Zhou Yan immediately put on a smile and nodded, "Sure! Uncle, which cold dishes do you want to order?"
"Just these few today. You can provide everything, and deliver them to me before lunch the day after tomorrow so they're ready to be served."
"Delivery guaranteed!"
In a short while, several people surrounded Zhou Yan to order braised dishes and cold chicken dish, all for small family banquets of three to five tables.
They usually don't hire a village chef for these kinds of meals; they find the best chef among their relatives to cook, and then buy some braised and cold dishes to go with it, so the cost isn't too high.
Zhou Yan took out his notebook and wrote down the time and location.
He didn't deliver just any amount.
"Brother, when you went to town to buy groceries the other day, why don't you buy these two plates of pig ears at the restaurant? It takes more than half an hour to go to Nan Village and back." Zhou Yan smiled and politely declined the delivery order.
No delivery fee? A minimum order amount would be reasonable, right?
They're all related, so they're all easy to talk to.
Zhou Yan would deliver to more than five tables within the Suji Town area; this was considered a large order.
In business, flexibility is key.
The crowd dispersed, and Zhou Yan returned to Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang.
The two were holding a piece of paper, grinning foolishly.
"How many orders did they place?" Zhou Yan asked with a smile.
"Six orders." Zheng Qiang gestured, looking at Zhou Yan with admiration. "Junior Brother, you're amazing!"
"It's the three of us who are amazing. We earned this reputation through our own hard work." Zhou Yan said, waving his hand with a smile.
"Three orders this month, two next month, and one more the month after." Zheng Qiang said, handing Zhou Yan a piece of paper with a smile. "Two families have ordered your cold dishes this month. We'll use today's standard. Write down the dates and the number of tables, and I'll contact you two days in advance to confirm the exact number of tables."
"That's great! These are big orders!" Zhou Yan happily took the paper and copied it down in his notebook.
There's one on the 8th and another on the 16th, both from Suji Town. One has 20 tables, the other 38—both are big deals!
Look, this is a win-win situation of mutual help!
Xiao Lei added, "Why don't you make cold dishes for the other four families too? I'll share the money with you."
"If the hosts don't make any requests, I won't go. Master, your braising technique is unparalleled in the canteen. By the third round, your braising liquid will be ready, and you can earn the money yourselves." Zhou Yan smiled and shook his head: "I still have to take care of the restaurant; the timing isn't right."
"Okay." Xiao Lei nodded, saying nothing more.
Zhou Yan arranged a card table for them to sit at and then rode his bicycle back to the restaurant.
Zhou Yan didn't interfere with how his master and Zheng Qiang divided the money. His master was a seasoned veteran of decades and Zheng Qiang's Master Uncle; he would definitely divide the money fairly.
Three yuan per table, split between the two of them, was a considerable income.
Once the two of them have worked out together, one of them can easily handle preparing cold dishes. If they also share the profits with him, a few dozen yuan split among three people, how much could they earn in a month?
Zhou Yan's restaurant currently makes over a hundred yuan in profit daily. If he can successfully produce braised dishes, the profit margin will further increase.
Focusing on running the restaurant was what he should be doing right now; he couldn't possibly pocket every penny of the market money.
If his master and Zheng Qiang ever decided to open a restaurant specializing in banquets, he'd be very interested in investing.
In a few years, when people's living standards improve and they start paying more attention to extravagance, the restaurant should be quite profitable.
Back in the kitchen, Zhou Yan used a strainer to thoroughly remove all the meat scraps from the brine, then wrapped the strainer in gauze and rinsed it again to make sure nothing was left. He then added water, color, and salt, and brought the brine to a boil again.
Old brine needs to be nurtured; this process had to be repeated after each batch of meat, otherwise the brine would turn sour the next day.
The guests' feedback today was excellent, and Zhou Yan had gained a profound understanding of the value of this pot of old brine.
As long as he nurtured this pot of old brine well, it alone could guarantee him a comfortable life.
