Rebirth 07: Starting with Saving a Bankrupt Restaurant

Back at the restaurant, Zhou Wen first went up to the second floor to wipe the sweat off his body with a clean towel, and then changed into clean clothes.

Then we went downstairs to start preparing the dishes.

The process of making hand-shredded Sichuan peppercorn chicken is simple and not too complicated, so Zhou Wen didn't rush to make it. Instead, he started braising other foods first.

Around 10 o'clock, Zhou Wencai began making the Sichuan peppercorn chicken.

Place chicken drumsticks in a pot of cold water with scallions, ginger, and cooking wine. After half an hour, they can be taken out.

To ensure a better taste later, Zhou Wen even chilled the chicken legs in ice water.

In a bowl, combine light soy sauce, aged vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil, Sichuan peppercorn oil, and chili oil. Mix all the seasonings well.

Break the chicken leg in half, sprinkle some seasonings on it, and then pour the prepared sauce over it. You're all done!

"Boss, is this also a Sichuan-style cold dish?" Shi Ying asked, looking at the Sichuan peppercorn chicken in front of her.

Zhou Wen nodded: "Yes, I'll try it."

"Okay." Shi Ying nodded with some anticipation, and then began to taste it.

Whether it was because the sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce was too amazing, or because the two tasted somewhat similar, Shi Ying no longer had the same amazing feeling as when she tasted it before.

Furthermore, the "Husband and Wife Lung Slices" dish uses four different parts of the ingredients, resulting in a superior taste.

But it's still delicious.

Shi Ying truthfully expressed her thoughts: "Boss, this Sichuan peppercorn chicken is delicious, but I still prefer the sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce."

After saying that, Shi Ying chuckled.

After tasting it, Zhou Wen was actually quite satisfied with his hand-shredded Sichuan peppercorn chicken, as the overall flavor was very well presented.

First of all, the numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorn chicken is quite pleasant, but not too intense.

Secondly, there's the chicken. The meat is tender and not overcooked or tough, and the juices are locked inside.

The restaurant was about to open for lunch, and Zhou Wen was busy in the kitchen.

To enhance the color, Zhou Wen added some gardenia fruit when cooking the chicken legs.

Zhou Wen also understood that the impact of the "Husband and Wife Lung Slices" was too great, and the hand-shredded spicy chicken might indeed taste good and could definitely be sold.

As for how many can be sold, and whether it can be as popular as "Husband and Wife Lung Slices", that remains to be seen.

But there's a high chance it won't be as good as sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce.

Just as Zhou Wen had predicted.

On the first day at noon, thanks to the new product, plus the same Sichuan-style cold dishes, we had a great meal.

Furthermore, given the precedent of dishes like "Husband and Wife Lung Slices," the sales of the two are almost equal, with the sales of "Hand-Shredded Spicy Chicken" even slightly exceeding those of "Husband and Wife Lung Slices."

However, the difference became apparent the next day, and diners who had tried both the hand-shredded spicy chicken and the sliced ​​beef and offal in chili sauce ultimately chose the sliced ​​beef and offal in chili sauce.

As for why the difference wasn't significant, it's because the diners who didn't come the day before opted to try the new Sichuan peppercorn chicken.

On the third and fourth days, after almost all the diners in the restaurant had tasted the hand-shredded spicy chicken and the novelty wore off, the sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce remained the only standout dish.

Although hand-shredded Sichuan peppercorn chicken is cheaper.

Zhou Wen roughly analyzed the reasons and concluded that it might be because the most prominent flavor of Sichuan peppercorn chicken is numbing, and compared to the fresh spiciness of spicy red oil in Sichuan-style sliced ​​beef and tripe, the numbing flavor is indeed somewhat lacking.

In addition, it's a new product that no one has tried before, so on the first day, it can compete with the "Husband and Wife Lung Slices" (a type of Sichuan-style beef and offal).

However, judging from the overall feedback, Zhou Wen was still satisfied.

During the period when the hand-shredded Sichuan pepper chicken was launched, Zhou Wen had already paid off the restaurant's water and electricity bills.

In 07, there were no online payment functions.

Meter readers would post the notices on the wall outside the door.

Then, use this notice to pay the fee at a nearby bank counter.

The water and electricity bills came to 1,300 yuan in total, mainly because the air conditioner was running quite loudly.

……

……

Since the restaurant started serving sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce and now shredded spicy chicken, Zhou Wen and Shi Ying have been extremely busy every day.

After several days of consideration, Zhou Wen decided to hire a new employee, but not as a waiter/waitress; he would just hire someone to do odd jobs and help out.

"Shi Ying, the shop might need to hire a general helper."

Upon hearing this, Shi Ying raised her head, her eyes momentarily blank.

Zhou Wen understood that the girl was overthinking things, so he smiled and said, "What are you thinking about? There's so much work to do in the shop every day. The two of us will be exhausted sooner or later."

Zhou Wen needs to keep the ingredients fresh every day, so she buys almost a day's worth each time, and has to get up early every other day to go to the market to buy vegetables.

Back at the shop, after a short rest, we have to start braising the food, and soon we have to open for business.

There's practically no time to rest throughout the day.

It's impossible to make Shi Ying busy with both the front-of-house and kitchen affairs at the same time.

Moreover, the work in the front hall is not easy either.

Putting aside how much effort this would take, the constant back and forth might also delay other diners' mealtimes, which is completely unnecessary.

At the current pace, the two of them can definitely manage, although they might be a little tired every day.

But in Zhou Wen's eyes, it was completely unnecessary. Why make yourself so tired when you can solve something with a little money?

Shi Ying put on a serious face, thought for a moment, and then said, "It's okay, I can make more."

In Shi Ying's mind, Zhou Wen's desire to hire a handyman might stem from her own shortcomings, such as not doing enough or not doing enough work.

Zhou Wen looked at Shi Ying's serious expression and couldn't help but laugh. After all, the energy of two people is limited.

With Zhou Wen's patient explanation, Shi Ying finally understood her boss's thoughts.

"You might have to help the new employees adjust when they arrive."

"Okay," Shi Ying nodded.

Zhou Wen still prioritizes finding former employees, since they are experienced and familiar with him, and you can say you know them well.

However, after searching through the contacts, I found that I only had Xiao Shi and one of the chefs' contact information. So I had no choice but to put up a notice outside the restaurant.

……

The next day, a recruitment notice was posted outside Zhouji Restaurant.

Some customers who come into the store will even joke, "Boss, your business is getting better and better, are you going to expand the store soon?"

Zhou Wen responded with a smile, essentially saying that the restaurant couldn't function without everyone's support.

As the store was about to close in the afternoon, someone finally came in.

"Boss, are you hiring right now?"

The person who entered the store was a thin man with long hair. His hair had grown so long that it covered his eyes. He looked quite young, probably only in his early twenties, about the same age as Shi Ying.