Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Gu Zi gently set Lele down, allowing her to amuse herself within the shop. As Mother Lin passed by, she addressed the little girl, “Lele, play for a while. Grandma will make you a custard egg.” Lele obediently nodded at her grandmother.
After withdrawing his gaze from Su Le, Gu Zi turned to Li Hua, “The tasting sessions in the city must continue, especially during the first month of our opening. Remember to dedicate one day each week for these sessions. Also, always keep samples of the food we serve. Don’t neglect this just to save time. Make sure to label the samples and keep a record.”
In this era, the concept and practice of keeping food samples were virtually non-existent in the catering industry. However, it was indeed crucial for small eateries to do so.
From a long-term business perspective, food samples could provide traceable evidence in case of food safety incidents, serving as a preventive measure.
When customers complained of discomfort or food poisoning after consuming food from the shop, these samples could be used to verify the authenticity of their claims based on their symptoms and medical test results.
On the other hand, keeping samples also allowed the shop owners to observe changes in food quality, accurately determine the shelf life of food, and contribute to the shop’s long-term development.
Li Hua nodded, “I will do as you say. We aim to make money, but not at the expense of our conscience.”
“Oh, there’s one more thing,” she added. “A few city folks came in today and said our shop’s sign is too inconspicuous. They almost missed our shop and only noticed it because of the aroma of our braised meat. Should we make our sign more obvious?”
Gu Zi pointed inside, signaling Li Hua to continue the conversation there. The constant stream of people passing by occasionally required them to make way.
After they moved to a quieter spot, Gu Zi addressed Li Hua’s concern, “Actually, I intentionally had the sign made this way. The aim is to make those who come seeking our shop search a bit. This way, they will have a deeper impression of our shop.”
Li Hua listened, finding it all quite incredulous. “I don’t understand. Isn’t it troublesome if the place is hard to find? What if they can’t find it and decide to eat somewhere else instead? Someone just mentioned that.”
She felt that without her sister-in-law to guide them, she would never understand the intricacies of running a business.
Gu Zi explained gently, “Think about it. The shops and state-owned restaurants in the city, they all have large, eye-catching signs. But do you see all of them doing well? Not necessarily. A large sign might attract random customers, but it doesn’t guarantee retaining long-term ones. What we want is to maintain a good relationship with our long-term customers.
“We might find it troublesome if the place is hard to find, but the city folks might not think the same. Besides, they’ve already traveled all the way from the city to here. They wouldn’t be satisfied if they couldn’t find a place to eat, so they wouldn’t mind spending a bit more time looking for the shop.
“Everyone knows that as long as you’re willing to ask, you’ll find your way. As for the locals, our shop is here, and with the grand opening, most of them know where we are. Even if they just pass by, they’ll see it. Whether the sign is conspicuous or not doesn’t matter to them. As long as our food can attract them, we don’t have to worry about the size of the sign.”
Gu Zi would never underestimate the allure of good food, but she also believed that things too easily obtained wouldn’t be cherished for long. Therefore, when designing the shop’s name, she chose to keep it low-key and inconspicuous. It seemed to be working well so far.
Li Hua gave Gu Zi a thumbs-up. She felt that she had learned so much from spending time with her sister-in-law. She had learned something new today! This wasn’t just any sister-in-law; she was a true treasure. Not just Su Shen, anyone would cherish her!
“Get me a serving of braised pig’s trotters, I heard they’re the best here, right? Also, two bowls of hot and spicy soup, a serving of fried sesame balls, and a serving of fried dough sticks…”
This voice came from outside, making its way into the room. Gu Zi listened and found it familiar. Looking outside, sure enough, it was someone she knew – Mrs. Wang, the wife of Aunt Yang, who had brought her son Yuan Yuan along.
Li Hua also saw her and said to Gu Zi, “It’s her. I’ll go greet her to save Aunt Yang the trouble. I’m afraid she might stir up trouble.”
Gu Zi nodded, watching as Li Hua carried out the food that Mrs. Wang had ordered. However, she had a premonition that even if Aunt Yang didn’t show up, Mrs. Wang wouldn’t be here just for a simple breakfast.