Chapter 237: Customers at the New Store
Chapter 237: Chapter 237: Customers at the New Store
He returned to the shop, tomatoes in hand.
Jiang Liu started the dough, then turned to prepare the sashimi.
It was a little after 8:40.
Hu Yongsheng sent him a WeChat message.
"Master, the shop is pretty much set. The ingredients are all prepped, the storefront is finished, and the business license has arrived."
"Are we opening at eleven?"
Jiang Liu asked, "How’s the POS system coming along?"
Unlike the old shop, the new one had computers and other self-service ordering equipment.
Hu Yongsheng: "I had someone set up the software. Everything’s ready, just waiting for the go-ahead to open!"
Jiang Liu: "Okay, then open at eleven."
Hu Yongfa: "Roger that!!"
With Jiang Liu’s approval, Hu Yongfa, ecstatic, ran out to the main hall in his white chef’s uniform and shouted, "It’s confirmed! We’re opening in two hours! Everyone, stand sharp and no mistakes, you hear me!"
"Heard!"
"We guarantee we’ll give every customer the best service!"
The few employees in the shop were all fired up, eager to prove themselves.
Aunt Hong stood at the ready, a rag and a disinfectant spray bottle tucked into her apron pocket.
Their salaries were 3,500, and that didn’t include bonuses.
In a city like South City, that was already quite good.
Hu Yongfa returned to the kitchen and started making the steamed buns, following Jiang Liu’s instructions to the letter.
Yue Longfan was in charge of the stir-fries, the wok and ladle clanging loudly. CLANG! CLANG!
「Eleven o’clock arrived in no time.」
Five hundred buns of five different varieties were already steamed. Several stir-fried dishes were cooked and placed in insulated containers, and the nutritious porridge, steaming with the fragrance of shrimp, bubbled on the stove.
The double doors of the shop were thrown open.
They went live on the Fengniao platform.
However...
Twenty minutes passed...
The shop was deserted. A snail crawled to the entrance, then crawled back out.
Not a single order came through on the Fengniao platform...
"What’s going on? Still no one?"
Unable to wait any longer, Yue Longfan ran out from the kitchen to check.
The cashier shook her head. "Not a single person has walked in."
She was a bit dazed. ’Is the shop going to go bankrupt on its first day?’
’I heard the boss behind this place is a big shot...’
’What a load of bull!’
Hu Yongfa sat by the entrance, his brow furrowed, offering words of comfort. "Don’t worry. It’s started raining again, and it’s only just eleven. A lot of people aren’t on their lunch break yet. Besides, we’re a brand-new shop, so it’s normal to not have any customers."
The words had barely left his mouth.
As if taking pity on them, the heavens seemed to answer.
Two young punk girls with tattoos on their arms and legs walked into the shop and looked around.
"When did this new shop open? How come there’s no one here? It’s not very good, is it?"
"Are you serving food now?"
Seeing actual people, the cashier froze for a second before quickly putting on a smile. "Hello, you two! Yes, we’re officially open. We have food; the menu’s on the wall."
The older of the two, the one with yellow hair, nodded. "Right. You do your thing. We’ll have a look first."
As they spoke, the two walked further inside, their eyes drawn to the large, red menu board on the wall.
"Three-Delicacy Buns, two yuan. Fennel Buns, two yuan. Shrimp and Corn Buns, five yuan... Twice-cooked Pork, thirty. Nutritious Porridge, ten..."
"Damn, is this a rip-off joint!?"
"The buns are two yuan, but a bowl of porridge is ten? A meal for the two of us would be nearly a hundred yuan! Let’s go!"
The yellow-haired girl tried to persuade her. "Forget it, Xiao Man. We’re already here. It’d be embarrassing to leave now. It’s not like we can’t afford it. If it sucks, we’ll just post in our group chat and tell everyone to steer clear."
"Fine, let’s give it a try then."
The two picked a spot and sat down. They ran a hand over the table and benches—they were quite clean. They nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad. Cleaner than the pickled fish place next door."
