After more than ten days of intensive preparation by Lanqin and Zhaojia, and with the strong support of the Fourth Prince, the hot pot restaurant finally opened. Lanqin ultimately did not invite the Fourth Prince; she did not want the powerful and wealthy to come, but rather ordinary people to be able to enjoy Daqing Hot Pot. Therefore, the hot pot restaurant she and Zhaojia aimed for the lower-middle class.
On the first day, the crowds coming to "Da Qing Hot Pot" were so dense that they almost broke down the door. This was because Lan Qin was offering Da Qing Hot Pot a free meal for the first fifteen customers, a half-price meal for the sixteenth to thirtieth customers, and a 30% discount for the thirty-first customers and so on.
Therefore, even before the dragon and lion dancers Lanqin had hired arrived, the entrance was already packed with people. In this way, more and more people began to notice the newly opened hot pot restaurant. Many were curious about what kind of hot pot it was and would come in to take a look. Even when the first and second floors were completely full, people were still trying to get in. The staff at the door could only politely decline or tell them to come back at another mealtime.
People had never seen such a dining style before, and the low prices Lanqin set for the first day of business made many willing to try it. Lanqin and Zhaojia sat in an "office area" specially set aside for them on the second floor. It turned out that besides the tables, there was another area on the second floor specifically prepared for Lanqin and Zhaojia. This area also served as the office for the three housekeepers. They were all recommended by Zhaojia, and were all people she had chosen.
"Master, Consort, we have now brought in more than one hundred taels of silver." A servant in charge of the accounts ran up and entered the room to say to Lanqin and Zhaojia.
"We need to bring in three hundred taels today to break even. You know, most of the customers got free meals or half-price discounts. But even if we lose money today, it's still worthwhile. With such a large flow of people, our first shot has been a success," Lanqin said to Zhaojia.
"What's the strategy for tomorrow? Will it be the same as today?" Zhao Jia nodded to the man, signaling him to go and do his work.
"No, tomorrow we'll reduce the number of people getting free meals by half, increase the number of customers getting 50% off by a quarter, and change the 30% off to 80% off," Lan Qin said. She had directly adopted the management experience of a chain restaurant from her later life.
"Will our losses be reduced accordingly?" Zhao Jia asked.
"Yes, we'll gradually resume normal operations, but by then, they'll already be craving the taste of hot pot. Even without any discounts, their taste buds will lead them back here," Lan Qin said. "What we're trying to create now is this kind of taste memory. We want these people to always remember the taste of this place, to spread the word, and our business will only get better and better."
Lady Zhao looked at Lanqin with delight. She hadn't expected this concubine to be more interesting than anyone else. She even began to admire Lanqin's composure and poise, a temperament somewhat incongruous with her age.
"Lanqin, thank you!" Zhaojia finally said.
"It hasn't been successful yet, so what are you thanking me for?" Lanqin said.
“You gave me hope and taught me to rely on myself!” Lanqin said.
“You gave yourself the opportunity; it has nothing to do with me,” Lan Qin said.
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