the dishes warm.
However, in order to ensure the best taste, the portion size of each dish cooked at one time will not be too large. For the time being, they have arranged for ten servings per pot, and will adjust the quantity later based on sales.
"It was all She Ning's suggestion." She Hongmei led the group on a tour, and when she heard everyone's praise for the small shop, her eyes crinkled with pride. "She has a lot of ideas, and she designed most of the shop's decoration."
Before the store was fully renovated, She Hongmei was worried that the final result wouldn't be good. After all, no one had ever renovated like this before, and the glass partitions and various custom-made items were not cheap. In the end, she was moved by She Ning's words that if you're going to do something, do it the best.
Once the renovation was complete and the finished product was revealed, she felt relieved. The effect was amazing; even the renovation workers asked her if they could use her design as a reference.
She Hongmei had been secretly pleased with herself for a few days while she came here to do cleaning. Now that everyone is amazed by the finished product, she can finally start showing off her daughter.
"This table was also designed by She Ning."
"The heat preservation function was also designed by her and had the craftsman make it."
...
As She Hongmei introduced herself, everyone's gaze toward She Ning grew increasingly enthusiastic, which startled She Ning so much that she quickly changed the subject.
"Mom, it's getting late. Why don't we let everyone have something to eat first?"
"Yes, yes, let's eat first." Realizing she had been talking too much, She Hongmei slapped her forehead and quickly went into the kitchen to open the order window. The menu area was already stocked with various dishes.
She Ning then arranged for everyone to sit down. She explained that there was another important purpose in inviting everyone over today: to help with the food tasting.
She Ning served all the dishes prepared in the restaurant to every table, then went out the door, scooped out a few plates of braised food from the pot, cut them into pieces, and served them.
"I'd appreciate it if everyone could help me try out the dishes today." After serving the food, She Hongmei, wearing an apron, dried her hands and came out of the kitchen. She placed several cases of soda on the table and said with a hearty laugh, "If you think the taste isn't good enough, or if there's anything that needs improvement, please don't be shy to speak up."
"Hongmei, you're too modest. With dishes like these and the taste like this, there's no room for improvement. I wish I could eat at your house every day." Guan Xiuli took a bite of the braised chicken. The juicy chicken was fragrant and tender, and the rich sauce filled her mouth, making her want to swallow her tongue.
"I think there's something wrong with it." After picking up a piece of eggplant and green beans with her chopsticks and eating it, she then ate a big mouthful of white rice. Before she knew it, half of the overflowing bowl of rice was gone. He Xiaoyan looked at the dish and then at the bowl, and weakly raised her hand to express her opinion, "The dish is too good with rice, it makes me want to waste my rice."
Good heavens, she used to eat less than half a bowl of rice a day, but now she can eat half a bowl without even realizing it.
"It's alright, there's plenty of rice," She Hongmei said generously, silently increasing her portion of rice from three ounces to four ounces.
The She family's small restaurant was bustling with activity, as trains continued to arrive at the train station and people kept coming out of the exit.
"Hello, is there a 10% discount today?" Luo Zhiqiang stood at the door carrying a snakeskin bag.
As soon as he stepped out of the train station, he smelled a rich and tempting aroma of meat. Following the scent, he arrived at the shop, but before even entering, he was drawn to the braised meat pot at the entrance. The soy sauce-colored braised meat was simmering in the pot, glistening with oil and looking incredibly appealing.
He had been on the train for three days, eating only dry biscuits. When he saw this pot of meat, he was almost dying of craving, but unfortunately, the money in his pocket was hard-earned, and he couldn't bear to spend it.
He forced himself to leave, and the red paper with black characters on the signboard standing at the entrance caught his eye.
Grand opening special offer: 10% off.
A 10% discount! Luo Zhiqiang stopped in his tracks. This braised meat smelled so good, and there was a discount. It worked out like he could get a dollar's worth of food for just 90 cents. He got to eat it and he made 10 cents.
"It's a super deal," he thought to himself, and then asked She Hongmei from the doorway.
"Yes, yes, there's a 10% discount for these three days from today to the day after tomorrow," She Hongmei greeted. "Please have a seat. What would you like to eat? You can choose your dishes here, and there's a price list to look at."
Luo Zhiqiang carried the snakeskin bag into the shop, found an empty seat, and sat down. The clean and tidy shop gave people a comfortable first impression. He observed what the people around him were eating.
