The two of them arrived at Haoxinglai after dinner. They thought it might be overcrowded, but they didn't know that there were only two or three tables of guests sitting in the spacious and grand lobby.
When he saw a guest coming in, the hospitable fat boss greeted him warmly:
"Would you two please, what would you like to eat today?"
Liu Bo looked at Yu Changle, and the two of them smiled in unison: "Still the same, let's get a three-piece suit!"
"Hey! Yes!"
The fat boss smiled and narrowed his eyes. He heard that he was a regular customer of the store.
He might not have been so emotional before, but now the store has lost a lot of old customers. Now when he sees one, it's like seeing a relative!
Perhaps because there were few diners in the store, the food was served very quickly today. The boss was not as busy as usual when serving the food. Instead, he was waiting attentively on the side, bringing tea and water, and asking questions.
At first, Yu Changle thought that the taste of the food was not as good as before, or that cutting corners affected the diners' experience, which was why fewer people came to eat now. But after tasting the food, she found that it was still as delicious as ever, which made her feel a little strange. .
Seeing the boss idle and looking for something to do, he asked casually out of curiosity:
"Boss, why are there not many customers in the store today?"
Hearing her ask this, the fat boss couldn't hide his sadness, and a few wrinkles appeared on his originally smooth and prosperous face:
"Well, to tell you the truth, it's not just today, it's been several days. I have no choice but to blame myself for being inferior to others..."
These words aroused the curiosity of foodie Liu Bo. He swallowed the tender crispy meat in his mouth and asked:
"What's wrong? Who are you inferior to? Now Jin Bo has better food than the three-piece set?"
The fat boss couldn't wait to slap himself. He finally got old customers to visit him. He didn't know about the newly opened Huimeijia restaurant, so he rushed to promote it to others!
But the guest had already asked, and he was unwilling to tell lies, so he answered dejectedly:
"There's a new restaurant opening up front. Of course I don't think their food is better than mine, but... it's certainly cheaper than mine, and many of the old customers have been poached."
"But you two have also seen that every dish in our store uses solid ingredients and requires a lot of effort. Take the soup stock as an example. It has to be cooked one day in advance and lasts for two full days. It takes fourteen hours to use, how many chickens are needed to make this pot of soup..."
The fat boss, who was just complaining, suddenly realized that he had leaked the secret of the soup stock. He subconsciously covered his mouth with his hands and looked at the two of them in panic.
Yu Changle couldn't help laughing when he saw this, and Liu Bo rolled his eyes:
"Go on, tell me, who would be willing to listen to your 'unique secret recipe'?! It's too troublesome for me to do it!"
The fat boss smiled and nodded, turned around and continued:
"So, the prices of the dishes in our store are really good value for money. They are by no means shouting for prices. But I can't help but the prices are really cheap. Customers are willing to go, but there is nothing I can do..."
Although the fat boss spoke aggrievedly, he never said a bad word about his opponent from beginning to end. This kind of behavior made Yu Changle take a high look at him.
"Oh, I'm just worried. I think about it during the day and at night, and I'm worried that if this fifty-year-old brand name falls on my hands, I'll really have no shame in going to see my father!"
Although the fat boss said something pitiful, Liu Bo couldn't help but said: "How old are you? It's still early to see your father!"
The fat boss choked, but he regained some of his sadness, put on a smile again and said:
"Look at me, I have disturbed the two of you by saying something unhappy. You two eat slowly and I will give you some hot tea."
Yu Changle felt a little emotional when she heard this. In her opinion, the dilemma encountered by the boss of Haokelai was no different from that of the silk factory. After all, the wave of reform of the times has swept deep into the inland, and the original stability of all walks of life will be faced with huge challenges. .
This is just a sign before the big storms come. Those who have not realized the need to be prepared before this are destined to be unable to survive this earth-shaking wave of the times. This small time-honored brand is not the only one that has fallen before the dawn of the new era. .
She scooped a spoonful of the assorted soup and mixed it with the rice. When she ate it, she still felt the delicious taste brought by the real ingredients. She knew that what the fat boss said was true.
Although the business is not as good as before, the quality of the dishes is still as good as it should be. This actually shows the boss's determination to stick to his original intention and maintain his golden name.
But the cruelty of the market cannot be fought with determination alone.
Seeing that the meal was almost finished, Liu Bo asked the boss to come over to pay the bill. The boss came over with a smile and said:
"You two are regular customers of the store. I'll give you a discount, just five yuan."
This is also the way he can think of to retain old customers as much as possible. Although the profit after discounts is reduced by half, it is still better than losing all old customers.
Yu Changle suddenly asked: "Even if two people are charged five yuan, it's still more expensive than a meal in that restaurant, right?"
The fat boss' face froze, thinking that Yu Changle was still too expensive, so he said helplessly:
"Please forgive me, this price is already our most sincere price, and it cannot be any less."
Liu Bo did not expect that Yu Changle, who had always been generous, would raise objections at this time. He was also startled and said quickly:
"It's okay, isn't it just five yuan? It's one yuan less than usual! Come on, take it!"
As he spoke, he took out five dollars from his pocket and handed it to the boss, waving his hand for the boss to leave.
Yu Changle smiled: "That's not what I meant. I was thinking, boss, even if you charge us less, wouldn't it still feel more expensive to the customers than the other one?"
"So I think if you want to solve the problem of price differences, you can't just lower prices, because your costs are much higher than the other party, and you obviously can't win by lowering prices to win customers."
The fat boss listened carefully and put the money back into Liu Bo's hand, looking at Yu Changle with a burning gaze:
"You are absolutely right. This is what has always troubled me. Even if I sell at a loss, the price will still be a bit higher than Huimeijia. But you are asking me to cut corners unconscionably, even if the store really can't survive and closes. , that’s absolutely not okay.”
This time-honored brand that has gone through fifty years of ups and downs can be eliminated by people, but it cannot be cast aside. This is his last insistence as a descendant.
Yu Changle appreciated his ability to stick to his original intention and was not shy about giving his own advice:
"Know yourself and the enemy, and you can win a hundred battles. You know that price is your family's disadvantage, so what is your family's advantage?"
The fat boss straightened his chest: "My dishes! I can guarantee that my dishes are the best in Jinbo. They are not comparable to Huimeijia's dishes that can be cooked in five minutes."
Yu Changle nodded: "So──you should use your brains on your advantages instead of using your own disadvantages to compete with others' advantages."
