Free Web NovelChapter 230: Chapter 230: The Plan for the Restaurant
"Now that you’ve announced the new restaurant, do you have any plans for how you’ll run it?"
The person waiting for Ming Lingyi in the carriage was none other than Feng Shuyu.
Feng Shuyu had come today intending to invite Ming Lingyi out for tea.
After all, the Ministry of Justice’s verdict on Qin Lingzhi had surprisingly been handed down in less than three days.
In fact, thanks to Jiang Yuchuan’s prior guarantee, the final verdict had already been posted on the notice board outside the Ministry of Justice.
The Ministry of Justice, normally a deserted place, had been as bustling as a marketplace for the past two days.
Of course, the people weren’t actually going inside the Ministry of Justice, but were crowding around the notice board at the entrance.
News this big had reached Feng Shuyu’s ears, even though she had been engrossed in her carving.
She also knew Ming Lingyi was involved in the matter, which was why she had specifically invited her out for tea today.
However, while waiting at the back gate, Feng Shuyu heard Ming Lingyi’s announcement about the restaurant, and her attention shifted entirely to it.
Ming Lingyi might be secretive in front of outsiders, but with Feng Shuyu, her partner, she was much more candid.
"I do have some ideas," Ming Lingyi said.
"Oh?"
Ming Lingyi continued, "A full restaurant is different from an eatery. The variety of dishes can’t be as limited. And by limited, I don’t just mean the menu of main courses, but also drinks, pastries, and the like. We need to have a full selection of everything..."
Feng Shuyu nodded. She had partnered with Ming Lingyi by investing in the restaurant, but the two of them had a prior agreement. Even though she was a co-owner, Ming Lingyi would be the primary decision-maker for the Ming Family Restaurant, and Feng Shuyu wouldn’t interfere too much.
"That’s true. As a full restaurant, we can apply for a license to brew and sell our own alcohol. For any restaurant, drinks can account for half the daily revenue. It’s a profitable business," Feng Shuyu said.
Ming Lingyi agreed.
That was why she had already instructed the Store Manager of the eatery to start scouting for people. Whether for drinks, pastries, or head chefs, preparations were in full swing.
"Besides that, what other ideas do you have? I heard earlier that you don’t plan to raise the prices for the eatery’s current dishes if they’re served at the new restaurant?" Feng Shuyu asked.
Ming Lingyi hummed in agreement. "While the prices for those dishes won’t increase, our new dishes will be priced at the standard for a full restaurant. That should ensure our daily revenue is comparable to other restaurants in the East Market." ’In my opinion,’ Ming Lingyi thought, ’if a restaurant and an eatery want to have long-term success, they must constantly innovate.’
’Regulars will eventually tire of the old classics. You need a constant stream of new dishes to keep those gourmands coming back. And, of course, the taste of the food is what fundamentally attracts new customers.’
"And I also plan for the new dishes launched at the restaurant each month to be added to Ming’s Restaurant’s menu a month later," Ming Lingyi said, looking at Feng Shuyu with a broad smile.
At first, Feng Shuyu didn’t get it. But after meeting Ming Lingyi’s mischievous gaze, she finally laughed too. "Are you copying me?"
"Oh, come on. Let’s just say I’m picking up the crumbs of your wisdom," Ming Lingyi said.
Back then, when Feng Shuyu was selling the official gazette, she had set a time limit. For the first three days, the gazettes—which bore the private seals of figures like the Emperor and the Prefect of Jingzhao Mansion—could only be obtained as a gift from Liufang Bookstore with a book purchase of a certain amount. During that time, no other bookstore had the right to stock those gazettes. She had perfectly mastered the art of the "monopoly."
The more of a "rarity" something was, the more the people of Shangjing City flocked to it.
After all, within the entire Dayan Dynasty, the people of Shangjing City were the most "fashionable." The things they pursued, the things that were in vogue, were always at the forefront of the entire dynasty.
As long as the Ming Family Restaurant launched exclusive new dishes, it wasn’t hard to imagine the place being packed with customers.
The people of Shangjing City would all be scrambling to be the first to taste the new dishes.
Feng Shuyu clapped her hands and laughed. "That’s a great idea. After all, if you only focus your energy on the new restaurant, the eatery might gradually lose customers without new dishes, even if it stays open. What about the price?"
Ming Lingyi had thought of this as well. "Since it’s about trying something new, anyone who wants to be the first to eat the crab will have to pay the restaurant’s full price. Then, after a month, I plan to sell these older dishes at a twenty percent discount."
Feng Shuyu pondered for a moment. "In that case, if you want to maintain high monthly revenue, your restaurant will need to constantly release new dishes. Otherwise, the profit margin on those discounted items will be squeezed."
"Exactly. This is a challenge for the restaurant. If we can pull through, I believe our Ming Family Restaurant will become the most iconic restaurant in all of Shangjing City." Ming Lingyi couldn’t help but get lost in the thought. ’If the new dishes we launch every month are a hit with our customers, and only the brand-new items are expensive... then once the ’old’ dishes are discounted, more ordinary families will be able to grit their teeth and afford to visit once a month. We’ll surely become the ’most Shangjing’ restaurant in the hearts of the people in the Capital City.’
’But, if we can’t pull through...’
Ming Lingyi quickly cut off that train of thought. ’That’s a dangerous idea. I’m not going to dwell on it.’
Seeing that Ming Lingyi already had her own plan, Feng Shuyu said, "Alright. But now that this news is out, I’m afraid those people might come looking for trouble."
At this, Feng Shuyu couldn’t help but smile again. "I actually came over today because I heard you had a dispute with Qin Lingzhi and Hu Yuwan in the East Market a few days ago? Some kind of public bidding, and you actually beat Hu Yuwan? Oh, it’s such a shame I wasn’t there to see it. I really wanted to see the look on my former little sister-in-law’s face."
Before, she had always been the one to suffer subtle losses at Hu Yuwan’s hands. No matter how she tried to explain herself, it always seemed to be her fault.
But this time, Ming Lingyi had made Hu Yuwan lose face in front of so many people—and by beating her fair and square, no less. How could she not be delighted?
"Her days in the Qin Family probably won’t be easy for a while," Feng Shuyu said. She was intimately familiar with the mindset the Hu family instilled in its daughters before marrying them into powerful households: always stay sharp, and never make a mistake. "However..." Feng Shuyu’s tone shifted. While she was delighted by Hu Yuwan’s public humiliation, she knew her former in-laws valued Hu Yuwan immensely. After all, the girl had married into the household of General Huaihua, making her the most successful Hu daughter of her generation. With Hu Yuwan having been "wronged" by Ming Lingyi, and now with Lingyi announcing the new restaurant on Vermilion Bird Street, the Hu family was bound to be plotting something behind their backs.