[Ding! Triggering a side quest: The Legacy of Zhang Ji Braised Food.]
[Zhang Ji Braised Food in Suji was founded by Zhang Shufen in 1930, and over the decades it has become a delicious memory for the older generation in Suji.]
[Player successfully becomes Zhang Shufen's apprentice, triggering the inheritance quest: Sell 500 servings of braised food, awakening the delicious memories of older generations of Suji diners and making Zhang Ji Braised Food famous again in Suji. Quest reward: Unknown. Accept: Yes/No]
Zhou Yan, who was tending the fire, raised an eyebrow. The long-awaited system quest had arrived!
500 servings. This quest is of medium difficulty; he can complete it, but it will take some time.
He plans to start selling braised food tomorrow, beginning with braised pig's head and cold chicken dish. He'll control the quantity of braised beef shank initially, gradually increasing the supply using the old method to minimize waste.
The braising liquid simmers over medium-low heat. Zhou Yan takes out paper and pen, calculates the costs, and begins pricing.
The price of boneless pig's head meat is sixty cents per jin. After braising, it will shrink by 20-30%. Each braising also consumes a lot of braising liquid, which is an additional cost.
Braised pig ears and snouts are less common, and more people prefer them as an accompaniment to alcohol, so the price should be set higher, at 3 yuan per jin (500g).
Braised pig head meat is priced at 2.5 yuan per jin. Cold chicken dish is also priced at 2.5 yuan per jin.
Braised beef has a higher cost, so it's priced at 4 yuan per jin.
The gross profit margin for braised beef is only around 30%, and Zhou Yan believes it won't sell well.
The price is indeed a bit high. For similar snacks to accompany drinks, pig's head meat and cold chicken dish offer significantly better value.
None of the three braised food stalls near the factory gate sell braised beef.
This price is twenty or thirty cents more per jin than those stalls. Based on a single pig's head, after deducting all costs, the gross profit margin is around 55%.
There's a reason for the higher price. The caramel coloring and spices used in the braising liquid are all high quality, and Zhou Yan is confident that his braised food will taste even better than theirs.
Today, when the old lady was instructing him on how to make braised food, they talked about pricing. Back in the day, when she sold her braised food, her prices were always 30% higher than other braised food shops in Suji Town.
Even so, her braised food was still in high demand, selling out everyday by noon.
This pricing strategy allows for greater profit from the same 100 jin (50 kg) of meat, and also leaves room for competitors to make a living, thus avoiding envy and resentment.
Zhou Yan's pricing was already relatively conservative.
Then Zhou Yan set the prices for dine in.
A serving of pig's ears and snout, with three liang of meat, thinly sliced and plated, was priced at 1 yuan; a serving of pig's head meat and cold chicken dish, with four liang of meat, was priced at 1 yuan, essentially the same as the price for buying loose items.
A serving of braised beef, with four liang, was priced at 1.6 yuan.
If braised beef doesn't sell well, Zhou Yan might turn it into a pre-order dish, only making it if ordered one day in advance, otherwise it'll be sold out by default.
After the price was determined, Zhou Yan took out the wooden board that had been cut earlier from the cabinet and started writing the menu, and directly marked the portion size of each dish so that customers could clearly see the portion size.
Running a restaurant is far from simple; there are countless details to consider.
Adding braised food to the menu will significantly increase the kitchen's workload.
Pig head meat, pig ears, and pig snouts need to be freshly sliced, and cold chicken dish needs to be freshly prepared to ensure optimal taste.
Zhou Yan is considering hiring a skilled butcher to specifically slice the braised meat at the entrance, ensuring the kitchen can handle peak hours.
Alternatively, he could focus on the hour after the textile factory closes in the evening, pre-slicing the pig ears, pig head meat, and cold chicken dish, leaving Aunt Zhao only to weigh and pack them. Zhou Yan can then handle the fresh slicing and preparation for dine in customers, without needing to hire additional staff.
Five signs have been hung on the wall, significantly enriching the menu.
