fictionpage Chapter 94: All of this was achieved through hard work.
Chapter 94: All of this was achieved through hard work.
Zhu Ji Barbecue, 6:30 pm.
"Old Zhu, the same old rules."
Zhang Beichuan skillfully lifted the greasy plastic curtain, shouted towards the kitchen, and led Jiang Xia to sit down at the square table outside the door.
This shop has been open for seven or eight years. The owner, Zhu Hongjun, is honest and reliable, uses high-quality ingredients for his grilled skewers, and has a good grasp of the cooking time and temperature.
The shop's environment wasn't great; the old newspapers pasted on the walls were yellowed and curled from the smoke. But the food was delicious and the prices were reasonable.
It's a favorite hangout spot for Zhang Beichuan and Jiang Xia, a group of old classmates who have been eating there since college.
"Alright! You two haven't been here in a while!" Zhu Hongjun, wearing an apron, poked half his body out from the kitchen, a smile plastered on his dark face, a handful of sizzling lamb skewers in his hand. "There's free watermelon in the shop, have a bite to eat, it'll be ready in a bit!"
Jiang Xiachong and Zhu Hongjun smiled, their gaze sweeping over the somewhat deserted shop.
It wasn't really peak time for late-night snacks yet, and there were only two or three tables of customers scattered around the restaurant, which was much less lively than I remembered at the same time.
"Uncle Zhu's business seems... not as booming as before?" she asked Zhang Beichuan in a low voice.
Zhang Beichuan, who was eating a slice of watermelon, looked up when he heard this.
"It's probably too early. Tell me, what are you really thinking?"
Jiang Xia took out a notebook from his canvas bag, which was filled with words and numbers.
"I've done a rough calculation. First, the store needs renovation. The tables, chairs, walls, and lights all need to be replaced. This part is estimated to cost 20,000 to 30,000 yuan."
"The equipment is the biggest expense: ovens, refrigerators, exhaust systems, and equipment for brewing fine grain beer. Buying all of this secondhand will cost at least 100,000 yuan!"
Old Zhu's wife, Wang Xia, brought each of them a large pitcher of beer and a plate of peanuts.
"You guys have your drinks first, your Uncle Zhu is already grilling for you."
"Okay, thank you, Aunt Wang," Zhang Beichuan said with a smile, and continued listening to what Jiang Xia had to say next.
"Adding in the costs of obtaining licenses, hiring staff, the first batch of raw materials, and marketing expenses, the initial start-up capital should be at least 200,000 yuan."
Jiang Xia spoke clearly and logically, which showed that he had done a lot of research.
Zhang Beichuan nodded, "That's about right."
"Putting money aside, let me ask you, what are your plans? Are you going to do it like Uncle Zhu and the others, grilling and eating it directly, or will the customers grill it themselves?"
Jiang Xia has been thinking about this issue for the past few days.
We need to hire a barbecue chef. Given the size of the shop, it would require at least two or three people, which would be quite costly in terms of labor.
In addition, since it is all done by hand, it is difficult to keep the taste consistent.
She is currently short of funds, so she is considering the latter.
"What I'm thinking of is making it a self-service barbecue. All I need to do is learn how to make marinades and the recipe, and keep the ingredients fresh. The price would be as you said, around 70 yuan per person, that's affordable. What do you think?"
"Cough~" Zhang Beichuan burped after downing a mouthful of ice-cold beer. "Hmm, looks like they really put in the effort this time!"
The cheapest cost in a barbecue restaurant is the ingredients, followed by labor and equipment, and the bulk of the labor cost comes from the barbecue chefs.
By pre-loading ingredients, allowing customers to pick them up themselves, and implementing self-service grilling, labor costs can indeed be reduced significantly.
This also avoids the situation where, once business picks up, the barbecue chef raises prices on the spot.
This kind of thing is common in the catering industry.
Jiang Xia rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "Stop trying to convince me. What do you think? Give me a straight answer on whether my method will work!"
"I think...it's a good idea." Zhang Beichuan picked up a piece of peanuts from the plate on the table with his chopsticks. "So, where are you planning to get the marinade recipe? Have you thought about it?"
Jiang Xia glanced at him with a smile, then turned and gestured towards Old Zhu, who was busy grilling skewers.
"Uncle Zhu!"
Zhu Hongjun, standing in front of the oven, replied cheerfully, "What's up, girl?"
"When you're done with your work, please come out and sit for a bit. I have something to talk to you about," Jiang Xia said in a clear, expectant voice.
Zhang Beichuan instantly understood her intention. No wonder she chose this place to meet. A hint of approval flashed in his eyes.
"You want to learn how to make marinades from Uncle Zhu?"
