Chapter 1677 - 1606: Mess_2

When they arrived, it was just five o’clock, technically the start of the early dinner rush, but the reception at the door was listless and indifferent.

Atan followed Marcus Quinn inside, only to find that almost all the restaurant’s staff were in such a state. Atan raised an eyebrow, had the Duncan Family been skimping on wages?

Marcus Quinn requested a private room, and a female server led the two of them to the second floor. She took a few extra glances at Atan, who was quite attractive, and then looked at Marcus Quinn. At first glance, she didn’t notice much, but after a couple more looks, she found this man exuded an overwhelming burst of hormones.

"Ordering now, do you have any recommended signature dishes?" Atan glared at Marcus Quinn, signaling him to stop being flirtatious.

Marcus Quinn, who had maintained eye contact the whole time, looked aggrieved, feeling he hadn’t done anything!

"Our signature dishes are all listed on the menu." The waitress pointed to the most expensive items. Atan took a glance; the service was lacking, the staff’s enthusiasm was very low, cleanliness standards were subpar, and the interior’s furniture and decor weren’t high-end. Yet the dishes were quite expensive, with one costing five or six hundred, and the pricey Buddha Jumps Over the Wall close to two thousand.

Atan ordered a few dishes ranging from mid- to high-end. In total, she ordered five, not too many, but even so it came out to three to four thousand.

"Why not order a couple more dishes?" Marcus Quinn, seeing there were only five, thought of Yeats Howard, the foodie who would be coming, knowing this wouldn’t even be enough to satisfy his appetite.

Atan subtly shook her head, waiting for the waitress to leave before whispering, "Ordering too much won’t finish it. I suspect the food here is pretty bad, judging by the lack of business."

Now in these major cities, whether dining in high, mid, or low-end places, one typically waits over an hour. Most seats here are empty, indicating it’s expensive and not tasty. If not for wanting to gauge the chef’s skills, Atan wouldn’t waste money here.

Marcus Quinn saw her cute wrinkled nose and laughed softly, reaching out to gently pinch her cheek, hoarsely saying, "I’ll give you a treat when we get back."

"Alright." Atan felt he wasn’t losing out with him pinching her face.

The waitress completed their order and then served them tea. She poured tea for the two, and Atan glanced at it; the aroma was mediocre, then casually began chatting with the waitress.

Usually in private rooms, staff are expected to provide full service, but this waitress seemed happy to chat casually.

After a few minutes of conversation, the waitress realized they were tourists from the south, noticing Atan’s strong affinity and naturally letting down her guard, revealing her talkative nature.

"I see your dishes cover various cuisines—Cantonese, Fujian, Su—and if you can hire so many chefs, why not hire a pastry chef for desserts?" Atan smiled as the timing was just right, leading into the topic.

Perhaps long-standing grievances with the employer made the waitress’ eyes flash with discontent as she quietly said, "The boss is stingy beyond belief, wishing he could use one person like two. Present-day pastry chefs are expensive, and our penny-pinching boss wouldn’t even consider hiring one. We haven’t had a raise in two years, and even holiday bonuses are nonexistent."

Atan exchanged a glance with Marcus Quinn, suddenly realizing it seemed pretty serious. The information had come too easily.

"So all the money goes into hiring chefs?" Atan teased.

The waitress smiled but said nothing, thinking that they’d understand once they ate. If Chef Liu didn’t have equity in the restaurant and come occasionally to make a dish or two, the place would’ve long shut down. Liu himself has other restaurants, occasionally returning purely for old sentiment.

In this Imperial City, where space is precious, running a restaurant to this extent, Fragrance Tower was unique throughout Emperor City.

Atan probed for more information. Then she and Marcus Quinn were in the know. Originally, the Duncan Family had no interest in running a restaurant earnestly, merely seeking to rake in money from dining, skimping on chefs’ wages. The staff’s pay was some of the industry’s lowest. Over ten years, all the chefs had run away, only to be replaced by inexperienced chefs and staff, causing the reputation to worsen day by day, barely hanging on.

Fortunately, they didn’t have to pay expensive rent, otherwise the restaurant would already be bankrupt.

The high prices clearly aimed at overcharging tourists, given the many nearby attractions.

Atan searched for Fragrance Tower reviews on her phone, finding mainly negative ones about it. While others scored 4 to 5, Fragrance Tower barely had over 1!