Most of the braised food is being taken away, which not only expands the menu but also broadens the customer base, directly increasing revenue.
The brine boiled, the fire was turned off, Zhou Yan covered the pot, locked door, and went out.
The textile factory was closed today, but a few vendors were still operating outside.
Workers living in the dormitory would also come over for a meal on their day off, so there were always a few customers.
"Boss Zhou, are you coming on Sunday too?" someone greeted him.
Zhou Yan slammed on the brakes and turned to see the owner of the sweet-skinned duck stall smiling at him. He had a round face, a slightly plump figure, and was around thirty years old. He wore a gray overcoat, and his thick, naturally curly hair looked like a heavy wig; at first glance, one might mistake him for a kind-looking auntie.
Zhao Minghui was from Muzhen Town, Jiajiang, and his duck-making skills were passed down through generations.
He ate at Little Zhou's restaurant a few times when it first opened, and they got to know each other over time and got along quite well.
Behind the stall was a recliner where a short-haired, slightly plump woman was resting with a little girl covered by a smock; they were his wife and youngest daughter.
"Yes, I came to pick up some things. Old Zhao is out selling again today?" Zhou Yan said with a smile.
"Yes, I only made two today. I'll go home after selling the other half." Zhao Minghui nodded, pointing to the plate in front of him: "There are two braised duck heads left. Want one?"
Zhou Yan glanced in the direction he was pointing.
[Two ordinary braised duck heads]
[Half A Delicious Sweet-Skinned Duck]
"I'm not eating anymore. I had a large feast today, and I'm still full." Zhou Yan shook his head with a smile. Old Zhao was a professional at making duck, but his duck head skills were still a bit lacking.
"Then have some braised salted peanuts. I made them myself this morning as snacks, but the customers couldn't buy them." Zhao Minghui walked over, stuffed a handful of braised salted peanuts into Zhou Yan's hand, and said with a smile, "Your business has been doing really well lately. I'm so happy for you. Now you can finally make it big, right?"
"Business is alright. Now I don't have to close down." Zhou Yan put down the kickstand, peeled a peanut, and popped it into his mouth. The saltiness was just right, and it was quite fragrant.
[A Delicious Braised Salted Peanut]
"Braised peanuts are tastier than your braised duck heads. Why don't you try selling peanuts instead of duck heads?" Zhou Yan suggested earnestly.
"Really?" Zhao Minghui's eyes lit up, and he nodded, saying, "That's what I was thinking too! I've tweaked this peanut flavor dozens of times; this is the final recipe. I want to sell them, but my wife says nobody wants them."
"They're perfect with drinks, how could nobody want them?" Zhou Yan said with a smile, "For the next week, whenever a customer comes to buy braised food or sweet-skinned duck, give them a few to try. If someone stops to look, give them a few too. First, build up your reputation so people know you sell braised peanuts, and that they taste good."
"Even if you give them for a week, you'll only give ten jin of peanuts at most, which won't make much money. After next week, just start selling braised peanuts. Put them in a prominent spot on your stall, write the prices down clearly, and they'll definitely sell out."
Zhao Minghui's eyes lit up as he listened, and he clapped his hands in approval, saying, "That's a great idea! Why didn't I think of that? Zhou Yan, you're so clever!"
"You should try it. I think peanuts will sell better than your duck heads. Peanuts are cheap, and they'll increase in weight after braising. Sell them for forty cents a jin, making half profit, isn't that great?" Zhou Yan ate another peanut, then put the rest in his pocket for Zhou Momo to take home.
"Great! I'll start letting customers taste the peanuts tomorrow." Zhao Minghui nodded, beaming, and casually asked, "I saw you came back this morning too. Were you carrying anything?"
"Oh, my brother got married, so I braised some pig's head and beef for him." Zhou Yan put away kickstand, ready to leave.
"Braised food?" Zhao Minghui paused, looking at him with some surprise. "You're going to start selling braised food too?"
Zhou Yan smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'm not selling duck."
Zhao Minghui: "..."