Chen Pingjiang woke up early in the morning.
Today was the last day of his vacation.
First, he sent Zhu Yuanlan to connect with suppliers for ingredients, while he himself went to an advertising design company to coordinate the design of a series of soft furnishings, menus, signboards, and promotional materials.
The new store name was finally decided as "Xiao Chen Barbecue," mainly because Chen Pingjiang suffered from "namelessness-itis."
As long as it sounded good and was easy to remember, that was enough.
The waitstaff uniforms were also changed to camouflage, and some promotional slogans were arranged inside the store, instantly enhancing the ambiance of the entire barbecue restaurant.
When he returned to the store, it was already mid-morning.
Chen Pingjiang called Zhou Guanghan, who then came over.
"Granduncle, is this the store you opened?"
Zhou Guanghan asked in shock after looking around the store.
He hadn't expected his granduncle to make such a big splash in just a few days.
"Mm, Erzi, later bring me some customers from your sports institute. Anyone who comes to eat from the sports institute can deduct a portion of their meal cost with their taxi fare."
Zhou Guanghan readily agreed,
"Don't worry, I'll go back and promote it in every dorm. By the way, is there anything I can help with?"
Chen Pingjiang gestured towards some of the soft furnishings that had been brought back earlier,
"Here, help me install them one by one."
This was the good thing about Zhou Guanghan; Chen Pingjiang pointed, and he delivered, without complaint.
Zhu Yuanlan ran over, looking at the newly produced menu, and asked Chen Pingjiang,
"Boss, are these prices wrong? They're so cheap. The combo meal prices are much cheaper than buying each item separately on the menu. Won't we lose money this way?"
The menu Chen Pingjiang created was different from traditional menus in typical restaurants.
Besides printing the à la carte prices for each dish, three combo meals were printed in the most prominent position on the menu: a 2-3 person meal, a 4-5 person meal, and a 6-8 person meal.
Each combo meal included signature dishes, several skewers, and seasonal vegetables.
This kind of thing is common in later generations, but it was still quite rare in this era.
As the store manager, Zhu Yuanlan certainly needed focused training.
Chen Pingjiang immediately said,
"First, if the sum of à la carte prices is similar to the combo price, who would choose the combo? These three combo meals are our main promotion, so the price naturally needs to be cheaper. This is also our advantage and confidence in competing with other barbecue restaurants. If it were you, which one would you choose?"
Zhu Yuanlan answered without thinking,
"I'd definitely choose the combo meal; it's much more cost-effective than à la carte."
"Exactly, college students will think the same way,"
Chen Pingjiang nodded and continued,
"Combo meals include some profitable dishes and slow-moving items. Although the price appears lower, the profit margin doesn't decrease much, and it also increases the average check, which is the total spending per table.
College students don't eat many vegetables, but by forcibly including them in the combo, we are indirectly increasing the average check. Furthermore, with more combo meals sold, we don't need to stock too many unpopular ingredients, thus saving on ingredients and reducing waste.
With sufficient sales volume, we can then negotiate prices with suppliers in reverse, pushing down the purchase price. Most crucially, doing this can increase our foot traffic, making the place busier."
To help Zhu Yuanlan understand, Chen Pingjiang spoke slowly and avoided some economic terms.
In reality, the benefits of offering combo meals are not limited to these.
For example, if the quantity is large enough, one pot can yield several dishes, increasing serving speed and reducing labor costs.
Group buy combo meals are like wholesale goods, relying on volume for profit.
Unlike à la carte sales which lack predictability but still require preparation, combo meals are hassle-free and low-risk, and they result in less spoilage than à la carte dishes.
To make consumers feel they are getting good value, combo meals usually include 1-2 substantial dishes, such as boiled fish or spicy crawfish, paired with a few inexpensive side dishes.
With the substantial dishes anchoring the meal, consumers won't mind the side dishes, but it's precisely these profitable items that increase the profit margin.
In fact, the overall revenue is similar to à la carte.
Combo meals do not include alcoholic beverages.
If there are more dishes, one would naturally want something to drink to liven things up, and this is a major source of profit.
If customers don't drink, it also increases table turnover.
After Chen Pingjiang finished speaking, Zhu Yuanlan was still dazed and needed time to fully grasp it, but her eyes were shining as she looked at Chen Pingjiang.
"Boss, you're amazing! I would never have thought of this idea even if my head broke!"
Chen Pingjiang smiled and said nothing.
Although Zhu Yuanlan wasn't highly educated, she was experienced and eager to learn, a promising talent, but she still needed more observation.
In the evening, the advertising company sent over the first batch of promotional materials.
These were mostly tote bags, mouse pads, and plastic fans.
Tote bags and fans could integrate into students' daily lives, having a longer retention time and better promotional effect.
Chen Pingjiang had already contacted Zhai Fei, asking him to help recruit several students for part-time work under the guise of work-study, paying fifty yuan a day to distribute materials door-to-door in each dormitory.
By now, the preparations were mostly complete.
After the final day of fine-tuning tomorrow, the store could open the day after tomorrow.
Chen Pingjiang had also finally spent all the money he had, becoming a veritable pauper.
"Granduncle, I haven't touched the twenty thousand you gave me last time. I'll bring it back to you tomorrow,"
Zhou Guanghan quickly said after hearing Chen Pingjiang's self-deprecating remark.
Chen Pingjiang waved his hand,
"Keep that money for your living expenses. Besides, twenty thousand isn't a huge help. What's the point of giving it to you and then taking it back? I'll have money as soon as the barbecue restaurant opens."
Zhou Guanghan knew Chen Pingjiang's personality; once he made up his mind, others' persuasion was useless.
He could only nod helplessly.
"Then if you run out of money, you must tell me. Also, I'll make time to come help every evening."
Chen Pingjiang didn't refuse this time.
Zhou Guanghan looked tough on the outside, but inside, due to his upbringing, he was somewhat self-conscious and sensitive.
Refusing his good intentions again might make the young man have ideas, such as "Is Granduncle tired of me? Is he not letting me play anymore?"
"Alright. You guys have tomorrow off, right? Come help me distribute flyers. Your pay will be the same as the other staff."
Zhou Guanghan shook his head,
"I don't want wages."
"Just take it, stop talking nonsense. If you don't want wages, don't come. People will think I'm exploiting and oppressing you. Besides, you'll be working with me for life; are you going to work for free your whole life? One thing at a time."
Chen Pingjiang impatiently scolded Zhou Guanghan, leaving him speechless, wanting to retort but lacking confidence.
Before even opening, the small barbecue restaurant already had six employees, and labor costs were soaring.
However, Chen Pingjiang wasn't worried.
With his combination of strategies, customer traffic would definitely reach a new level, not to mention a series of subsequent operations.
There would only be too few people, not too many.
If people are too lazy to go out in winter, then start delivery service, delivering to dormitories.
And things like birthday rewards, loyalty programs, etc.
With nearly twenty years of extra insight and experience, if a barbecue restaurant couldn't become a hit, it would truly be a wasted life.
(End of Chapter)
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