Xiao Man scanned the QR code for the official account to order.
They ordered five shrimp buns, five chive and egg buns, two bowls of porridge, and a portion of spicy chicken.
The WeChat payment came to eighty-five yuan. Xiao Man’s heart bled with every virtual drop.
’A whole day’s wages, gone!’
The money she paid went directly into Jiang Liu’s account.
"So damn expensive. We’re never coming back!"
"There’s a Sanmi Porridge Shop nearby, and their stuff is pretty good. It’s not even this expensive."
As the two of them muttered their complaints, a waitress brought over the buns and porridge they had ordered.
"Enjoy your meal, you two."
The two girls stared at the buns on the table, which were as small as xiaolongbao, then at each other in disbelief.
"You’ve got to be kidding me. The buns are this small? What a rip-off!"
"Just eat, just eat!"
In their minds, they had already put a big red X over this shop.
’We are absolutely never coming back. Anyone who comes here is a sucker!’
Xiao Man picked up a shrimp and corn bun with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.
The moment she bit down, juices burst out, and the savory, fresh flavor brought a wave of satisfaction.
"??!"
"Sister Qian, this is so good!" Xiao Man’s face was a picture of astonishment. It was just as delicious as the buns she’d had at high-end restaurants.
But those buns cost more than ten yuan each!
Unbelievable!
"Really? That good? Let me try."
The yellow-haired girl, Xiao Xian, curiously picked up a bun and popped it into her mouth.
"Mmm~! Not bad! Definitely worth five yuan! I’d even pay ten for this!"
Although Hu Yongfa had strictly followed Jiang Liu’s standards, his technique and ingredients were still several tiers below Jiang Liu’s. Nevertheless, the buns he made were more than enough to crush any ordinary bun on the market.
The two ate until their mouths were glistening with savory juices.
They took a sip of the nutritious porridge and found real, fresh shrimp in every mouthful.
"This is delicious! I can’t believe how generous this shop’s porridge is. No wonder it’s ten yuan. The seafood porridge I used to get at KFC for dozens of yuan was absolute trash in comparison!"
The two ate quickly.
It was too delicious!
After a busy morning, eating such a delicious lunch left them with not just a fragrant taste in their mouths, but also a warm feeling in their stomachs.
The two of them never mentioned their earlier complaints.
Xiao Man took out her phone. "No way, a shop this good... I have to recommend it to our girls. We should all come eat here together in the future."
"I’ll post it."
"It’s fine, you eat. I’ll do it."
Neither wanted to pass up the chance to introduce their friends to such a heavenly find.
She immediately sent a message to the group chat: "[Location]"
"Girls! There’s a new shop in the alley! They have super delicious buns and nutritious porridge, and their stir-fries are amazing too!"
"We could make this our daily cafeteria!!!"
Before long, three of their friends came running over.
Hu Yongfa breathed a sigh of relief. ’Thank goodness. The shop isn’t completely dead anymore.’
Ten minutes ago, there wasn’t a soul in sight, and he had been watching anxiously.
He had been terrified of disappointing Jiang Liu.
The three friends ordered buns and nutritious porridge.
After taking a bite, their faces were filled with surprise.
"I can’t believe a new shop makes food this good. Let’s come back tonight."
"Sounds good to me. This food is so comforting."
"I thought it was expensive before, but now I think it’s perfectly reasonable. The flavor completely justifies the price."
"The buns are delicious. They must have been made by a master."
The group ordered more food.
When food is this good, you don’t worry about the cost!
With the three friends’ recommendations, the group chat exploded.
More and more of their "sisters" ran over to try it.
In no time, the shop was filled with nearly twenty people.
Outside, some office workers passing by on their lunch hunt saw the new shop was packed with people and were instantly intrigued.
"A new shop? Selling buns, porridge, and stir-fries? Let’s go check it out. It’s pretty crowded, so the food might actually be good."