"That's right!" Jiang Xia lowered her voice, her eyes bright. "Uncle Zhu has been working here for so many years, his skills have been proven by the market. His marinade recipe must be unique. Besides, Uncle Zhu is an honest man, much better than me spending money to learn from someone else and getting ripped off, right?"
Just then, Zhu Hongjun came over carrying a large plate full of barbecue skewers.
The lamb skewers were a perfect mix of lean and fatty meat, sizzling with oil; the chicken wings were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sprinkled with cumin and chili powder; and there were also grilled pork belly, enoki mushrooms, eggplant... the aroma was irresistible.
"Come on, eat it while it's hot!" Zhu Hongjun put down the plate, pulled over a stool, wiped his hands with his apron, and looked at the two of them with a smile. "What's up?"
Jiang Xia took a deep breath and organized her thoughts.
"Uncle Zhu, I'm thinking of turning my coffee shop into a barbecue place. I came here today for two reasons: first, I'm craving your food, and second... I'd like to learn from you."
Zhu Hongjun was slightly taken aback, and his face showed some embarrassment.
It's true that business is getting harder and harder. If it weren't for his loyal customers, he doesn't know how much longer he could keep going.
What can a barbecue restaurant learn from? It's nothing more than the marinade recipe, which is the foundation of his business. How can he so easily hand it over to someone else?
Zhang Beichuan quickly chimed in, "Uncle Zhu, please don't misunderstand. Jiang Xia didn't learn from you for nothing; she paid the full amount. She just thinks you're a genuine person, unlike some others who are just trying to pass themselves off as experts."
Someone started a group buy, and Jiang Xia immediately joined.
"Uncle Zhu, I know. The core of barbecue is the marinade and the skill. I won't learn your marinade recipe for nothing. Can I pay you 5000 for it?"
Seeing that he remained silent, Jiang Xia continued, "Don't worry, my shop is near the South Gate, while you're near the East Gate, which is quite a distance away."
"Girl, it's not that Uncle Zhu doesn't want to help you. This marinade recipe is something I've figured out bit by bit over the past ten years through trial and error. It's thanks to it that our shop has been able to gain a foothold in this area."
He paused, his tone sincere.
"If I sell the recipe and word gets out, my shop will be in trouble..."
"Uncle Zhu, I understand your concerns," Zhang Beichuan quickly replied. "Jiang Xia can sign an agreement with you that the recipe will only be used in the shop and will never be shared with outsiders. Moreover, she lives in the South Gate area, so her customer base doesn't overlap with yours and won't affect your business."
"That's right, Uncle Zhu. Just think, what if I could carry on your skills and make them even better? At that point, I'd be too busy keeping it a secret to let anyone else know!"
Hearing this, Wang Xia tugged at Zhu Hongjun's sleeve, thinking to herself, "It would be great if this girl spent 5000 yuan on a marinade recipe."
Business is tough these days anyway, so an extra five thousand in income is still money, so what's wrong with keeping it in my hands?
"Sigh... alright then." Zhu Hongjun finally gave in. "Girl, if you really want to learn, Uncle Zhu can teach you. But we have to agree that the recipe is for your own use only, and you can't teach it to others. Also, if you really want to do this business, you have to use high-quality ingredients. You can't use inferior ingredients to save costs, otherwise even the best skills will be hard to master."
Jiang Xia's eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded.
"Uncle Zhu, don't worry, I definitely won't."
"Alright, if you want to learn, come when you have time. A recipe alone isn't enough; you have to try it yourself."
"Okay, I'll come tomorrow afternoon." Jiang Xia said cheerfully, then took out his phone and transferred five thousand yuan. "Uncle Zhu, the money's been transferred to you."
"Okay, sure."
Once the matter was settled, the atmosphere immediately relaxed.
Jiang Xia wasn't too happy. Instead, she glanced at Zhang Beichuan, who was smoking with Uncle Zhu, and wondered how to ask him for money.
Before she could even speak, Zhang Beichuan, who had been chatting with Zhu Hongjun for a few minutes, asked the question first.
"Where are you going to get so much money?"
Upon hearing the word "money," Jiang Xia pouted and took a swig from the mug of draft beer on the table.
"What else can I do? The lighter parts business in Shaodong is getting worse and worse, there's no hope for it. I'm planning to sell my A4, that should raise 130,000 or 140,000 yuan. As for the rest, I'll have to find someone to help me out."
Zhang Beichuan, who had been nonchalant just moments before, suddenly perked up.
He was worried a while ago that when a lighter assembly plant was set up in 1986, there was no one knowledgeable to give him any advice. Now there's a ready-made one.