Rebirth 07: Starting with Saving a Bankrupt Restaurant

I witnessed the power of crayfish in the morning; the whole restaurant was filled with the aroma of spicy crayfish, which was truly enticing and made my mouth water.

In addition, Shi Ling had witnessed Zhou Wen's culinary skills during her last visit.

So I had expectations in mind that it would definitely taste delicious.

However, the taste still surprised Shi Ling. Although it was full of garlic, there was almost no spiciness of garlic, only a strong garlic aroma.

Shi Ying and Shan Wei also tried it.

Compared to Shi Ling, Shi Ying's expressions were much more varied.

Compared to Shi Ying and Shan Wei, Shi Ling had a smaller appetite. Even though the crayfish was indeed delicious, she only ate a few before stopping and waiting for the main course.

The same thing happened last time I came. Although I ate every dish, I only took a bite or two, mainly just to taste the flavor.

"Boss, besides spicy and garlic flavors, do you have any other cooking methods?" Shi Ying asked while eating crayfish.

There are actually only three main flavors of crayfish: spicy, garlic, and thirteen-spice.

Zhou Wen doesn't plan to make those niche flavors; these three flavors are enough.

"There's also a Thirteen Spices flavor, but that's all," Zhou Wen replied.

"What does Boss Thirteen Spices taste like?"

If asked to describe the taste in detail, Zhou Wen indeed found it difficult to articulate it clearly.

"Let's wait a few days. We'll know what it tastes like when it's made." Zhou Wen smiled.

Zhou Wen plans to make these three flavors within ten days, and then release some other delicacies for the rest of July.

The restaurant's new crayfish, though only available for two and a half days, brought in many new customers.

Crayfish are indeed very popular among restaurant diners, but the price is indeed a bit high. No matter how good the taste is, not every diner can eat it every day.

No matter how good business is now, it will eventually come down.

After all, crayfish is a food with a clear seasonality.

We still managed to come up with some more affordable dishes to retain those diners who have started to like restaurants because of crayfish these days.

Let me share my feelings over the past half day.

The effect was quite noticeable after Shi Ling's visit for only half a day.

With a new regular helper in the kitchen, Zhou Wen now has a full-time assistant, and Shi Ying and Shi Ling in the front of house can also handle the work perfectly well.

The results even exceeded Zhou Wen's expectations, mainly because the Shi sisters were so capable.

Looking at the scene before her, Shi Ling felt a mix of emotions.

Actually, this kind of life is pretty good, much better than when I was in the factory.

Although it's tiring, it's much better than before; it feels like a small family.

If things could really continue like this, it might actually be quite nice.

After finishing his meal, Zhou Wen rested for a while and then rode his bicycle to the furniture market closest to the restaurant.

……

"Boss, are you here to pick out some furniture? See if there's anything you need." The shop owner stood up from his chair when he saw the customer.

Zhou Wen nodded slightly and said, "I need some tables and chairs."

"What style does the boss need? What's it for?"

"A log will suffice," Zhou Wen said, looking around as he spoke.

Then he pointed to a spot and said, "That kind is pretty good."

The shop owner looked in the direction Zhou Wen pointed.

He quickly replied, "Boss, you have excellent taste! Let me tell you..."

Zhou Wen waved his hand, interrupting the shop owner, and asked, "How much for a set, including those chairs?"

"A set costs three hundred."

Zhou Wen didn't say anything, but walked to the table and chairs, looked at them carefully, and touched them with his hands. The feel of them was quite nice.

Then I compared the dimensions, and they weren't much different from the table sizes in the store.

"Two hundred seems about right, boss," Zhou Wen said, patting the dust off his hands.

The shop owner smiled wryly and said, "Boss, these are all brand new, not secondhand. It really can't be that much cheaper; three hundred is already a very reasonable price."

Zhou Wen handed him a cigarette and said, "Ordering ten or so sets wouldn't be a small number. Can you give me a discount?"

The shop owner took the cigarette, pondering to himself.

Since they are a major client, we should lower the price a bit.

"How about two hundred and eighty for the whole set?"

Zhou Wen glanced at the shop owner but didn't say anything, clearly dissatisfied with the price.

After some back and forth, the final price was set at 230 yuan per set.

"Boss, is there anything else you need?" the shop owner asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Give me some two-person tables too."

How much do you want?

Zhou Wen pursed his lips and thought for a moment before saying, "About ten or so."

"And not too small, do you have any bigger ones?"

"Boss, how about this one?" The shop owner led Zhou Wen a few steps and then pointed to one of the items.

Zhou Wen looked at it, nodded, and said, "Not bad."

He then sat down and experienced it for a while.

It is 120 centimeters long and 80 centimeters wide.

Zhou Wen felt that the two people could sit comfortably.

"Okay. This one will do." Zhou Wen patted the table, quite satisfied.

"How much?"

"two hundred."

"One hundred and forty," Zhou Wen countered.

The shop owner grinned, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Alright, alright. Consider it making friends."

"When can you deliver it to the restaurant for me?"

"Boss, let me make this clear first, I don't cover transportation costs here," the shop owner said somewhat warily.

"I understand."

The shop owner nodded and then said, "I might not be able to get everything for you right away; it might take some time."

"How long will it take?"

The shop owner thought for a moment and said, "One day, I'll deliver it to you tomorrow afternoon. Is that alright?"

Zhou Wen nodded and said, "Okay."

"And I also have some unwanted tables and chairs, would you like to take them?"

After thinking for a moment, the shop owner said, "Okay, I'll go take a look tomorrow."

After leaving his address and phone number, Zhou Wen offered the shop owner a cigarette and then left the furniture market.

Then I went to the market to buy crayfish and rode my bicycle back to the restaurant.

In the evening, a notice was posted on the signboard at the entrance, announcing that garlic flavor had been added to the crayfish menu, while the price remained the same.

Everyone was somewhat surprised to see the notice on the doorplate.

I didn't expect crayfish to come in other flavors besides spicy. I wonder if this garlic flavor is any good.

While there were still street food stalls serving spicy crayfish in Fujian Province in 07, garlic crayfish was practically nonexistent.

It can be said to be a novel thing.