Braised chicken pieces, braised pork belly, braised fish fillets, braised pig's trotters, braised chicken feet...
Everyone was engrossed in eating, and everything looked delicious. Luo Zhiqiang couldn't help but swallow. Standing in the selection area, he hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Boss, please give me a braised pork belly, braised pig's trotters, and stir-fried cabbage."
"Okay, the original price was 1.7 yuan, and after the 10% discount it's 1.53 yuan. Here's your change of 17 cents." She Hongmei skillfully collected the money, served the dishes, filled the rice bowl, and poured the soup. "Here's your rice and dishes, plus the complimentary soup."
The dining plates used at Shejia Restaurant were similar to the segmented stainless steel plates used in later times, and the soup bowls were also made of stainless steel.
Luo Zhiqiang returned to his seat with a full plate of food. The braised pork belly was bright red, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat. He took a big bite, and his mouth was instantly filled with the rich flavor of oil and meat. The spices of star anise and cinnamon made the braising sauce even more mellow. The braised pork belly was salty and sweet, but not greasy at all, and left a lingering fragrance in his mouth. It was simply the perfect partner for rice.
The accompanying braising sauce is perfect for serving with rice, and the braised pig's trotters did not disappoint him either. The chewy and tender pig's trotters were full of collagen with every bite, and Luo Zhiqiang couldn't help but shovel several mouthfuls of rice into his mouth, stuffing his cheeks full.
Eating meat in big bites is so satisfying and enjoyable!
Luo Zhiqiang ate four ounces of rice with braised pork and pig's trotters until his belt was loosened a few degrees.
He wasn't really interested in the remaining stir-fried cabbage, but he had to choose one from the set meal, so he just picked it randomly. He figured he might as well eat it. Luo Zhiqiang took a bite, and his eyes lit up instantly.
The stir-fried cabbage was sweet and refreshing, with a crisp texture, which was just right to relieve the greasiness of eating meat. Luo Zhiqiang's eyes shifted to the soup on the side. If the cabbage was so delicious, the soup must be just as good.
Today's soup of the day was seaweed and egg drop soup. Even though it was a complimentary dish, they didn't skimp on the ingredients. The bowl was full of egg drop soup. Luo Zhiqiang picked up the bowl and took a sip. The rich egg flavor, combined with the freshness of the seaweed, warmed his stomach with every sip. It was indescribably delicious.
He couldn't resist taking a few sips every three minutes and finished it in one go, until he was so full that he didn't even need to fasten his belt.
Carrying a snakeskin bag, Luo Zhiqiang hunched his back as he left the house. He was still savoring the food he had just eaten. It was delicious, cheap, and plentiful. His brothers were going to Shenzhen and would be back in the next couple of days, so they could come over here together for a treat.
He thought to himself with a smug satisfaction.
After the first customer entered the store, many more people came in one after another. After eating, many people even packed some braised food to take home.
When Sister He from the convenience store next door came over to get her food, She Ning realized that she and Sister Shen, the owner of the convenience store in the market, were cousins.
"I love your braised food, but it's often sold out. I'm so grateful to my cousin for helping me, otherwise I would have starved to death." Sister He is a slightly chubby young lady with smiling eyes and two cute dimples on her cheeks.
Holding She Hongmei's hand, she complained bitterly.
"Now that you've opened a shop here, I have my meals sorted out." She said happily, cupping her face in her hands and smiling.
Seeing her expectant expression, She Hongmei felt embarrassed to shatter her dream. Their family's small restaurant only served two meals a day, not breakfast.
"I have to go back to the shop now, I'll chat with you again next time." Seeing someone heading to the convenience store to buy something, carrying a lunchbox, she ran back, leaving behind her praises, "Your food is so delicious, please keep it up!!!"
At noon, Guan Xiuli and the others left one after another due to other matters, while She Ning stayed with She Hongmei until closing time.
Chen Shengnan arrived just before closing time, carrying a bag of apples.
She has been quite busy lately, as the smuggling case has exposed many social problems, such as a lack of legal knowledge and weak awareness of the rule of law among young people. The judicial authorities have launched a publicity and education campaign on the "Eight Laws and One Regulation" throughout the city, and she will be going to the countryside to promote legal awareness recently.
Congratulations on the grand opening of Shejia Restaurant! May your business prosper. After chatting for a while, Chen Shengnan hurriedly left again. She had made a special trip here.
That evening, in Mrs. She's room, the four members of the She family were reviewing the day's results.
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